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List of UK Parliament constituencies in Wales

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"List of Parliamentary constituencies in Wales" redirects here. For constituencies to the devolved Welsh Parliament (the Senedd), see Senedd constituencies and electoral regions.
Image showing a map of the forty UK parliamentary constituencies in Wales.
Map of the 40 constituencies of Wales, last used in the 2019 UK general election.
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Wales is currently divided into forty constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which elect Members of Parliament to the House of Commons. After the General Election of December 2019, 22 of the Welsh constituencies are represented by Labour MPs, 14 by Conservative MPs, and 4 by Plaid Cymru MPs.[1]

On 8 September 2021, the boundary commission for Wales published its proposals for the new constituencies of Wales, reducing the number from 40 to 32.[2] As of September 2021, the same constituencies are used for elections to the Senedd, with the same boundaries used to make up the Senedd constituencies; however, proposed changes to Westminster constituencies are not automatically applied to Senedd ones, and there are proposals to increase the number of Senedd constituencies.

Constituencies

Further information: 2019 United Kingdom general election

  ‡Labour   †Conservative   ₪Plaid Cymru   ¤Liberal Democrat   *Brexit Party/Reform UK   ȼIndependent

Constituency Electorate[3] Majority[4] Member of Parliament[4] Nearest opposition[4] Map
Aberavon 50,750 10,490 Stephen Kinnock‡ Charlotte Lang†
.
Aberconwy 44,699 2,034 Robin Millar† Emily Owen ‡
Alyn and Deeside 62,789 213 Mark Tami‡ Sanjoy Sen†
Arfon 42,215 2,781 Hywel Williams₪ Steffie Williams Roberts‡
Blaenau Gwent 50,739 8,647 Nick Smith‡ Richard Taylor*
Brecon and Radnorshire 55,490 7,131 Fay Jones† Jane Dodds¤
Bridgend 63,303 1,157 Jamie Wallis† Madeleine Moon‡
Caerphilly 63,166 6,833 Wayne David‡ Jane Pratt†
Cardiff Central 64,037 17,179 Jo Stevens‡ Meirion Jenkins†
Cardiff North 68,438 6,982 Anna McMorrin‡ Mo Ali†
Cardiff South and Penarth 78,837 12,737 Stephen Doughty‡ Philippa Broom†
Cardiff West 68,508 10,986 Kevin Brennan‡ Carolyn Webster†
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 57,419 1,809 Jonathan Edwardsȼ David Darkin‡
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire 59,158 7,745 Simon Hart† Marc Tierney‡
Ceredigion 56,250 6,329 Ben Lake₪ Amanda Jenner¤
Clwyd South 53,919 1,239 Simon Baynes† Susan Elan Jones‡
Clwyd West 57,714 6,747 David Jones† Jo Thomas‡
Cynon Valley 51,134 8,822 Beth Winter‡ Pauline Church†
Delyn 54,560 865 Rob Robertsȼ David Hanson‡
Dwyfor Meirionnydd 44,362 4,740 Liz Saville-Roberts₪ Tomos Davies†
Gower 61,762 1,837 Tonia Antoniazzi‡ Francesca O'Brien†
Islwyn 55,423 5,464 Christopher James Evans‡ Gavin Chambers†
Llanelli 60,518 4,670 Nia Griffith‡ Tamara Reay†
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 56,322 10,606 Gerald Jones‡ Sara Jones†
Monmouth 67,098 9,982 David Davies† Yvonne Murphy‡
Montgomeryshire 48,997 12,138 Craig Williams† Kishan Devani¤
Neath 56,419 5,637 Christina Rees‡ Jon Burns†
Newport East 58,554 1,992 Jessica Morden‡ Mark Brown†
Newport West 66,657 902 Ruth Jones‡ Matthew Evans†
Ogmore 57,581 7,805 Chris Elmore‡ Sadie Vidal†
Pontypridd 60,327 5,887 Alex Davies-Jones‡ Sam Trask†
Preseli Pembrokeshire 59,606 5,062 Stephen Crabb† Philippa Thompson‡
Rhondda 50,262 11,440 Chris Bryant‡ Hannah Jarvis
Swansea East 58,450 11,440 Carolyn Harris‡ Denise Howard†
Swansea West 57,078 8,116 Geraint Davies‡ James Price†
Torfaen 62,330 3,742 Nick Thomas-Symonds‡ Graham Smith†
Vale of Clwyd 56,649 1,827 James Davies† Chris Ruane‡
Vale of Glamorgan 76,508 3,562 Alun Cairns† Belinda Loveluck-Edwards‡
Wrexham 49,737 2,131 Sarah Atherton† Mary Wimbury‡
Ynys Môn (Anglesey) 51,925 1,968 Virginia Crosbie† Mary Roberts‡

Proposed boundary changes

Further information: 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies

Failed sixth periodic review

Under the terms of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies (the 2018 review) was based on reducing the total number of MPs from 650 to 600 and a strict electoral parity requirement that the electorate of all constituencies should be within a range of 5% either side of the electoral quota.

