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Vale of Glamorgan
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Vale of Glamorgan in Wales
Preserved countySouth Glamorgan
Electorate76,508 (December 2019)[1]
Major settlementsBarry, Llantwit Major, Dinas Powys, Cowbridge
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentAlun Cairns (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromBarry and Pontypridd[2]
Overlaps
SeneddVale of Glamorgan, South Wales Central

Vale of Glamorgan (Welsh: Bro Morgannwg) is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Alun Cairns, a Conservative.[n 2]

It is a bellwether constituency, having been won by the party with a plurality of seats in every general election since the seat was created in 1983.

The constituency is to retain its name but its boundaries altered, 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 next United Kingdom general election.[3]

Boundaries[edit]

Map
Map of current boundaries

1983–2010: The Borough of Vale of Glamorgan wards of Baruc, Buttrills, Cadoc, Castleland, Court, Cowbridge, Dinas Powys, Dyfan, Gibbonsdown, Illtyd, Llandow, Llantwit Major, Peterson-super-Ely, Rhoose, St Athan, Sully, and Wenvoe.

2010–present: The Vale of Glamorgan County Borough electoral divisions of Baruc, Buttrills, Cadoc, Castleland, Court, Cowbridge, Dinas Powys, Dyfan, Gibbonsdown, Illtyd, Llandow and Ewenny, Llantwit Major, Peterston-super-Ely, Rhoose, St Athan, St Bride's Major, and Wenvoe.

This marginal constituency to the west of Cardiff takes in the Labour-voting seaside resort of Barry and a number of Conservative villages and small towns, such as Cowbridge. There have been some close shaves for both parties here in the past: Conservative Walter Sweeney got home by a mere 19 votes in 1992; and John Smith (the namesake of the late previous Labour leader) had a majority of under 2,000 in 2005. John Smith stood down from Parliament due to ill health, and the seat went Conservative at the 2010 election.

Sully ward was transferred to Cardiff South and Penarth in 2010.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member[4] Party
1983 Sir Raymond Gower Conservative
1989 by-election John Smith Labour
1992 Walter Sweeney Conservative
1997 John Smith Labour
2010 Alun Cairns Conservative

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1983: Vale of Glamorgan[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Raymond Gower 22,241 48.0 N/A
Labour Michael Sharp 12,028 25.8 N/A
SDP William Evans 11,154 23.9 N/A
Plaid Cymru John Dixon 1,068 2.3 N/A
Majority 10,393 22.2 N/A
Turnout 46,671 74.2 N/A
Registered electors 62,885
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1987: Vale of Glamorgan[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Raymond Gower 24,229 46.8 -1.2
Labour John Smith 17,978 34.7 +8.9
SDP David Davies 8,633 16.7 -7.2
Plaid Cymru Penri Williams 946 1.8 -0.5
Majority 6,251 12.1 -10.1
Turnout 51,786 79.3 +5.1
Registered electors 65,310
Conservative hold Swing −5.1
1989 Vale of Glamorgan by-election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Smith 23,342 48.9 +14.2
Conservative Rod Richards 17,314 36.3 −10.5
SLD Frank Leavers 2,017 4.2 -12.5
Plaid Cymru John Dixon 1,672 3.5 +1.7
SDP David Keith Davies 1,098 2.3 N/A
Green Marilyn Wakefield 971 2.0 N/A
Protect the Health Service Christopher Tiarks 847 1.8 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 266 0.5 N/A
Independent Welsh Socialist Eric Roberts 148 0.3 N/A
Corrective Party Lindi St Claire 39 0.1 N/A
Christian Alliance David Black 32 0.1 N/A
Majority 6,028 12.6 N/A
Turnout 47,746 70.7 -8.6
Registered electors 67,549
Labour gain from Conservative Swing −12.4

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General election 1992: Vale of Glamorgan[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Sweeney 24,220 44.3 -2.5
Labour John Smith 24,201 44.3 +9.6
Liberal Democrats David Davies 5,045 9.2 -7.5
Plaid Cymru David Haswell 1,160 2.1 +0.3
Majority 19 0.0 -12.1
Turnout 54,626 81.9 +2.6
Registered electors 66,672
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1997: Vale of Glamorgan[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Smith 29,054 53.9 +9.6
Conservative Walter Sweeney 18,522 34.4 -9.9
Liberal Democrats Suzanne Campbell 4,945 9.2 ±0.0
Plaid Cymru Melanie Corp 1,393 2.6 +0.5
Majority 10,532 19.5 N/A
Turnout 53,914 80.0 −1.9
Registered electors 67,413
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -9.8

