Neath (UK Parliament constituency)
Neath | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Neath in Wales. | |
Preserved county | West Glamorgan |
Electorate | 57,823 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Neath, Pontardawe |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1918 |
Member of parliament | Christina Rees (Labour) |
Number of members | One |
Created from | Swansea District |
Overlaps | |
Welsh Assembly | South Wales West |
European Parliament constituency | Wales |
Neath (Welsh: Castell-nedd) is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election and one Assembly Member by the first past the post system of election.
History
The constituency is located in the preserved county of West Glamorgan, Wales. It consists of the electoral wards of: Aberdulais, Allt-wen, Blaengwrach, Bryn-côch North, Bryn-côch South, Cadoxton, Cimla, Crynant, Cwmllynfell, Dyffryn, Glynneath, Godre'r Graig, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Lower Brynamman, Neath East, Neath North, Neath South, Onllwyn, Pelenna, Pontardawe, Resolven, Rhos, Seven Sisters, Tonna, Trebanos, Ystalyfera.
The Neath constituency is a mixture of both industrial and rural communities, running in a north-south strip along the dips, ridges and folded landscape of South Wales. It includes most of the Neath and Dulais valleys, and some of the Upper Swansea Valley as well. The town of Neath is at its southern end and is a medium-sized town which started life as a Roman Nidum.
The constituency boasts historical places of both industrial and natural forms. Neath and the surrounding areas were industrialised very early in Britain's history. Copper smelting was already happening here in the late sixteenth century.
When Neath Abbey (now a magnificent ruin) was founded in 1129, it was the richest of all Welsh monasteries, and in writings of the sixteenth century was described as the 'fairest Abbey of all Wales'. At its height it owned extensive lands and property, from Glamorgan to Somerset; had almost 5,000 sheep, as well as horses and cattle; it owned a ship and a landing-place, and worked mills, fisheries and coal-mines. But it suffered greatly during the many skirmishes between the Welsh and English (or Normans), and by the 1530s had only eight monks left. The ruins date mostly from the late thirteenth century. It has been in turn, a prosperous Abbey, a Jacobean Mansion (painted by Turner), an iron foundry (which explains the Abbey's position in the middle of an industrial area) and now an historical monument.
The constituency was heavily mined and the small communities that grew up around these mines were devastated by the collapse of the mining industry in the 1980s. On the edges of many of these communities there are now "Industrial Villages" springing up, helping to replace the jobs lost by the demise of the mining industry, and so helping to keep young people in these communities.[2]
A legacy to Neath's political history is the memorial stone in Victoria Gardens to the 5 Neath citizens killed during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-38.
The constituency remains a Welsh-speaking area, with approximately 26% of the population reported as Welsh speakers.
Members of Parliament
Its current Member of Parliament is Christina Rees.
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
General Election 2015: Neath [4] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Christina Rees | 16,270 | 43.8 | −2.4 | |
Plaid Cymru | Daniel Thomas[5] | 6,722 | 18.1 | −1.8 | |
UKIP | Richard Pritchard | 6,094 | 16.4 | +14.2 | |
Conservative | Ed Hastie[6] | 5,691 | 15.3 | +2.3 | |
Green | Catrin Brock | 1,185 | 3.2 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrat | Clare Bentley | 1,173 | 3.2 | −11.8 | |
Majority | 9,548 | 25.7 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 37,135 | 66.2 | +1.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.3 | |||
General Election 2010: Neath[7][8] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Peter Hain | 17,172 | 46.3 | -6.3 | |
Plaid Cymru | Alun Llywelyn | 7,397 | 19.9 | +2.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Frank Little | 5,535 | 14.9 | +0.6 | |
Conservative | Emmeline Owens | 4,847 | 13.1 | +1.5 | |
BNP | Michael Green | 1,342 | 3.6 | N/A | |
UKIP | James Bevan | 829 | 2.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 9,775 | 26.3 | |||
Turnout | 37,122 | 64.9 | +2.4 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -4.6 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
General Election 2005: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Peter Hain | 18,835 | 52.6 | -8.1 | |
Plaid Cymru | Geraint Owen | 6,125 | 17.1 | -1.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Sheila Waye | 5,112 | 14.3 | +4.8 | |
Conservative | Harri Davies | 4,136 | 11.5 | +2.0 | |
Green | Susan Jay | 658 | 1.8 | N/A | |
