Bigyn (electoral ward)

Bigyn is an electoral ward, representing part of the community of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Profile

In 2014, the Bigyn electoral ward had an electorate of 4,931. The total population was 6,750, of whom 83% were born in Wales. 23.0% of the population were able to speak Welsh.

Current Representation

The Bigyn Ward is a two-member ward for the purposes of Carmarthenshire County Council elections. Since 2012 it has been represented by Labour Party councillors Eryl Morgan and Jeff Edmunds.

Recent History

The first election to the new unitary Carmarthenshire County Council took place in 1995. Bigyn Ward had three seats, all of which were won by the Labour Party. Martin Morris, the sitting member for the ward on Dyfed County Council, was elected alongside Sandra Cooke and David Prothero, a former county councillor. Three sitting members of Llanelli Borough Council were unsuccessful.

Bigyn 1995

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Martin Philip Morris+	1,090
	Labour	Sandra Melita Cooke	924
	Labour	David Charles Prothero	902
	Independent	William J Marks*	693
	Liberal Democrats	Margaret N Burree*	676
	Independent	Richard Ivor John*	531
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

At the 1999, the boundaries remained unchanged but the number of seats were reduced from three to two. Martin Morros contested the Tyisha Ward, where he was successful, allowing his two colleagues to be returned for Bigyn.

Bigyn 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sandra Melita Cooke*	1,172
	Labour	David Charles Prothero*	1,077
	Liberal Democrats	Margaret Eileen Evans	856
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Buckley Jones	724
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Labour again held both seats in 2004.

Bigyn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sandra Melita Cooke*	728
	Labour	David Charles Prothero*	631
	Plaid Cymru	Michael Burns	495
	Independent	Brian Davies	410
	Independent	Lawrence Jenkins	351
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

In 2008, Labour fared badly in the Llanelli area as a whole and lost both seats in Bigyn to Plaid Cymru.

Bigyn 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Michael Burns	740
	Plaid Cymru	Dyfrig Thomas	729
	Labour	Sandra Melita Cooke*	603
	Labour	David Charles Prothero*	476
	Independent	Brian Davies	230
	Independent	Peter William Dunkley	210
	Independent	Lawrence Jenkins	202
	Independent	Dai Rees	84
	Plaid Cymru gain from Labour		Swing
	Plaid Cymru gain from Labour		Swing

In 2012, Labour, having held all seats in Bigyn from 1995 until 2008, regained both on a low turnout. Eryl Morgan was previously county councillor for Hengoed.

Bigyn 2012

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eryl Morgan	609
	Labour	Jeff Edmunds	565
	Plaid Cymru	Michael Burns*	523
	Plaid Cymru	Dyfrig Thomas*	518
	Independent	Nigel Bevan	401
	People First	Stephen Bowen	287
Turnout				33.3
	Labour gain from Plaid Cymru		Swing
	Labour gain from Plaid Cymru		Swing

Earlier History

County Council Elections

The long-standing ward boundaries in Llanelli were redrawn in the 1980s to create five new wards, namely Bigyn, Elli, Glanymor, Lliedi and Tyisha. Each of these wards returned a member to Dyfed County Council in 1989 and 1993.

When the current Carmarthenshire County Council was formed in 1995, the Bigyn Wards remained uncahneged and initially returned three members to the new authority. This was reduced to two members in 1999.

District Council Elections

From 1987, Bigyn formed an electoral ward for the purposes of elections to Llanelli Borough Council. Bigyn returned three members.

External links

• "Bigyn Ward: Electoral Division Profile" (PDF).