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2001: Vale of Glamorgan[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Smith 20,524 45.4 -8.5
Conservative Susan Inkin 15,824 35.0 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Dewi Smith 5,521 12.2 +3.0
Plaid Cymru Chris Franks 2,867 6.3 +3.7
UKIP Timothy Warry 448 1.0 N/A
Majority 4,700 10.4 -9.1
Turnout 45,184 66.7 −13.3
Registered electors 67,774
Labour hold Swing -4.6
General election 2005: Vale of Glamorgan[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Smith 19,481 41.2 -4.2
Conservative Alun Cairns 17,673 37.3 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Mark Hooper 6,140 13.0 +0.8
Plaid Cymru Barry Shaw 2,423 5.1 -1.2
UKIP Richard Suchorzewski 840 1.8 +0.8
Liberal Karl-James Langford 605 1.3 N/A
Socialist Labour Paul Mules 162 0.3 N/A
Majority 1,808 3.9 -6.5
Turnout 47,324 68.9 +2.2
Registered electors 68,657
Labour hold Swing −3.3

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2010: Vale of Glamorgan[16][17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alun Cairns 20,341 41.8 +4.4
Labour Alana E. Davies 16,034 32.9 -7.8
Liberal Democrats Eluned Parrott 7,403 15.2 +2.0
Plaid Cymru Ian Johnson 2,667 5.5 +0.4
UKIP Kevin Mahoney 1,529 3.1 +1.4
Green Rhodri H. Thomas 457 0.9 N/A
Christian John Harrold 236 0.5 N/A
Majority 4,307 8.9 N/A
Turnout 48,667 69.3 +0.7
Registered electors 70,211
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.1
General election 2015: Vale of Glamorgan[19][20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alun Cairns 23,607 46.0 +4.2
Labour Chris Elmore 16,727 32.6 -0.3
UKIP Kevin Mahoney 5,489 10.7 +7.6
Plaid Cymru Ian Johnson 2,869 5.6 +0.1
Liberal Democrats David Morgan 1,309 2.6 -12.6
Green Alan Armstrong 1,054 2.1 +1.2
CISTA Steve Reed 238 0.5 N/A
Majority 6,880 13.4 +4.5
Turnout 51,293 71.1 +1.8
Registered electors 72,794
Conservative hold Swing +2.3
General election 2017: Vale of Glamorgan[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alun Cairns 25,501 47.5 +1.5
Labour Camilla Beaven 23,311 43.4 +10.8
Plaid Cymru Ian Johnson 2,295 4.3 −1.3
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Geroni 1,020 1.9 −0.7
UKIP Melanie Hunter-Clarke 868 1.8 −8.1
Green Stephen Davis-Barker 419 0.8 −1.3
Women's Equality Sharon Lovell 177 0.3 N/A
Pirate David Elston 127 0.2 N/A
Majority 2,190 4.1 −9.3
Turnout 53,718 72.6 +1.5
Registered electors 73,959
Conservative hold Swing −4.6
General election 2019: Vale of Glamorgan[23][24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alun Cairns 27,305 49.8 +2.3
Labour Belinda Loveluck-Edwards 23,743 43.3 −0.1
Green Anthony Slaughter 3,251 5.9 +5.1
Gwlad Gwlad Laurence Williams 508 0.9 N/A
Rejected ballots 294
Majority 3,562 6.5 +2.4
Turnout 54,807 71.6 −1.0
Registered electors 76,508
Conservative hold Swing +1.2

Of the 294 rejected ballots:

  • 255 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[25]
  • 37 voted for more than one candidate.[25]
  • 2 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.[25]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  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.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  2. ^ "'Vale of Glamorgan', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. ^ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
  4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "V"
  5. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  6. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1987-92 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  10. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "BBC NEWS>VOTE 2001>Results and Constituencies>Vale of Glamorgan". Vote 2001. BBC News. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "BBC NEWS > Vale of Glamorgan". Vote 2001. BBC News. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency - Election 2005" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ^ Vale of Glamorgan, Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council – candidates – Vale of Glamorgan
  18. ^ Vale of Glamorgan BBC Election – Vale of Glamorgan
  19. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan result" (PDF). Statement of Results. Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  21. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan Parliamentary constituency". Election 2015 Results. BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan Parliamentary constituency". Election 2017 Results. BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Vale of Glamorgan Council. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  25. ^ a b c d "Election-Results/General-Election-2019" (PDF). Vale of Glamorgan Council. Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

External links[edit]

51°25′44″N 3°21′04″W / 51.429°N 3.351°W / 51.429; -3.351

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