Rhondda West (UK Parliament constituency)

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Rhondda West
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Created fromRhondda and Mid Glamorganshire
Replaced byRhondda

Rhondda West was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rhondda district of Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system. Along with Rhondda East it was formed by dividing the old Rhondda constituency.

History[edit]

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election.

Boundaries[edit]

Throughout its existence the constituency included the towns of Treorchy and Tonypandy.

1918–1974: The Urban District of Rhondda first, second, third, fourth, and fifth wards, and part of the sixth.[1]

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member Party
1918 William Abraham Labour
1920 by-election William John
1950 Iorwerth Thomas
1967 by-election Alec Jones
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Rhondda

Election results[edit]

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General Election 1918, Rhondda
William Abraham returned unopposed
General election 1918: West Rhondda
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Abraham Unopposed
Registered electors
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

1920 Rhondda West by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John 14,035 58.5 N/A
C Unionist Gwilym Rowlands 9,959 41.5 New
Majority 4,076 17.0 N/A
Turnout 23,949 70.2 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election 1922: Rhondda West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John 18,001 62.1 +3.6
Unionist Gwilym Rowlands 10,990 37.9 -3.6
Majority 7,011 24.2 +7.2
Turnout 28,991 83.7 +13.5
Labour hold Swing +3.6
General election 1923: Rhondda West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John 18,206 65.4 +3.3
Liberal John Robert Jones 9,640 34.6 New
Majority 8,566 30.8 +6.6
Turnout 27,846 78.5 -5.2
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1924, Rhondda West
William John returned unopposed
General election 1924: West Rhondda
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John Unopposed
Registered electors
Labour hold
General election 1929: Rhondda West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John 23,238 65.1 N/A
Liberal Moelwyn Hughes 9,247 25.9 New
Unionist Wilfred Augustus Prichard 3,210 9.0 New
Majority 13,991 39.2 N/A
Turnout 35,695 86.7 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Rhondda West[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John 23,024 84.3 +19.2
Communist John Leigh Davies 4,296 15.7 New
Majority 18,728 68.6 +21.4
Turnout 27,320 66.7 -20.0
Registered electors 40,950
Labour hold Swing +19.2
General election 1935: Rhondda West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John Unopposed
Labour hold
Registered electors 41,032

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

General election 1945: Rhondda West[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John Unopposed
Labour hold
Registered electors 39,652

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Rhondda West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iorwerth Thomas 27,150 82.37 N/A
Conservative JP Driscoll 3,632 11.02 New
Plaid Cymru James Kitchener Davies 2,183 6.62 New
Majority 23,518 71.35 N/A
Turnout 32,965 87.94 N/A
Registered electors 37,484
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1951: Rhondda West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iorwerth Thomas 26,123 81.06 -1.31
Conservative E Simons 3,635 11.02 0.00
Plaid Cymru James Kitchener Davies 2,467 7.66 +1.04
Majority 22,488 69.78 -1.57
Turnout 32,225 86.36 -1.58
Registered electors 37,315
Labour hold Swing -0.79
General election 1955: Rhondda West[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iorwerth Thomas 21,288 73.80 -7.26
Plaid Cymru Glyndwr Powell James 4,424 15.34 +7.68
Conservative Charles PT Burke 3,134 10.86 -0.16
Majority 16,864 58.46 -11.32
Turnout 28,846 80.25 -6.11
Registered electors 35,943
Labour hold Swing -7.47
General election 1959: Rhondda West[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iorwerth Thomas 21,130 71.99 -1.81
Plaid Cymru Glyndwr Powell James 4,978 16.96 +1.62
Conservative Francis Pym 3,242 11.05 +0.19
Majority 16,152 55.03 -3.43
Turnout 29,350 85.20 +4.95
Registered electors 34,450
Labour hold Swing -1.72

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Rhondda West[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iorwerth Thomas 20,713 79.3 +7.3
Conservative Norman Lloyd-Edwards 2,754 10.5 -0.5
Plaid Cymru Henry Victor Davies 2,668 10.2 -6.8
Majority 17,959 68.8 +13.8
Turnout 26,135 80.7 -4.5
Registered electors 32,401
Labour hold Swing +3.89
General election 1966: Rhondda West[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iorwerth Thomas 19,060 76.12 -3.13
Plaid Cymru Henry Victor Davies 2,172 8.67 -1.54
Conservative Bryan Sandford-Hill 1,955 7.81 -2.73
Communist Arthur True 1,853 7.40 New
Majority 16,888 67.45 -1.29
Turnout 25,040 80.28 -0.38
Registered electors 31,189
Labour hold Swing -0.80
By-election 1967: Rhondda West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alec Jones 12,373 49.0 −27.1
Plaid Cymru Henry Victor Davies 10,067 39.9 +31.2
Communist Arthur True 1,723 6.8 −0.6
Conservative Gareth Neale 1,075 4.3 −3.5
Majority 2,306 9.1 −58.3
Turnout 25,238 82.2 -1.9
Labour hold Swing −29.1

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Rhondda West[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alec Jones 18,779 74.8 −1.3
Plaid Cymru Henry Victor Davies 3,528 14.1 +5.4
Conservative John D. Morgan 1,610 6.4 −1.4
Communist Arthur True 1,201 4.8 −2.6
Majority 15,251 60.7 −6.7
Turnout 25,118 81.4 +1.1
Registered electors 30,854
Labour hold Swing −3.4

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
  1. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  2. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  3. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1931". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1935". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  5. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1945". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  6. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1950". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  7. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1951". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1955". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  9. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  10. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  11. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  12. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
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