Despite suffering from a speech impediment which restricted his ability as a political orator, Roberts was an effective enough candidate and the result of the election was a victory over his Conservative opponent, a member of the local squirearchy, Hugh Ellis-Nanney, by 4,535 votes to 2,573 on a turnout of 80%. Ellis-Nanney later suffered another Parliamentary defeat when he failed to hold the Conservative seat of Caernarvon Boroughs in a by-election held on 10 April 1890 when his opponent was David Lloyd George.
