It did not take an avid political insider to realise that Labour were in serious trouble in Wales and had been for a long time. Nearly half a million of its three million population are estimated to live in “deep poverty” , while the decline of its industrial base has meant that large parts of the Welsh Valleys suffer with high deprivation, an underperforming education sector and lower income levels. For over a century, Labour politicians have dominated country-wide elections and have held the Senedd since it was established in 1999. Consecutive leaders in Westminster have never questioned the support they could rely upon in Wales – until today. For voters in those particular constituencies, the mood has turned from loyalty to anger, with many telling The Independent that nothing had changed in decades, with parties such as Reform UK and Plaid Cymru emerging as serious candidates to win back their trust.…