The Liberal Democrats have won the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election – as Boris Johnson suffered his first major defeat as prime minister.

The result in the mid-Wales constituency is a significant blow to the new Tory leader as his working majority in parliament has now fallen to just one.

Jane Dodds, the Lib Dems’ leader in Wales, won with 43.5% of the vote, ahead of former Tory MP Chris Davies on 39% after he triggered the by-election following his conviction for submitting false expenses.

Labour, which narrowly avoided losing its deposit after securing just 5.3% of the vote, were beaten into fourth place by the Brexit Party on 10.5%.

The Tory loss will add to the new PM’s challenges to steer Brexit through parliament and may increase the chances of a snap general election.

After the result was announced, Ms Dodds said her first act as an MP would be to find Mr Johnson and tell him to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

She said: “People are desperately crying out for a different kind of politics. There is no time for tribalism when our country is faced with a Boris Johnson government and the threat of a no-deal Brexit.

“So my very first act as your MP when I arrive in Westminster will be to find Mr Boris Johnson wherever he is hiding and tell him loud and clear: ‘Stop playing with the future of our communities and rule out a no-deal Brexit now’.”

After 11 days in power, Mr Johnson has set a record for the fewest number of days taken for a new prime minister to lose a seat at a by-election.

The PM now has the support of 319 MPs, including the DUP which props up his majority, while opposition parties have 318.

Following the by-election result, newly-elected Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said: “Boris Johnson’s shrinking majority makes it clear that he has no mandate to crash us out of the EU.”

The turnout for the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election was 59.72% – the highest for a by-election in the current parliament.

The vote was triggered when Mr Davies was ousted in a recall petition after he admitted submitting false invoices for expenses.

He pleaded guilty in March to submitting two false expenses invoices for nine photographs costing £700 to decorate his new office, and was fined £1,500, ordered to pay £2,500 towards legal costs and told to carry out 50 hours of community service.

Some 19% of the electorate voted for his recall, well above the 10% threshold required.

Despite this, the Conservatives selected Mr Davies to try to win the seat back.

Ms Dodds won the seat after Plaid Cymru and the Green Party decided not to contest the seat as part of a pro-Remain alliance.

She overhauled a Tory majority of 8,038 seats from the 2017 general election with a swing to the Lib Dems of 11.96%.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said the “spirit of co-operation” between the pro-Remain parties had led to Ms Dodds’s election, as he called for a second referendum.

“But if the prime minister is intent on a general election, he should know that Plaid Cymru and the other pro-Remain parties are committed to cooperating so that we beat Brexit once and for all,” he added.

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