Independent | Gerry Brienza | 360 | 1.0 | N/A | |
Legalise Cannabis | Pat Tabram | 334 | 0.9 | N/A | |
Respect | Heather Falconer | 257 | 0.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 12,710 | 35.5 | |||
Turnout | 35,817 | 62.2 | -0.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -3.4 | |||
General Election 2001: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Peter Hain | 21,253 | 60.7 | -12.8 | |
Plaid Cymru | Alun Llewelyn | 6,437 | 18.4 | +10.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Dai Davies | 3,335 | 9.5 | +3.2 | |
Conservative | David Devine | 3,310 | 9.5 | +0.8 | |
Socialist Alliance | Huw Pudner | 483 | 1.4 | N/A | |
ProLife Alliance | Gerry Brienza | 202 | 0.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 14,816 | 42.3 | |||
Turnout | 35,020 | 62.5 | -11.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1990s
General Election 1997: Neath[9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Peter Hain | 30,324 | 73.5 | +5.5 | |
Conservative | David R. Adams | 3,583 | 8.7 | −6.6 | |
Plaid Cymru | Trefor Jones | 3,344 | 8.1 | −3.2 | |
Liberal Democrat | Frank H. Little | 2,597 | 6.3 | +0.9 | |
Referendum | Peter A. Morris | 975 | 2.4 | N/A | |
Independent | Howard Marks | 420 | 1.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 26,741 | 64.8 | |||
Turnout | 41,243 | 74.3 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | +6.1 | |||
General Election 1992: Neath[10] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Peter Hain | 30,903 | 68.0 | +4.6 | |
Conservative | David R. Adams | 6,928 | 15.2 | −0.9 | |
Plaid Cymru | Dr Dewi R.Evans | 5,145 | 11.3 | +4.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Rev. Michael Phillips | 2,467 | 5.4 | −8.6 | |
Majority | 23,975 | 52.8 | +5.5 | ||
Turnout | 45,443 | 80.6 | +1.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +2.8 | |||
Neath by-election 1991 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Peter Hain | 17,962 | 51.7 | ||
Plaid Cymru | Dewi Evans | 8,132 | 23.3 | ||
Conservative | Richard Evans | 2,995 | 8.6 | ||
Liberal Democrat | David Lloyd | 2,000 | 5.8 | ||
Social Democratic | John Warman | 1,826 | 5.3 | ||
Local Independent Labour | Rhys Jeffreys | 1,253 | 3.6 | ||
Monster Raving Loony | David Sutch | 263 | 0.8 | ||
Captain Beany of the Bean Party | Barry Kirk | 262 | 0.7 | ||
Majority | 9,830 | 28.7 | |||
Turnout | 34,753 | 64.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1980s
General Election 1987: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 27,612 | 63.37 | ||
Conservative | Martin Russell Thomson Howe | 7,034 | 16.14 | ||
Social Democratic | John Warman | 6,132 | 14.07 | ||
Plaid Cymru | Huw John | 2,792 | 6.41 | ||
Majority | 20,578 | 47.23 | |||
Turnout | 78.84 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1983: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 22,670 | 53.62 | ||
Social Democratic | K Davies | 9,066 | 21.44 | ||
Conservative | R Buckley | 7,350 | 17.38 | ||
Plaid Cymru | I Owen | 3,046 | 7.20 | ||
Computer Democrat | J Donavon | 150 | 0.35 | ||
Majority | 13,604 | 32.17 | |||
Turnout | 76.50 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
General Election 1979: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 27,071 | 64.52 | ||
Conservative | C Sandy | 8,455 | 20.15 | ||
Plaid Cymru | A Gwyn | 6,430 | 15.33 | ||
Majority | 18,616 | 44.37 | |||
Turnout | 81.22 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election October 1974: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 25,028 | 61.44 | ||
Plaid Cymru | HG Evans | 7,305 | 17.93 | ||
Conservative | M Harris | 4,641 | 11.39 | ||
Liberal | D Owen | 3,759 | 9.23 | ||
Majority | 17,723 | 43.51 | |||
Turnout | 77.95 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election February 1974: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 25,351 | 62.25 | ||
Plaid Cymru | HG Evans | 8,758 | 21.51 | ||
Conservative | LJ Walters | 6,616 | 16.25 | ||
Majority | 16,593 | 40.74 | |||
Turnout | 78.49 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1970: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 28,378 | 71.42 | ||
Conservative | DHJ Martin-Jones | 6,765 | 17.03 | ||
Plaid Cymru | G John | 4,012 | 10.10 | ||
Communist | Bert Pearce | 579 | 1.46 | ||
Majority | 21,613 | 54.39 | |||
Turnout | 75.33 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
General Election 1966: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 31,183 | 79.90 | ||
Conservative | PH Valerio | 6,312 | 16.13 | ||
Communist | JJ David | 1,632 | 4.17 | ||
Majority | 24,871 | 63.56 | |||
Turnout | 78.74 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1964: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Donald Coleman | 29,692 | 73.38 | ||
Conservative | MN Scorgie | 8,342 | 20.61 | ||
Communist | JJ David | 2,432 | 6.01 | ||
Majority | 21,350 | 52.76 | |||
