Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
MerthyrTydfilRhymney2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in Wales
Electorate 55,409 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney
19832024
SeatsOne
Created from Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale, Bedwellty and Brecon & Radnor [2]
Replaced by Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
Senedd Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, South Wales East

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Welsh : Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni) was a constituency [n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. [n 2] It was established for the 1983 general election.

Contents

The constituency was abolished as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales for the 2024 United Kingdom general election. Its wards were split between Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, and Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. [3]

Boundaries

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1983–1997: The Borough of Merthyr Tydfil, and the District of Rhymney Valley wards Nos. 5 and 14 to 20.

1997–2010: The County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil, and the Caerphilly County Borough wards of Abertysswg, Darren Valley, Moriah, New Tredegar, Pontlottyn, Tir-Phil, and Twyn Carno.

2010–2024: The Merthyr Tydfil County Borough electoral divisions of Bedlinog, Cyfarthfa, Dowlais, Gurnos, Merthyr Vale, Park, Penydarren, Plymouth, Town, Treharris, and Vaynor, and the Caerphilly County Borough electoral divisions of Darran Valley, Moriah, New Tredegar, Pontlottyn, and Twyn Carno.

As its name suggests, the main towns were Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney. Aberfan was also located in the constituency. The seat was bordered by the constituencies of Blaenau Gwent, Brecon and Radnorshire, Caerphilly, Cynon Valley, and Islwyn.

History

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election. Prior to this, Merthyr Tydfil had been in its own eponymous constituency, and Rhymney was in the seat of Ebbw Vale (at the time Michael Foot's constituency), which was abolished at that election.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [4] Party
1983 Ted Rowlands Labour
2001 Dai Havard Labour
2015 Gerald Jones Labour
2024 Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ted Rowlands 29,053 67.3 N/A
Liberal Philip Owen6,32314.7N/A
Conservative Richard Blausten5,44912.6N/A
Plaid Cymru Gerald Howells2,0584.8N/A
Workers Revolutionary Royden Gould2560.6N/A
Majority22,73052.6N/A
Turnout 43,13972.5N/A
Registered electors 59,486
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1987: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ted Rowlands 33,477 75.3 +8.0
Conservative Nicholas Walters5,27011.9−0.7
Liberal Pravat Verma3,5738.0−6.7
Plaid Cymru Janet Davies 2,0854.7−0.1
Majority28,13063.4+10.8
Turnout 44,40576.2+3.7
Registered electors 58,285
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [7] [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ted Rowlands 31,710 71.6 −3.7
Liberal Robyn Rowland4,99711.3+3.3
Conservative Mark Hughes4,90411.1−0.8
Plaid Cymru Alun Cox2,7046.1+1.4
Majority26,71360.3−3.1
Turnout 44,31575.8−0.4
Registered electors 58,430
Labour hold Swing −3.5
General election 1997: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ted Rowlands 30,012 76.7 +5.1
Liberal Duncan Anstey2,9267.5−3.8
Conservative Jonathan Morgan 2,5086.4−4.7
Plaid Cymru Alun Cox2,3446.0−0.1
Independent Labour Alan Cowdell6911.8N/A
Referendum Ronald Hutchings6601.7N/A
Majority27,08669.2+8.9
Turnout 39,14169.3−6.5
Registered electors 56,507
Labour hold Swing +4.5

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [11] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Dai Havard 19,574 61.8 −14.9
Plaid Cymru Robert Hughes4,65114.7+8.7
Liberal Democrats Keith Rogers2,3857.5±0.0
Conservative Richard Cuming2,2727.2+0.8
Independent Jeffrey Edwards1,9366.1N/A
Socialist Labour Ken Evans6922.2N/A
ProLife Alliance Anthony Lewis1740.5N/A
Majority14,92347.1−22.1
Turnout 31,68457.7−11.6
Registered electors 54,919
Labour hold Swing -11.8
General election 2005: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [13] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Dai Havard 18,129 60.5 −1.3
Liberal Democrats Ceirion Rees4,19514.0+6.5
Plaid Cymru Noel Turner2,9729.9−4.8
Conservative Roger Berry2,6808.9+1.7
Forward Wales Neil Greer1,0303.4N/A
UKIP Gwyn Parry6992.3N/A
Socialist Labour Ina Marsden2710.9−1.3
Majority13,93446.5−0.6
Turnout 29,97654.9−2.8
Registered electors 54,044
Labour hold Swing -3.9

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [15] [16] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Dai Havard 14,007 43.7 −16.8
Liberal Democrats Amy Kitcher9,95131.0+17.0
Conservative Maria Hill2,4127.5−1.4
Independent Clive Tovey1,8455.8N/A
Plaid Cymru Glyndwr Jones 1,6215.1−4.8
BNP Richard Barnes1,1733.7N/A
UKIP Adam Brown8722.7+0.4
Socialist Labour Alan Cowdell1950.6−0.3
Rejected ballots80
Majority4,05612.7−33.8
Turnout 32,07658.6+3.2
Registered electors 54,715
Labour hold Swing -16.9

Of the 80 rejected ballots:

General election 2015: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [18] [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gerald Jones [21] 17,619 53.9 +10.2
UKIP David Rowlands [22] 6,10618.7+16.0
Conservative Bill Rees3,29210.1+2.6
Plaid Cymru Rhayna Mann3,0999.5+4.4
Liberal Democrats Bob Griffin1,3514.1−26.9
Green Elspeth Parris [23] 6031.8N/A
Independent Eddy Blanche4591.4N/A
Communist Robert Griffiths 1860.6N/A
Rejected ballots95
Majority11,51335.2+22.5
Turnout 32,71553.0−5.6
Registered electors 61,716
Labour hold Swing -2.8

Of the 95 rejected ballots:

General election 2017: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [24] [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gerald Jones [26] 22,407 66.8 +12.9
Conservative Pauline Jorgensen [27] 6,07318.1+8.0
Plaid Cymru Amy Kitcher [28] 2,7408.2−1.3
UKIP David Rowlands [22] 1,4844.4−14.3
Liberal Democrats Bob Griffin [29] 8412.5−1.6
Rejected ballots71
Majority16,33448.7+13.5
Turnout 33,54560.5+7.5
Registered electors 55,463
Labour hold Swing +2.4

Of the 71 rejected ballots:

General election 2019: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney [30] [31] [32]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gerald Jones 16,913 52.4 −14.4
Conservative Sara Jones6,30719.6+1.5
Brexit Party David Jones3,60411.2N/A
Plaid Cymru Mark Evans2,4467.6−0.6
Independent David Hughes1,8605.8N/A
Liberal Democrats Brendan D’Cruz1,1163.5+1.0
Rejected ballots83
Majority10,60632.8−15.9
Turnout 32,24657.4−3.1
Registered electors 56,322
Labour hold Swing −8.0

Of the 83 rejected ballots:

See also

Notes

  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

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References

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51°45′07″N3°18′29″W / 51.752°N 3.308°W / 51.752; -3.308