Cardiff University's Prof Roger Awan-Scully thinks people may have remained indoors rather than leave the house to vote...

David Deans
BBC Wales politics reporter

The truth is some candidates really wanted it to be, and others did not. I suspect we will find the true answer to the question in the result.

The two largest parties have campaigned on local issues first and foremost - with the M4 relief road a major topic despite being the responsibility of the Welsh Government rather than Westminster.

Tory Matthew Evans and Labour's Ruth Jones intimated that Brexit was not their focus.

Party divisions over the issue may be the reason -although it is not as if the two do not have views on the matter.

Some of the candidates are more forthright - such as UKIP's Neil Hamilton, who has put the issue front and centre of his campaign.

On the other end of the scale, the pro-EU Renew Party has also been trying to make an impact in the city.

However, one activist told me that Brexit appeared to be a turn-off for some locals - cited as a reason not to bother to vote.

Our team at the scene can confirm this - the velodrome where the count is taking place lies on the eastern side of the River Usk which forms the boundary between the Newport West and East constituencies,

More from BBC Wales Political Editor Felicity Evans:

According to Britain Elects:

Several candidates thanked their supporters as soon as the polls closed:

BBC Wales Political Editor Felicity Evans is at the count in Newport.

She says Labour are the favourites, "although speaking to party sources, they've been dampening down expectations already tonight... and they expect turnout to be very low.

"But by-elections tend to have relatively low turnouts anyway, so if they’re right this could show disillusionment with politics at moment (Brexit frustration maybe?) and it probably reflects the poor weather today as well."

Image source, Newport City Council

Newport was the site of a political uprising in 1839 by the Chartists.

Following a march, campaigners for parliamentary reform were confronted by soldiers at the Westgate Hotel, which lies in the Newport West constituency.

At least 22 marchers died, fifty were wounded and two soldiers were seriously hurt.

Newport City Council recently approved plans for a new mural depicting the uprising.

David Deans
BBC Wales politics reporter

UKIP at the count think they may have reduced the Conservative vote - saying the events of the last few days may have worked in their favour.

They are "cautiously optimistic" about coming second - and pushing the Tories into a potential third.

But there's still some time to go yet. One Tory I spoke suggested they shouldn't be getting so excited.

Election analyst Matt Singh tweets on turnout:

Image source, Getty Images

David Lloyd George’s coalition government collapsed after a by-election in Newport in 1922, as Daran Hill recently reminded readers of Wales Online, external.

Within hours of the Conservative victory being announced, a majority of the party's MPs voted to end their pact with Lloyd George's Liberals and rule alone.

The events of 1922 are to this day commemorated in the name of the Conservative backbench committee.

BBC Wales' political editor Felicity Evans gets some diverse views from the streets of Newport

David Deans
BBC Wales politics reporter

Labour sources say they are 'quietly confident' about tonight's result - but suggest it may be closer than in 2017.

They do not expect Ruth Jones to get the majority that Paul Flynn had, saying he had a "significant personal vote".

Mr Flynn had a majority of 3,510 in 2015, which rose to 5,658 in 2017.

The Newport West constituency was formed in 1983, and since then it has only been represented by two MPs.

Conservative Mark Robinson was elected in 1983 in Margaret Thatcher's post-Falklands War landslide.

He was unseated in 1987 by Labour's Paul Flynn who served as the local MP for nearly 32 years until his death earlier this year.

Following his defeat, Mr Robinson later became MP for Somerton and Frome in Somerset.

At the 2017 General Election, Mr Flynn secured over half of the votes cast in Newport West. His majority was 5,658 votes.

Discussing the by-election on his Elections in Wales blog, Cardiff University's Prof Roger Awan-Scully said Labour "ought to win". He also considers the impact of Brexit on voter behaviour.

Tonight he's tweeted some more context:

Andrew Neil will have coverage of the Newport West by-election count and the result in an extended edition of This Week.

Michael Portillo and Alan Johnson will be on hand to give their insight into what pointers if any the result gives to party fortunes as the wrangling over Brexit continues.

Watch from 11.35pm on BBC One or live online via the video link at the top of this page.

Image source, BBC News

The postal votes are being verified before the count gets under way at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport.

The venue was renamed last year after the Cardiff cyclist won the Tour de France.

It’s where he trained for the 2012 Olympics.

Eleven candidates stood in today’s by-election:

Jonathan Clark (Plaid Cymru)

June Davies (Renew)

Matthew Evans (Conservative)

Neil Hamilton (UKIP)

Ruth Jones (Labour)

Ryan Jones (Liberal Democrats)

Ian McLean (SDP)

Hugh Nicklin (For Britain)

Richard Suchorzewski (Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party)

Philip Taylor (Democrats and Veterans)

Amelia Womack (Green Party)

Paul Flynn was the MP for Newport West from 1987 until his death in February.

Tributes to Mr Flynn poured in from across the political spectrum.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn praised him as "an independent thinker who was a credit to the Labour Party".

His death was also marked by legendary Newport rappers GLC, external who claimed that Mr Flynn had "written more books than we’ve ever read".