Turnout | 80.42 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
General Election 1959: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | D. J. Williams | 30,469 | 71.37 | ||
Conservative | DNI Pearce | 10,263 | 24.04 | ||
Communist | JJ David | 1,962 | 4.60 | ||
Majority | 20,206 | 47.33 | |||
Turnout | 82.56 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1955: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | D. J. Williams | 30,581 | 76.36 | ||
Conservative | JC Hope | 9,467 | 23.64 | ||
Majority | 21,114 | 52.72 | |||
Turnout | 77.88 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1951: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | D. J. Williams | 34,496 | 76.89 | ||
Conservative | G Jennings | 10,367 | 23.11 | ||
Majority | 24,129 | 53.78 | |||
Turnout | 85.94 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1950: Neath | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | D. J. Williams | 33,034 | 72.97 | ||
Conservative | JC Hope | 6,225 | 13.75 | ||
Liberal | O Vaughan Jones | 4,425 | 9.78 | ||
Communist | A Thomas | 1,584 | 3.50 | ||
Majority | 26,809 | 59.22 | |||
Turnout | 87.53 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1945: Neath
Electorate 67,083 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | David James Williams | 37,957 | 75.79 | ||
National | DJ Bowen | 8,466 | 16.90 | ||
Plaid Cymru | Wynne Islwyn Samuel | 3,659 | 7.31 | ||
Majority | 29,491 | 58.89 | |||
Turnout | 75.66 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Neath by-election, 1945 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | David James Williams | 30,847 | 79.3 | N/A | |
Plaid Cymru | Wynne Islwyn Samuel | 6,290 | 16.2 | N/A | |
Revolutionary Communist | Jock Haston | 1,781 | 4.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 24,557 | 63.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 38,918 | N/A | |||
Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1935: Neath
Electorate 64,575 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Sir William Jenkins | unopposed | n/a | n/a | |
Labour hold | Swing | n/a | |||
General Election 1931: Neath[11]
Electorate 61,550 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | Sir William Jenkins | 30,873 | 64.0 | +3.8 | |
Liberal | DG Davies | 17,389 | 36.0 | +6.2 | |
Majority | 13,484 | 27.9 | -2.5 | ||
Turnout | 48,262 | 78.4 | -3.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -1.2 | |||
Elections in the 1920s
General Election 1929: Neath[12] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | William Jenkins | 29,455 | 60.2 | n/a | |
Liberal | Jack Jones | 14,554 | 29.8 | n/a | |
Unionist | David J Evans | 4,892 | 10.0 | n/a | |
Majority | 14,901 | 30.4 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 82.1 | n/a | |||
Labour hold | Swing | n/a | |||
General Election 1924: Neath[12]
Electorate | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | William Jenkins | unopposed | n/a | n/a | |
Labour hold | Swing | n/a | |||
General Election 1923: Neath [12] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | William Jenkins | 20,764 | 62.3 | +2.8 | |
Liberal | Thomas Elias | 12,562 | 37.7 | -2.8 | |
Majority | 8,202 | 24.6 | +5.6 | ||
Turnout | 73.9 | -1.5 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | +2.8 | |||
General Election 1922 : Neath [12] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Labour | William Jenkins | 19,566 | 59.5 | +24.3 | |
National Liberal | John Hugh Edwards | 13,331 | 40.5 | -24.3 | |
Majority | 6,235 | 19.0 | 48.6 | ||
Turnout | 75.4 | +4.8 | |||
Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | +24.3 | |||
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1918 Neath[12]
Electorate 38,929 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | 17,818 | 64.8 | n/a | ||
Labour | Rev. Herbert Morgan | 9,670 | 35.2 | n/a | |
Majority | 8,148 | 29.6 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 70.6 | n/a | |||
Liberal win | |||||
- denotes candidate who was endorsed by the Coalition Government.
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ "Beyond 20/20 WDS - Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ↑ Neath Port Talbot council
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 1)
- ↑ "Aberavon and Neath Results" (PDF). UK Parliamentary Elections May 2015 results. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ↑ http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/neath-2015.html
- ↑ "Ed Hastie PPC page". Conservative Party (UK). Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- ↑ Neath, Neath Port Talbot CBC - candidates Neath
- ↑ Neath BBC Election - Neath
- ↑ "Welsh Counties". Election 1997. David Boothroyd. Retrieved 2011-08-27.
- ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
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Coordinates: 51°43′14″N 3°46′11″W / 51.72056°N 3.76972°W