Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Ceredigion, formerly Cardiganshire, is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

. Created in 1536, the boundaries have remained remarkably unchanged for nearly five centuries. From 1536 until 1885 there were two single-member constituencies, one being a county constituency (Cardiganshire) comprising the rural areas, and the other being a borough constituency (Cardigan District of Boroughs) comprising a number of separate towns; in 1885 the borough constituency was abolished, and its towns and electors incorporated into the county constituency. The towns which comprised Cardigan Boroughs varied slightly over this long period, but primarily consisted of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...

, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....

, Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...

 and Adpar
Adpar
Adpar, formerly Trefhedyn, is a village in Ceredigion, Wales now considered as a part of Newcastle Emlyn to which it is joined by a fine bridge across the River Teifi. Adpar used to be an ancient Welsh borough in its own right.-History:...

, the latter now a suburb of Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn is a town straddling the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in west Wales and lying on the River Teifi.Adpar is the part of the town that lies on the Ceredigion side of the River Teifi...

 across the River Teifi
River Teifi
The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...

, in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...

.

The county constituency was enlarged in 1983 with the addition of part of Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....

, being renamed Ceredigion and Pembroke North. In 1997 it reverted to its former boundaries, being renamed Ceredigion.

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

Boundaries

The boundaries of this constituency mirror almost exactly those of the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

 of Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...

.

History

Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...

, formerly known by the anglicised version of its name as Cardiganshire, was first enfranchised in 1536 when King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

 incorporated 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...

 within England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The county was given one member, who was to be elected by each person who owned property of a sufficient value. In addition the inhabitants of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...

, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....

, Adpar
Adpar
Adpar, formerly Trefhedyn, is a village in Ceredigion, Wales now considered as a part of Newcastle Emlyn to which it is joined by a fine bridge across the River Teifi. Adpar used to be an ancient Welsh borough in its own right.-History:...

 and Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...

 were given the right to elect one MP between them, with the vote restricted to the Freemen
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...

. The general election of 1715
British general election, 1715
The British general election of 1715 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...

 saw the return of Lewis Pryse, who was expelled from the House of Commons in the following year for refusing to attend the House to take oaths of loyalty to King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....

 after the Jacobite rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...

, with which he sympathised.

Reformed elections

From 1832 the Reform Act
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...

 changed the electoral system so that householders of homes worth over £10 were enfranchised in the boroughs. The Borough constituency was still dominated by the Loveden-Pryse family based in Gogerddan who were supporters of the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

; Pryse Pryse held the seat from 1818 until his death in 1849, except for the 1841 election (see below). The county saw more influence of the Powell family of Nanteos who were Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

; William Edward Powell held the seat from 1816 until he resigned in 1854. By agreement between the two, neither challenged the others' domination and so elections were almost always unopposed.

In the 1841 election
United Kingdom general election, 1841
-Seats summary:-Whig MPs who lost their seats:*Viscount Morpeth - Chief Secretary for Ireland*Sir George Strickland, Bt*Sir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987...

 there was a great deal of confusion in the borough constituency, which was being opposed. The poll books for Aberystwyth were either lost or stolen and never reached the returning officer, who decided that he should return both candidates due to the uncertainty (the Conservative was slightly ahead in the polls from the other three parts). Neither of the two candidates could actually speak in the House of Commons until a committee determined the election, and it accepted the evidence that the Liberal candidate (Pryse) had outpolled the Conservative (Harford) by 305 to 285, enough to make his election secure, so he was given the seat. Other than an 1855 byelection victory by 12 votes, the Conservatives never won the borough.

The county saw its first contest in the 1859 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1859
In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives...

 when two Conservatives fought for the seat. In 1865
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...

 the sitting MP stood down and there was a contest between two Liberals, won by Sir Thomas Lloyd, Bt.
Sir Thomas Lloyd, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Davies Lloyd, 1st Baronet , was a British Liberal Member of Parliament, for Cardiganshire 1865-1868 and Cardigan Boroughs 1868-1874. An old fashioned Whig Liberal, he defeated David Davies of Llandinam for Cardiganshire, 1865...

 who defeated a Gladstonian
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...

 opponent. Lloyd transferred to the borough in the 1868 election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...

 and there were close contests for the county thereafter, on a slightly widened franchise.

Single constituency

In a redistribution of seats for the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...

, the borough constituency was abolished and absorbed into the county, with a further widening of the franchise. This combined to make the county a reasonably safe bet for the Liberal Party and supporters of Gladstone were returned at every election. Initially this was David Davies elected to represent the constituency with a majority of 2,323 (24.2%) on a turnout of 78%, but Davies broke with Gladstone over home rule for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 in 1886. He sought re-election as a Liberal Unionist but lost by 9 votes to William Bowen Rowlands
William Bowen Rowlands
William Bowen Rowlands , was a British politician and Member of Parliament.He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, matriculating on 22 March 1854 at the age of 18...

, who was the Gladstonian candidate. Rowlands served until appointed (June 1893) as Recorder of Swansea, a part-time Judgeship which was incompatible with membership of the House of Commons.

Matthew Lewis Vaughan Davies of Plas Tanybwlch, who had been the Conservative candidate in the seat in 1885 but then went over to Gladstone, was elected unopposed in the byelection on 4 July 1893. He went on to become the longest serving MP for the constituency, holding it until 1921. His closest electoral call came in the 'Khaki election' of 1900
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

 when he had a majority of 781 (9.4%). Like most Welsh Liberals, he supported David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...

 in the split in the Liberal Party, and not Herbert Asquith, and was therefore returned unopposed as a Coalition Liberal in 1918
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...

.

Liberal infighting

With Vaughan Davies known to be a supporter of Lloyd George, it was natural that Lloyd George looked to him to boost his support in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

 and awarded him a peerage in the New Years' Honours list in 1921. Although he would have preferred to be called 'Lord Ceredigion', the Garter King of Arms refused this as an inappropriate title for a Baron, and so Vaughan Davies took his title from the River Ystwyth
River Ystwyth
The River Ystwyth is a river in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Its source is a number of streams that include the Afon Diliw, located on the border of Ceredigion and Powys in the Cambrian Mountains....

 which ran past his home. The peerage created a vacancy in a historically Liberal seat and the Asquithites decided to take the Lloyd Georgeites on in their 'backyard'.

Ernest Evans
Ernest Evans (politician)
Ernest Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.-Family and education:Ernest Evans was born at Aberystwyth, the son of Evan Evans, the Clerk to the Cardiganshire County Council and his wife Annie Davies...

, who asserted on his election posters that he was 'THE Liberal candidate', was a Barrister from Aberystwyth and had been Private Secretary to Lloyd George himself, and therefore had the blessing of the Coalition and official support from the Conservatives. Against him, W. Llewelyn Williams
W. Llewelyn Williams
W. Llewelyn Williams , was a Welsh journalist, lawyer and Liberal Party politician.He was born at Brownhill Llansadwrn, Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire; a memorial plaque was erected in front of the house in 1938...

 was sponsored by the Asquithite 'Welsh Liberal Federation'. No other candidate stood and in the straight fight, Evans won with a majority of 3,590 (14.6%). He held on as a 'National Liberal' (as Lloyd George's supporters called themselves) in the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...

 but with a slim majority of 515 votes (2.0%) over Rhys Hopkin Morris
Rhys Hopkin Morris
Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris was a Welsh Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956....

.

The sudden shotgun merger of the two factions in the Liberal Party led to Evans getting the official approval of the unified party for the 1923 election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...

. However, the Conservatives decided to fight and this deprived him of their votes. Hopkin Morris decided to fight again as an unofficial Liberal and won with a 5,078 vote majority. He was lucky to survive the 1924 election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...

, a disaster for the Liberals, by being returned unopposed. The first 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...

 candidate stood against him at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...

 and polled 24% of the vote in a straight fight against Morris, who had a 13,752 (52.0%) majority.

In 1932, Morris left Parliament temporarily (he was later to return as MP for Carmarthen
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...

) when he was appointed as a Metropolitan Police magistrate. The byelection on 22 September 1932 saw the first three-way fight between the parties, but was won by Owen Evans
Owen Evans
David Owen Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.Owen Evans was educated at Llandovery School and the Imperial College of Science. In 1896 he joined the civil service . Later he read for the Bar and was called to Gray's Inn. He practised law in London until 1916 when he joined the Mond...

 for the Liberals. Like many of the Liberal MPs he had been a Barrister. Evans died shortly before the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...

, but the seat was easily held by his successor Roderic Bowen
Roderic Bowen
Evan Roderic Bowen KC was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.Bowen was educated at Cardigan County School, University College, Aberystwyth, St John's College, Cambridge, Brussels and the Inns of Court. He served in the Army for five years during World War II, reaching the rank of Captain...

; unusually the Labour vote actually fell in percentage terms compared with the previous election despite the Labour landslide in the country at large.

Labour challenge

Labour established itself as the main challenger to the Liberals at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...

 in a three-way contest, and the Conservatives opted out of the contest thereafter until 1964
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...

. This was partly a move to keep the seat from going Labour. 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...

 first fought the seat in 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...

 and kept their deposit (just, with 12.8% of the vote).

With a four-way contest involving the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru at the 1964 general election, and a national swing to Labour, Roderic Bowen suffered a precpitate decline in his share of the vote to only 38.4%; he was re-elected with a majority of 2,219 (7.4%) over Labour. After the death of the Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...

 in 1965, Bowen accepted the offer to become a Deputy Speaker, which prevented him from speaking on behalf of his constituency. For the 1966 election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...

, Labour selected Elystan Morgan
Elystan Morgan
Dafydd Elystan Elystan-Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan , known as Elystan Morgan, is a Welsh politician.Morgan was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth...

 who had been a member of Plaid Cymru until 1964; with a further national swing and Morgan making a credible bid for the Welsh-speaking vote, Labour won the seat by 523 votes.

Liberal resurgence

Morgan managed to hold on to the seat with an increased majority in the 1970 election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...

. The Liberal vote had collapsed nationwide, with Plaid Cymru taking third place. However, the Liberal resurgence in the early 1970s led to the party regaining the seat in the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...

 with Geraint Howells
Geraint Howells
Geraint Wyn Howells, Baron Geraint was a leading Welsh Liberal Democrat politician.Howells was born in Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He was the son of David John and Mary Blodwen Howells, both farmers.-Education:...

; the October 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...

 saw almost the same result. In 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...

, Howells increased his majority with Labour falling to third place and the Conservatives increasing their vote by more than 20%; this was one of the highest swings
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...

 in the whole country.

In boundary changes in 1983, the constituency gained a small part of Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....

 and also took a Welsh version of its name, becoming known as Ceredigion and Pembroke North. Geraint Howells was re-elected with the Conservatives second, Labour third and Plaid Cymru fourth in both the 1983
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...

 and 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...

 general elections.

Surprise gain

The result of the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...

 in Ceredigion and Pembroke North was one of the least expected in the country. Cynog Dafis
Cynog Dafis
Cynog Glyndwr Dafis is a Welsh politician and member of the Plaid Cymru party. He was a school teacher and researcher before entering politics.-Education:...

, a teacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi, Llandysul, standing as a Plaid Cymru candidate with support from the local branch of the Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...

, gained the seat with a majority of 3,193. Dafis more than doubled his majority in 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...

 with Labour coming in second and the Liberal Democrat vote dropping by 10% to 16.5%. The constituency name was shortened to Ceredigion at this election as it reverted to its former borders, having lost the part of North Pembrokeshire in boundary changes.

Cynog Dafis was elected to the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...

 in 1999 and unlike the other 'dual mandate' MPs chose to resign his seat at Westminster, causing a byelection
Ceredigion by-election, 2000
The Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Ceredigion, Cynog Dafis, was unexpectedly elected to the National Assembly for Wales in May 1999 and decided to give up his seat in the House of Commons in order to concentrate on his work in the Assembly...

 which saw Simon Thomas retain the seat for Plaid Cymru. The by-election saw Labour fall from second to fourth place and the Liberal Democrats vote rise. At the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...

, Thomas retained the seat, although the Liberal Democrat vote again rose to 26.9%.

2005 and 2010 Liberal resurgence

At the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....

, the Liberal Democrats regained the seat. Mark Williams
Mark Williams (politician)
Mark Fraser Williams is a British Welsh Liberal Democrat politician and the Member of Parliament for the Ceredigion constituency, a seat he gained from Plaid Cymru in 2005...

, who had fought the seat in the 2000 by-election and in 2001, had a majority of 219 (0.6%) following a swing of 6% over Simon Thomas. Mark Williams was the first non-Welsh speaking Member of Parliament elected to represent the constituency since the extension of the franchise in the 19th century. At the 2010 general election, he received a massive increase in his vote, polling over 50% of the votes cast and raising his majority from 219 to 8,324.

MPs 1541–1640

ParliamentMember
1541–1543 Rice ap Philip
1543–1544 Thomas Gynns
1545–1547 David ap Llewellin Lloid of Llan Dissill
1547 Walter Devereux
1553 (Mar) James Williams
1553 (Oct) John Pryse II
1554 (Apr) John Pryse II
1554 (Nov) James Williams
1555 Sir Henry Johnes of Abermarlais
1558 Sir Henry Johnes of Abermarlais
1563 John Pryse
1571 John Pryse
1572 John Pryse
1584–1585 Richard Pryse
Richard Pryse (of Gogerddan)
Sir Richard Pryse was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1584.Pryse was the eldest son of John Pryse of Gogerddan. He became a student of the Inner Temple in November 1583. In 1584, he was elected Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire. He was High Sheriff of Cardiganshire...

1586–1587 Griffith Lloyd
1588–1593 Richard Pryse
Richard Pryse (of Gogerddan)
Sir Richard Pryse was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1584.Pryse was the eldest son of John Pryse of Gogerddan. He became a student of the Inner Temple in November 1583. In 1584, he was elected Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire. He was High Sheriff of Cardiganshire...

1597–1598 Thomas Pryse
1601 Richard Pryse
Richard Pryse (of Gogerddan)
Sir Richard Pryse was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1584.Pryse was the eldest son of John Pryse of Gogerddan. He became a student of the Inner Temple in November 1583. In 1584, he was elected Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire. He was High Sheriff of Cardiganshire...

1604–1611 Sir John Lewis
John Lewis (of Abernant)
Sir John Lewis was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1604 to 1611.Lewis was the son of James ap Lewis of Abernant-bychan. He was admitted at Jesus College, Oxford on 22 April 1598, aged 17, and entered the Inner Temple in November 1598. He was knighted on 29 June 1604. In...

1614–1622 Sir Richard Pryse
Richard Pryse (of Gogerddan)
Sir Richard Pryse was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1584.Pryse was the eldest son of John Pryse of Gogerddan. He became a student of the Inner Temple in November 1583. In 1584, he was elected Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire. He was High Sheriff of Cardiganshire...

1625–1629 James Lewis
James Lewis (MP for Cardiganshire)
James Lewis was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1656. He supported the Royalist and then the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War....

1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned

MPs after 1640

Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....

  • 1640: James Lewis
    James Lewis (MP for Cardiganshire)
    James Lewis was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1656. He supported the Royalist and then the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War....



Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...

  • 1640–1644: Walter Lloyd
    Walter Lloyd
    Walter Lloyd was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....

     (Royalist
    Cavalier
    Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...

    ) – disabled to sit, 5 February 1644
  • 1646–1648: Sir Richard Pryse, 1st Baronet
    Sir Richard Pryse, 1st Baronet
    Sir Richard Pryse, 1st Baronet was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1646 to 1648.Pryse was the son of Sir John Pryse of Gogerddan and Abersychan and his wife Mary Bromley, daughter of Sir Henry Bromley of Shradon Castle, Shropshire...

     – excluded in Pride's Purge
    Pride's Purge
    Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents...

    , December 1648


Cardiganshire was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
Barebones Parliament
Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector...



First Protectorate Parliament
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....

  • 1654–1655: Col. James Philipps
    James Philipps
    James Philipps was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1653 and 1662. He was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.-Life:...

