Cardiff South and Penarth (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°28′08″N 3°07′37″W / 51.469°N 3.127°W

Cardiff South and Penarth
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Cardiff South and Penarth in Wales.
Preserved county South Glamorgan
Population 107,455 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate 75,175 (December 2010)[2]
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament Stephen Doughty (Labour)
Number of members One
Created from Cardiff South East & part of Barry
Overlaps
Welsh Assembly South Wales Central
European Parliament constituency Wales

Cardiff South and Penarth (Welsh: De Caerdydd a Phenarth) is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is the largest parliamentary constituency in Wales, with an electorate of 75,175, and also one of the most ethnically diverse.[3] It has been consistently held by the Labour Party since its creation.

History

Cardiff South and Penarth has only had three MPs since it was first created. The first, elected in the 1983 general election, was the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, who secured the seat with only a 2,316 vote majority over Conservative candidate David Tredinnick. Callaghan had previously represented the constituency of Cardiff South East prior to its merger with Penarth in 1983. (Prior to 1983 Penarth had been part of the Barry constituency.) Callaghan had first entered Parliament as MP for the old Cardiff South constituency in the 1945 general election.

The second MP was Alun Michael (Labour and Co-operative Party) who served 25 years in Parliament before announcing his resignation from the House of Commons on 22 October 2012. Michael's affiliation with the Co-operative Party did not appear on ballot papers in the 2010 election because the Electoral Commission ruled that any joint candidates who wanted the names of both their parties included on the ballot paper could not also display the Labour red rose logo.[4] Michael opted to drop the reference to the Co-operative Party but after the election denounced the ruling as "an outrageous piece of incompetence by the Electoral Commission".[5]

Alun Michael was originally elected following James Callaghan's retirement at the 1987 general election' and became Secretary of State for Wales in 1998 - a post he held for only 9 months. Michael held the seat at the 2010 election with a majority of 4,709 following a 6% swing to the Conservatives.[6]

In 2012 Alun Michael was selected by the Labour and Co-operative Parties as their candidate for the election of a Police and Crime Commissioner for the South Wales Police force area and announced he would be standing down from Parliament. He accepted office as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds on 22 October 2012, thus vacating his seat.[7] Police and Crime Commissioner nominations closed on 19 October 2012 at which point Michael's PCC candidature became official. A writ for a parliamentary by-election in Cardiff South and Penarth was moved on 23 October 2012 for a by-election to be held on 15 November 2012.[8]

Cardiff South and Penarth was viewed as one of the safest Labour seats in Britain but ever since 1997 Alun Michael had seen his majority being progressively eroded. The 2010 general election had continued this trend, with the BBC reporting Labour's vote(17,262) declining by 7.7%, Conservative support (12,553 votes) rising by +4.4%, and Liberal Democrat votes (9,875) rising by +2.4%.

However, in by-election held on 15 November 2012, Labour's decline was reversed - although on a basis of very low turn-out (down 38.2% on the 2010 General Election). Labour's Stephen Doughty succeeded Alun Michael with 9,193 votes, comprising 47.3% of the overall vote. This was an increase (in share-of-the-vote terms) of 8.4% on Michael's 2010 performance. However, in terms of actual votes cast (9,193 compared with 17,262 in 2010), it was Labour's lowest-ever vote in this constituency. Doughty thus became the third MP in the constituency's history.

In the 2012 by-election Conservatives saw their support slide by the identical percentage by which Labour's rose (8.4%) and achieved only 19.9% of the vote (3,859 votes). The Liberal Democrats' support declined by even more than that of their UK Coalition partners (down 11.5%). Plaid Cymru's share of the vote rose to 9.5% (garnering 1,854 votes, up 5.4%). Also performing well in percentage terms were the UKIP with their support rising by 3.1% (to 6.1% of the total). Greens also increased their share of the vote to 4.1% (a rise of 2.9%). Veteran Communist campaigner Robert Griffiths saw his support rise slightly to a 1.1% share of the vote.

Boundaries

1983-2010: The City of Cardiff wards of Butetown, Grangetown, Llanrumney, Rumney, Splott, and Trowbridge; and the Borough of Vale of Glamorgan wards of Alexandra, Cornerswell, Llandough, and Stanwell.

2010-present: The Cardiff electoral divisions of Butetown, Grangetown, Llanrumney, Rumney, Splott, and Trowbridge; and the Vale of Glamorgan electoral divisions of Cornerswell, Llandough, Plymouth, St Augustine's, Stanwell, and Sully.

Member of Parliament

ElectionMember[9][10]Party
1983 James Callaghan Labour
1987 Alun Michael Labour
2012 by-election Stephen Doughty Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Cardiff South and Penarth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Stephen Doughty[11]
Conservative Emma Warman
Plaid Cymru Ben Foday [12]
Liberal Democrat Nigel Howells
UKIP John Rees-Evans [13]
TUSC Ross Saunders
Green Anthony Slaughter

In 2015, the Class War Party announced Richard Huw Morgan as canddiate,[14] but he failed to stand.

