Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox alt
Name = Llanelli


Type = County
Entity = Wales
DivisionType = Preserved county
Division = Dyfed
Year = 1918
MP = Nia Griffith
Party = Labour
EP = Wales

Llanelli is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1918 to 1966 the official spelling of the constituency name was Llanelly. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

The Llanelli Welsh Assembly constituency was created with the same boundaries in 1999.

Boundaries

1918The constituency was established in 1918, as a division of Carmarthenshire, located in the south east of the county. This area had, until 1918, been the southern part of the constituency of East Carmarthenshire.

It consisted of the then local authority areas of the Municipal Borough of Llanelly; the Urban Districts of Ammanford, Burry Port and Cwmamman; the Rural Districts of Lanelly and part of Llandilofawr.

The division bordered Carmarthen to the west and north, Brecon and Radnor to the north east, Neath to the east, Gower to the south east and the sea to the south.

1950 and 1955In the next redistribution of constituencies in Wales, which took effect in 1950, the northern boundary of the constituency was slightly altered. Llanelly no longer bordered Brecon and Radnor and Gower was extended north and took over the part of the 1918 Neath constituency that had previously adjoined Carmarthenshire. The constituency area continued to include the same local authorities as in 1918 (apart from a spelling change to Llandilo for the part RDC included). There was a further minor change in the 1955 redistribution.

At some point (probably in 1966 when the official name of the local authority changed) the official spelling of the constituency name was altered to Llanelli (which is the spelling Craig uses in his compilation of results from 1950-1973, despite the entry in his book on parliamentary boundaries for the 1950 redistribution following the statute in using Llanelly).

1974The constituency appears to have been unchanged by the redistribution. The local authorities remained the same (apart from spelling changes to Llanelli and Llandeilo). The substantial local government changes which took effect in 1973-74 did not affect this redistribution as it used the old boundaries to construct parliamentary constituencies.

1983The redistribution altered the constituency by 8.4%. 96.2% of the new constituency had been in the old one. 3.8% of the electors came from the former Carmarthen constituency.

The area now formed part of the new county of Dyfed. The district level local government units contained in the constituency were the Borough of Llanelli and Wards 2-6 and 9 of the Borough of Dinefwr.

1997In this redistribution the constituency was reduced so that it covered the same area as the Borough of Llanelli.

Next RedistributionFrom the next United Kingdom general election, due before mid 2010, the constituency will comprise the Carmarthenshire County electoral divisions of Bigyn, Burry Port, Bynea, Dafen, Elli, Felinfoel, Glanymor, Glyn, Hendy, Hengoed, Kidwelly, Llangennech, Llannon, Lliedi, Llwynhendy, Pembrey, Pontyberem, Swiss Valley, Trimsaran, Tycroes and Tyisha.

The Boundary Commission for Wales, in its provisional report, confirmed that it recommended no change to the constituency. The boundaries proposed in that report were the ones subsequently given legal effect.

Members of Parliament

Election results

United Kingdom Parliament

Election box begin
title=General Election 2005: LlanelliElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Nia Griffith
votes = 16,592
percentage = 46.9
change = -1.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Plaid Cymru
candidate = Neil Baker
votes = 9,358
percentage = 26.5
change = -4.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Adrian Phillips
votes = 4,844
percentage = 13.7
change = +4.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Ken Rees
votes = 4,550
percentage = 12.9
change = +4.4Election box majority
votes = 7,234
percentage = 20.5
change =Election box turnout
votes = 35,344
percentage = 63.5
change = +1.2Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = +1.4

Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: LlanelliElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Denzil Davies
votes = 17,586
percentage = 48.6
change = -9.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Plaid Cymru
candidate = Dyfan Jones
votes = 11,183
percentage = 30.9
change = +11.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Simon Hayes
votes = 3,442
percentage = 9.5
change = -2.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Ken Rees
votes = 3,065
percentage = 8.5
change = -0.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Jan Cliff
votes = 515
percentage = 1.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Labour Party (UK)
candidate = John Willock
votes = 407
percentage = 1.1
change = -0.7Election box majority
votes = 6,403
percentage = 17.7
change = Election box turnout
votes = 36,198
percentage = 62.3
change = -8.4Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Dyfed

References

* "Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1972)
* "British Parliamentary Constituencies: A Statistical Compendium", by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984)