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Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Llanelli is a constituency of the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. From 1918 to 1970 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.
The 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 District
s of Ammanford, Burry Port
and Cwmamman
; the Rural District
s of Lanelly and part of Llandilofawr
(namely the civil parishes of Bettws
, Llandybie
and Quarter Bach
, and Ward I of the civil parish of Llandilo Rural)
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
In 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):
At the 1970 general election
the official spelling of the constituency name was altered to Llanelli. This followed the change in name of the both the borough and rural district in 1966.
1974
The constituency appears to have been unchanged by the redistribution. The local authorities remained the same (apart from spelling changes):
The substantial local government changes
which took effect in 1974 did not affect this redistribution as it used the boundaries as they existed in November 1970 to construct parliamentary constituencies.
1983
The 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
.
1997
In this redistribution the constituency was reduced so that it covered the same area as the Borough of Llanelli
.
2010
After the United Kingdom general election, in May 2010, the constituency has comprised 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.
seat, with a Labour MP representing the constituency since 1922. In recent years however Labour's majority has been somewhat eroded by Plaid Cymru
, who hold the equivalent seat
in the Welsh Assembly.
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
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...
. From 1918 to 1970 the official spelling of the constituency name was Llanelly. It elects one 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,...
(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
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...
, 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
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Llanelly; the Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s of Ammanford, Burry Port
Burry Port
Burry Port is a small town five miles outside the larger centre of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the Loughor estuary. The town's population is roughly 8,000 although in the 2001 census there were 4209 residents....
and Cwmamman
Cwmamman
Cwmamman is a town in Carmarthenshire, west WalesCwmamman is 78.47% Welsh speaking and lies at the foot of the Black Mountain.-External links:...
; the Rural District
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s of Lanelly and part of Llandilofawr
Llandeilo
Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th century stone bridge. Its population is 1,731.The town is served by Llandeilo railway station on the Heart of Wales Line.- