Carmarthen by-election, 1966
Encyclopedia
The Carmarthen by-election, was held in Carmarthen
, Wales
on 14 July 1966. The contest was significant in that it resulted in the election of Gwynfor Evans
, the first ever Plaid Cymru
Member of Parliament
. Plaid Cymru's victory in the Carmarthen constituency
, a seminal moment for Welsh nationalism
, followed, and formed part of, a wider process toward Welsh
devolution
including the establishment of the Welsh Office
in 1964.
The election was caused by the death of Labour Party
Member of Parliament
Megan Lloyd George
.
Gwynfor Evans' surprise win is credited with laying the foundations for Winnie Ewing
's victory for the Scottish National Party
at the Hamilton by-election, 1967
, an event of equal significance for Scottish nationalism
.
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on 14 July 1966. The contest was significant in that it resulted in the election of Gwynfor Evans
Gwynfor Evans
Dr Richard Gwynfor Evans , was a Welsh politician, lawyer and author. President of Plaid Cymru for thirty six years, he was the first Member of Parliament to represent Plaid Cymru at Westminster ....
, the first ever Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. Plaid Cymru's victory in the Carmarthen constituency
Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
, a seminal moment for Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism emphasises the distinctiveness of Welsh language, culture, and history, and calls for more self-determination for Wales, which may include more Devolved powers for the Welsh Assembly or full independence from the United Kingdom.-Conquest:...
, followed, and formed part of, a wider process toward Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
including the establishment of the Welsh Office
Welsh Office
The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. It was established in April 1965 to execute government policy in Wales, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Wales, a post which had been created in October 1964...
in 1964.
The election was caused by the death of Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Megan Lloyd George
Megan Lloyd George
Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George CH was a British politician, the first female Member of Parliament for a Welsh constituency, and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. She later became a Labour MP....
.
Gwynfor Evans' surprise win is credited with laying the foundations for Winnie Ewing
Winnie Ewing
Winifred Margaret 'Winnie' Ewing is a Scottish nationalist, lawyer and prominent SNP politician who was formerly a Member of Parliament , Member of the European Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament...
's victory for the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
at the Hamilton by-election, 1967
Hamilton by-election, 1967
The Hamilton by-election, in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, which took place on the 2nd of November 1967, was a milestone in the politics of Scotland...
, an event of equal significance for Scottish nationalism
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
.
See also
- Carmarthen by-election, 1882Carmarthen by-election, 1882The Carmarthen by-election, 1882 was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Carmarthen Boroughs in West Wales on 4 January 1882. -Vacancy:...
- Carmarthen by-election, 1924Carmarthen by-election, 1924The Carmarthen by-election, 1924 was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Carmarthen in West Wales held on 14 August 1924.-Vacancy:...
- Carmarthen by-election, 1928Carmarthen by-election, 1928The Carmarthen by-election, 1928 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Carmarthen in West Wales on 28 June 1928.- Vacancy :...
- Carmarthen by-election, 1941Carmarthen by-election, 1941A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Carmarthen on 26 March 1941. The seat had become vacant on the resignation of the Labour Member of Parliament Major Daniel Hopkin MC, who had held the seat since the 1935 general election....
- Carmarthen by-election, 1957Carmarthen by-election, 1957The Carmarthen by-election of 1957 in Carmarthenshire, Wales, was notable for resulting in the nadir of the British Liberal Party and for being the first election in the United Kingdom in which two women competed for the same seat....
- Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)The Royal Commission on the Constitution, also referred to as the Kilbrandon Commission or Kilbrandon Report, was a long-running royal commission set up by Harold Wilson's Labour government to examine the structures of the constitution of the United Kingdom and the British Islands and the...