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| Politics of Wales |
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Politics of Cardiff refers to the political representation of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. Cardiff is represented politically at a local, Wales and United Kingdom level and previously at the European level.
Cardiff is covered by four parliamentary constituencies which form the electoral basis for elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Senedd (Welsh Parliament).
The constituencies and their current representatives in the House of Commons are:
Famous politicians who have represented Cardiff constituencies include James Callaghan, a former Prime Minister who held his constituency seat for over forty years. Rhodri Morgan a former First Minister, was previously MP for Cardiff West, as had George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1976 and 1983.
The Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh : Senedd Cymru; formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales) has been based in Cardiff Bay since its formation in 1999. The building which is now known as the Senedd building was opened on 1 March 2006, by the Queen. The executive and civil servants of the Welsh Government are based in Cardiff's Cathays Park while the Members of the Senedd, the Senedd Parliamentary Service and Ministerial support staff are based in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff elects four constituency Members of the Senedd (MSs) to the Welsh Parliament, with the individual constituencies for the Welsh Parliament being the same as for the UK Parliament. All of the city's residents have an extra vote for the South Wales Central region which increases proportionality to the Welsh Parliament. The most recent Welsh Parliament elections were held on 3 May 2016.
As with the United Kingdom Parliament, Cardiff is split into four constituencies:
The South Wales Central Senedd region elects four Members of the Senedd to serve the area covered by Cardiff, Rhondda-Cynon-Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan local authority areas. These are currently:
Cardiff had an elected town council from 1836. In 1889 Cardiff became a county borough, represented by 40 elected councillors and aldermen on Cardiff County Borough Council [5] (commonly referred to as Cardiff City Council after the town gained city status in 1905). Representation increased to 52 after 1922. [6]
Between 1974 and 1996 the council became a second tier district council of South Glamorgan. Cardiff voters also elected councillors to South Glamorgan County Council.
Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Cardiff has been governed by the City and County Council of Cardiff, which is based at County Hall in Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay. Voters elect 75 councillors every four years, with the next elections due to be held in 2016.
The council was run by a Labour majority administration between 1995 and 2004. The Liberal Democrats ran a minority administration from 2004-2008. In 2012 Labour regained control of the council.
As of 2019, Labour have 38 councillors, the Liberal Democrats have 11, the Conservatives have 21, Cardiff West Independents have 4, with 1 from Heath & Birchgrove Independents. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, is from the Labour Party.
There are currently six community Councils in Cardiff:
Elections are held every five years. The last contested elections would have been held in May 2017, had there been more candidates than available seats. For example, only six candidates stood in St Fagans for nine seats, [13] whilst in Radyr & Morganstown eight candidates stood for thirteen seats. [14] In Pentyrch, ten candidates (6 Ind, 3 Lab, 1 Plaid Cymru) put themselves forward for thirteen seats, so all were elected unopposed. [15]
Community Councils have the ability to co-opt new Councillors between elections to fill vacancies if not enough candidates stand for election. Alternatively, a By-election will be called if ten or more registered electors within the relevant ward call for one after a Notice of Casual Vacancy is published. [16]
In March 2020, there were twelve Co-opted Community Councillors in Cardiff (3 on Lisvane, 4 on Pentyrch, 3 on St Fagans, 1 on Tongwynlais and 1 on Radyr & Morganstown) as well as three vacant seats (2 on Old St Mellons and 1 on Pentyrch) on the six Council websites.
Radyr is an outer suburb of Cardiff, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Cardiff city centre. Radyr is part of Radyr and Morganstown Community, for which the 2011 Census recorded a population of 6,417.
Heath is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is a predominantly affluent area with property prices being the third highest in the city. The area is known for its traditional 1930s detached and semi-detached properties with large south facing gardens. Roads are tree lined and large greeneries with the notable attraction of Heath Park and the joining of the University Hospital of Wales.
Whitchurch is a suburb and community in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward. The population of the community in 2011 was 14,267.
Cardiff North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Anna McMorrin of the Labour Party.
Cardiff West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by Kevin Brennan of the Labour Party.
Pentyrch is a village and community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, Pentyrch, which covers the village and immediate surrounding area. The Pentyrch community includes the neighbouring village of Creigiau and Gwaelod y Garth. People living in Pentyrch are commonly known as "Penterchyians".
Radyr and Morganstown is a community of Cardiff which covers the areas of Radyr and Morganstown in the northwest of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. The community elects a Radyr and Morganstown community council.
Tongwynlais is a village and community in the north of Cardiff, Wales, north of the M4 motorway in the Taff Valley. It is notable as the location of the hillside landmark, Castell Coch. The population as of the 2011 census was 1871.
The Cardiff district was one of the two local government districts of South Glamorgan in Wales from 1974 to 1996.
Creigiau & St. Fagans was a rural electoral ward on the western edge of Cardiff, Wales.
Whitchurch & Tongwynlais is an electoral ward of Cardiff, Wales. It covers some or all of the following areas: Coryton, Tongwynlais and Whitchurch in the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff North. It is bounded by Caerphilly county borough to the north; Rhiwbina and Heath to the east; Llandaff North to the south; Radyr & Morganstown and Pentyrch to the west.
Propel is a sovereignist and Welsh nationalist political party in Wales which advocates Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. The party was formed in early 2020 by its current leader Neil McEvoy. Propel currently has one county councillor in Wales.
Neil John McEvoy is a Welsh nationalist politician, serving as leader of Propel since 2020, and as a Cardiff Councillor for the Fairwater ward since 2008.
Fairwater is the name of an electoral ward in the west of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. It covers Fairwater and Pentrebane on the outskirts of the urban area.
Radyr is the name of an electoral ward in the northwest of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It is coterminous with the community of Radyr and Morganstown which as the name suggests includes the villages of Radyr and Morganstown.
The 1983 Cardiff City Council election was held on Thursday 5 May 1983 to the district council known as Cardiff City Council, in Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in Wales and England. The Conservative Party regained control of the council from the Labour Party.
The 1973 Cardiff City Council election was held on Thursday 10 May 1973 to elect councillors to the new Cardiff District Council in Cardiff, Wales. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in the United Kingdom.
The 2022 Cardiff Council election took place on 5 May 2022 to elect 79 members to Cardiff Council. On the same day, elections were held to the other 21 local authorities and to community councils in Wales as part of the 2022 Welsh local elections.