Cardiff South and Penarth by-election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Stephen Doughty 9,193 47.3 +8.4
Conservative Craig Williams 3,859 19.9 −8.4
Liberal Democrat Bablin Molik 2,103 10.8 −11.5
Plaid Cymru Luke Nicholas 1,854 9.5 +5.3
UKIP Simon Zeigler 1,179 6.1 +3.5
Green Anthony Slaughter 800 4.1 +2.9
Socialist Labour Andrew Jordan 235 1.2 N/A
Communist Robert Griffiths 213 1.1 +0.7
Majority 5,334 27.4
Turnout 19,436 25.7 −38.2
Labour Co-op hold Swing +8.4
General Election 2010: Cardiff South and Penarth[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alun Michael 17,262 38.9 −7.7
Conservative Simon Hoare 12,553 28.3 +4.4
Liberal Democrat Dominic Hannigan 9,875 22.3 +2.4
Plaid Cymru Farida Aslam 1,851 4.2 −1.1
UKIP Simon Zeigler 1,145 2.6 +1.2
Independent George Burke 648 1.5 +1.5
Green Matthew Townsend 554 1.2 −0.6
Christian Clive Bate 285 0.6 +0.6
Communist Robert Griffiths 196 0.4 +0.4
Majority 4,709 10.6
Turnout 44,369 60.2 +2.0
Labour Co-op hold Swing −6.0

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Cardiff South and Penarth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alun Michael 17,447 47.3 −8.9
Conservative Victoria Green 8,210 22.2 +0.4
Liberal Democrat Gavin Cox 7,529 20.4 +7.6
Plaid Cymru Jason Toby 2,023 5.5 0.0
Green John Matthews 729 2.0 +2.0
UKIP Jennie Tuttle 522 1.4 0.0
Socialist Alternative David Bartlett 269 0.7 +0.7
Independent Andrew Taylor 104 0.3 +0.3
Rainbow Dream Ticket Catherine Taylor-Dawson 79 0.2 +0.2
Majority 9,237 25.0
Turnout 36,912 56.2 -0.9
Labour Co-op hold Swing 4.7
General Election 2001: Cardiff South and Penarth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alun Michael 20,094 56.2 +2.8
Conservative Maureen Kelly Owen 7,807 21.8 +1.1
Liberal Democrat Rodney Berman 4,572 12.8 +3.4
Plaid Cymru Lila Haines 1,983 5.5 +2.4
UKIP Justin Callan 501 1.4 N/A
Socialist Alliance David Bartlett 427 1.2 N/A
ProLife Alliance Anne Savoury 367 1.0 N/A
Majority 12,287 34.4
Turnout 35,751 57.1 −11.2
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Cardiff South and Penarth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alun Michael 22,647 53.4
Conservative Mrs. Caroline E. Roberts 8,786 20.7
Liberal Democrat Simon J. Wakefield 3,964 9.3
New Labour John Foreman 3,942 9.3
Plaid Cymru David B.L. Haswell 1,356 3.2
Referendum Party Phillip S.E. Morgan 1,211 2.9
Socialist Alternative Mike K. Shepherd 344 0.8
Natural Law Mrs. Barbara Caves 170 0.4
Majority 13,861 32.7
Turnout 42,420 68.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General Election 1992: Cardiff South and Penarth[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alun Michael 26,383 55.5 +8.8
Conservative Thomas Hunter Jarvie 15,958 33.6 −2.9
Liberal Democrat Peter K. Verma 3,707 7.8 −7.6
Plaid Cymru Miss Barbara A. Anglezarke 776 1.6 +0.3
Green Lester Davey 676 1.4 N/A
Majority 10,425 21.9 +11.7
Turnout 47,500 77.2 +0.9
Labour Co-op hold Swing +5.9

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Cardiff South and Penarth[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alun Michael 20,956 46.7 +5.4
Conservative Gareth John Jarvis Neale[19] 16,382 36.5 +0.6
Liberal Jennifer Elizabeth Randerson 6,900 15.4 −5.4
Plaid Cymru Sian Anghared Edwards[20] 599 1.3 −0.3
Majority 4,574 10.2
Turnout 76.4
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General Election 1983: Cardiff South and Penarth[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leonard James Callaghan 17,488 41.3 N/A
Conservative David Tredinnick 15,172 35.9 N/A
Liberal Winston Roddick 8,816 20.8 N/A
Plaid Cymru Miss Sian A. Edwards 673 1.6 N/A
Freedom from World Domination Benjamin Thomas Lewis 165 0.4 N/A
Majority 2,316 5.5 N/A
Turnout 42,314 71.1 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references

References
  1. ↑ "Cardiff South and Penarth: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Beyond 20/20 WDS - Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Election 2015 - Cardiff South & Penarth". BBC. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  4. ↑ David Ottewell, "Labour candidates barred from using red rose emblem", Manchester Evening News, 21 April 2010.
  5. ↑ Penarth Times, 27 May 2010.
  6. ↑ A notional calculation using estimated 2005 results for the boundary-changed constituency. "Cardiff South and Penarth". BBC News online. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  7. ↑ http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh-politics/welsh-politics-news/2012/10/21/alun-michael-stands-down-as-cardiff-south-and-penarth-mp-today-91466-32077258/
  8. ↑ "Date set for three parliamentary by-elections". BBC News. 23 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "Cardiff South and Penarth 1983-". Hansard 1803-2005. UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 2)
  11. ↑ "Labour MP Stephen Doughty Is Nominated To Stand Again In 2015 General Election", Penarth Daily News (blog), 15 July 2013.
  12. ↑ http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/cardiff-south-penarth-2015.html
  13. ↑ "UKIP Takes Its 2015 Parliamentary Election Challenge Onto The Streets Of Penarth", Penarth Daily News (blog), 25 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "Richard Huw Morgan To Stand For Election As Penarth's MP", Penarth Daily News (blog), 23 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Cardiff South and Penarth Cardiff County Council - candidates Cardiff South and Penarth
  16. ↑ BBC Election Results BBC News - Election Results - Cardiff South and Penarth
  17. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  18. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1987. Politics Resources. 11 June 1987. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  19. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228607/0426.pdf
  20. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228607/0426.pdf
  21. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1983. Politics Resources. 9 June 1983. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
Sources

External Links


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Dagenham		 Constituency represented by the Father of the House
1983–1987 		Succeeded by
Castle Point