The Boundary Commission for Wales submitted their final proposals in respect of the Sixth Review in September 2018. Although the proposals were immediately laid before Parliament they were not brought forward by the Government for approval. Accordingly, they did not come into effect for the 2019 election which took place on 12 December 2019, and which was contested using the constituency boundaries in place since 2010.

On 24 March 2020, the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Chloe Smith, issued a written statement to Parliament setting out the Government's thinking with regard to parliamentary boundaries.[5] Subsequently, the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020[6] was passed into law on 14 December 2020 which formally removed the duty to implement the 2018 review and set out the framework for future boundary reviews.

2023 periodic review

Map of Wales coloured in greyscale in the 40 UK parliamentary constituencies used since 2010, overlaid with orange lines showing the proposed new boundaries of the 32 constituencies proposed as an initial draft by the BCfW on 8 September 2021. P means 'Protected constituency'.

The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 was passed in December 2020, and the publication of the most recent data of electorate sizes of constituencies on 5 January 2021, lead the Boundary Commission for Wales to begin its review of the parliamentary constituencies in Wales. With the commission required to publish its final recommendations for boundary changes by 1 July 2023. By December 2021, the commission will publish the responses collected during the consultation period, and then conduct a six-week 'secondary consultation. Unlike the previous periodic review, the total UK constituencies was kept at 650.

When proportionally dividing the total 2021 electoral population of the United Kingdom using a statutory formula between the constituent countries of the UK, it results in England having 543 constituencies, Scotland having 57, Wales having 32 and Northern Ireland with the remaining 18. Each constituency recommended to have no more than 77,062 electors and no less than 69,724.[7] The figure from Wales is calculated to be 8 seats lower from the total constituencies used for the 2019 UK general election when there were 40 constituencies, the largest decrease of any UK country or region. Wales has one 'protected constituency' not subject to UK electoral quotas, Ynys Môn on the Isle of Anglesey, where boundary changes are not applied. The decrease in constituencies in Wales has been described by the commission to represent "the most significant change to Wales’s constituencies in a century", and the commission has no control over the number of constituencies in Wales. The final proposal published by the commission will no longer require Parliamentary approval and the recommendations in the final report will be implemented automatically, however the second consultation period will allow public hearing about the proposals. The commission stated that it tried wherever possible to use existing local government boundaries, such as those of existing constituencies and principal areas.

Draft proposals

On 8 September 2021, the Boundary Commission for Wales published its draft proposals for the new UK parliamentary constituencies in Wales. From publication, there would be a 8-week public consultation period up to 3 November 2021. These are not the final constituencies to be used at the next UK general election, between now and 2023 minor changes to the boundaries may take place following the consultation period, and marked on the table below.[7]

New – not existed prior, Expanded – keeps name of and contains an entire former constituency, Redefined – keeps name of and most of a former constituency.

Results history

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing – General election results from 1918 to 2019[8]

2019

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Wales in the 2019 general election were as follows:

Party Votes % Change from 2017 Seats Change from 2017
Labour 632,035 40.9% Decrease8.0% 22 Decrease6
Conservative 557,234 36.1% Increase2.5% 14 Increase6
Plaid Cymru 153,265 9.9% Decrease0.5% 4 0
Liberal Democrats 92,171 6.0% Increase1.5% 0 0
Brexit 83,908 5.4% new 0 0
Greens 15,828 1.0% Increase0.7% 0 0
Others 9,916 0.6% Decrease1.6% 0 0
Total 1,544,357 100.0 40

Percentage votes

Wales votes percentage

Key:

CON – Conservative Party, including National Liberal Party up to 1966

LAB – Labour Party

LIB – Liberal Party up to 1979; SDP-Liberal Alliance 1983 & 1987; Liberal Democrats from 1992

PC – Plaid Cymru

UKIP/Br – UK Independence Party 2010 to 2017 (included in Other up to 2005 and in 2019); Brexit Party in 2019

Green – Green Party of England and Wales (included in Other up to 2005)

Seats

Wales seats

CON – Conservative Party, including National Liberal Party up to 1966

LAB – Labour Party

LIB – Liberal Party up to 1979; SDP-Liberal Alliance 1983 & 1987; Liberal Democrats from 1992

OTH – 1970 – Independent (S. O. Davies); 2005 – Independent (Peter Law)

PC – Plaid Cymru

Maps

  • 2010
    2010
  • 2015
    2015
  • 2017
    2017
  • 2019 by-elections
    2019 by-elections
  • December 2019
    December 2019

These are maps of the results of the last four general elections in Wales and changes in 2019 following a by-election and a change of affiliation.

2019 by-elections

*Two by-elections were held in 2019:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Wales 2019 results". Election 2019 Results. BBC. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Major changes to cut number of Welsh MPs published". BBC News. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  3. ^ Baker, Carl; Uberoi, Elise; Cracknell, Richard (28 January 2020). "General Election 2019: full results and analysis". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "BBC Elections 2019 results". BBC Elections. 15 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Update: Strengthening Democracy:Written statement – HCWS183". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ a b c 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies—Initial Proposals (PDF). bcomm-wales.gov.uk: Boundary Commission for Wales. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  8. ^ Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020). "General election results from 1918 to 2019". parliament.uk. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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