  • 1654–1655: Rev. Jenkin Lloyd
    Jenkin Lloyd
    Jenkin Lloyd was a Welsh clergyman and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654.Lloyd was the son of John Lloyd of Fairdref Fawr and his wife Margaret Herbert, daughter of Morgan Herbert of Dol-y-cors in Cwmystwith, Cardiganshire. He matriculated at Jesus College, Oxford on 2 December...



Second Protectorate Parliament
Second Protectorate Parliament
The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons...

  • 1656: Col. James Philipps
    James Philipps
    James Philipps was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1653 and 1662. He was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.-Life:...

  • 1656–1658: Col. John Clark
  • 1656–1658: James Lewis
    James Lewis (MP for Cardiganshire)
    James Lewis was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1656. He supported the Royalist and then the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War....



Third Protectorate Parliament
Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons...

  • 1659: Col. James Philipps
    James Philipps
    James Philipps was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1653 and 1662. He was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.-Life:...


YearMemberParty
April 1660 Sir Richard Pryse, 2nd Baronet
Sir Richard Pryse, 2nd Baronet
Sir Richard Pryse, 2nd Baronet was a Welsh landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Pryse was the son of Sir Richard Pryse, 1st Baronet and his first wife Hester Myddelton daughter of Sir Hugh Myddelton, 1st Baronet...

1661 Sir John Vaughan
John Vaughan (judge)
Sir John Vaughan SL , of Trawsgoed, was a British justice.-Life:He was born in Ceredigion, Wales, the eldest of eight children of Edward Vaughan and his wife Letitia Stedman of Strata Florida, and was educated initially at The King's School, Worcester between 1613 and 1618, when he was admitted to...

1669 Edward Vaughan
1685 John Lewis
1690 Sir Carbery Pryse, 4th Baronet (died 1694)
1694 John Vaughan, 1st Viscount Lisburne
John Vaughan, 1st Viscount Lisburne
John Vaughan, 1st Viscount Lisburne , of Trawsgoed, Cardiganshire, was a Welshnobleman.The son of Edward Vaughan and grandson of Sir John Vaughan, he was created Baron Fethard and Viscount Lisburne, in the Peerage of Ireland, on 5 June 1695...

1698 John Lewis
February 1701 Sir Humphrey Mackworth
Humphrey Mackworth
Sir Humphrey Mackworth was a British industrialist and politician. He was involved in a business scandal in the early 18th century and was a founding member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.-Early history:...

December 1701 Lewis Pryse
1702 Sir Humphrey Mackworth
Humphrey Mackworth
Sir Humphrey Mackworth was a British industrialist and politician. He was involved in a business scandal in the early 18th century and was a founding member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.-Early history:...

1705 John Pugh
1708 Lewis Pryse
1710 Sir Humphrey Mackworth
Humphrey Mackworth
Sir Humphrey Mackworth was a British industrialist and politician. He was involved in a business scandal in the early 18th century and was a founding member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.-Early history:...

1713 Thomas Johnes
1715 Lewis Pryse
1718 Owen Brigstocke
1722 Francis Cornwallis
1727 John Vaughan, 2nd Viscount Lisburne
1734 Walter Lloyd (1678-1747)
1742 Thomas Powell
1747 John Lloyd
1755 Hon. Wilmot Vaughan
Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne
Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne , of Trawsgoed, Cardiganshire, known as Viscount Lisburne from 1766 to 1776, was a Welsh peer and politician.Lisburne was the son of Wilmot Vaughan, 3rd Viscount Lisburne...

1761 John Pugh Pryse
1768 Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne
Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne
Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne , of Trawsgoed, Cardiganshire, known as Viscount Lisburne from 1766 to 1776, was a Welsh peer and politician.Lisburne was the son of Wilmot Vaughan, 3rd Viscount Lisburne...

1796 Thomas Johnes
1816 William Edward Powell
William Edward Powell
William Edward Powell was a British Lord Lieutenant and Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Thomas Powell, and was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. Brought up in France by his widowed mother, he finally occupied his father's estate at Nanteos, near Aberystwith at the age of 21 in 1809...

Tory
1834 Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

1854 Ernest Vaughan, 4th Earl of Lisburne
Ernest Vaughan, 4th Earl of Lisburne
Ernest Augustus Vaughan, 4th Earl of Lisburne , styled Viscount Vaughan from 1820 to 1831, was a British politician....

Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

1859 William Thomas Rowland Powell Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

1865 Sir Thomas Lloyd, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Lloyd, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Davies Lloyd, 1st Baronet , was a British Liberal Member of Parliament, for Cardiganshire 1865-1868 and Cardigan Boroughs 1868-1874. An old fashioned Whig Liberal, he defeated David Davies of Llandinam for Cardiganshire, 1865...

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1868 Evan Matthew Richards Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1874 Thomas Edward Lloyd Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

1880 Lewis Pugh Pugh
Lewis Pugh Pugh
Lewis Pugh Pugh was a Welsh lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1885....

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1885 David Davies
David Davies (industrialist)
David Davies was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1874 and 1886. Davies was often known as David Davies Llandinam , in order to differentiate him from others of the same name.Davies was the son of David Davies and his wife Elizabeth...

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1886 William Bowen Rowlands
William Bowen Rowlands
William Bowen Rowlands , was a British politician and Member of Parliament.He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, matriculating on 22 March 1854 at the age of 18...

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1895 Matthew Vaughn-Davies
Matthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth
Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.-Background and education:Vaughan-Davies was born at Tan-y-Bwlch, Cardiganshire. He went to Harrow School, but only stayed for a year....

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1921 Ernest Evans
Ernest Evans (politician)
Ernest Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.-Family and education:Ernest Evans was born at Aberystwyth, the son of Evan Evans, the Clerk to the Cardiganshire County Council and his wife Annie Davies...

Coalition Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1923 Rhys Hopkin Morris
Rhys Hopkin Morris
Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris was a Welsh Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956....

Independent Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1932 Owen Evans
Owen Evans
David Owen Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.Owen Evans was educated at Llandovery School and the Imperial College of Science. In 1896 he joined the civil service . Later he read for the Bar and was called to Gray's Inn. He practised law in London until 1916 when he joined the Mond...

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1945 Roderic Bowen
Roderic Bowen
Evan Roderic Bowen KC was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.Bowen was educated at Cardigan County School, University College, Aberystwyth, St John's College, Cambridge, Brussels and the Inns of Court. He served in the Army for five years during World War II, reaching the rank of Captain...

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1966 Elystan Morgan
Elystan Morgan
Dafydd Elystan Elystan-Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan , known as Elystan Morgan, is a Welsh politician.Morgan was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth...

Labour
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...

1974 Geraint Howells
Geraint Howells
Geraint Wyn Howells, Baron Geraint was a leading Welsh Liberal Democrat politician.Howells was born in Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He was the son of David John and Mary Blodwen Howells, both farmers.-Education:...

Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

1983 Name changed to Ceredigion and Pembroke North
1988 Geraint Howells
Geraint Howells
Geraint Wyn Howells, Baron Geraint was a leading Welsh Liberal Democrat politician.Howells was born in Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He was the son of David John and Mary Blodwen Howells, both farmers.-Education:...

Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

1992 Cynog Dafis
Cynog Dafis
Cynog Glyndwr Dafis is a Welsh politician and member of the Plaid Cymru party. He was a school teacher and researcher before entering politics.-Education:...

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...

1997 Name changed to Ceredigion
2000 Simon Thomas 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...

2005 Mark Williams
Mark Williams (politician)
Mark Fraser Williams is a British Welsh Liberal Democrat politician and the Member of Parliament for the Ceredigion constituency, a seat he gained from Plaid Cymru in 2005...

Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...


Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

  • Resulted from the resignation of Rhys Hopkin Morris, in August 1932, upon his appointment as a Metropolitan Police Magistrate


See also

  • Cardiganshire by-election, 1932
    Cardiganshire by-election, 1932
    The Cardiganshire by-election, 1932 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 September 1932 for the British House of Commons constituency of Cardiganshire.-Previous Member of Parliament:...

  • Ceredigion by-election, 2000
    Ceredigion by-election, 2000
    The Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Ceredigion, Cynog Dafis, was unexpectedly elected to the National Assembly for Wales in May 1999 and decided to give up his seat in the House of Commons in order to concentrate on his work in the Assembly...

  • List of Parliamentary constituencies in Dyfed
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