Ten years ago, Ebbw Vale voted 62% in favor of leaving the European Union, the highest proportion in Wales, despite receiving maximum EU structural funds. Today, the town's regeneration efforts have not fully replaced lost jobs, and many residents express regret.
Regeneration Amid Quiet Streets
Where the Ebbw Vale steelworks once stood, a cluster of modern buildings now houses a hospital, leisure centre, college, and tech firms. A new railway station opened in 2015. Yet during a recent visit, the area was quiet, with sheep roaming near the tech buildings. John Edwards, 77, a volunteer at the Ebbw Vale Works Museum, noted, "We don't get as many visitors as we would like. The train station is busy in the mornings with people going to Cardiff. We've become a commuter town."
Brexit Vote and Regret
After the steelworks closed in 2002, Blaenau Gwent received maximum EU funding for regeneration. Despite this, 62% of Ebbw Vale voters chose Brexit in 2016. Claire Jones, 52, said, "It was shocking so many people voted leave when you just had to look around to see how much help we got from the EU." Lindsay Whittle, Plaid Cymru Senedd member, added, "What the Brexit vote showed was the depth of despair. I think a lot of people here now regret that decision."
Economic Decline Pre-Dated Brexit
Ebbw Vale and Blaenau Gwent remain among the UK's poorest areas. The steel mill closure over 20 years ago eliminated skilled manufacturing jobs. Despite EU funding, jobs and median wages declined in real terms until 2016. A Bevan Foundation report stated, "It's pretty clear that whatever else EU funds may have achieved, they didn't boost the fortunes of Blaenau Gwent."
Post-Brexit Funding Gap
The UK has not fully replaced EU funding. Ebbw Vale is part of the Welsh government's £100m tech valleys programme. Three tech firms have opened on the old steelworks site, alongside the Goldworks coworking hub opened in 2024. Blaenau Gwent council reports a net gain of 870 local businesses over the past decade, up from 511 in the previous decade. However, Nathan Grist, 40, a butcher, said, "Some businesses are barely keeping afloat. It's a struggle for everyone."
Political Shifts
Brexit has contributed to rising support for Plaid Cymru and Reform UK. In May's Senedd election, Ebbw Vale did not elect a single Labour member; three seats went to Plaid Cymru and three to Reform UK. Whittle commented, "More and more, people in Wales are seeing that Westminster doesn't work for them. The EU referendum and the mess afterwards are a big reason for that."
Despite immigration concerns voiced by residents, ONS data shows only 3.2% of Blaenau Gwent's population was born abroad.
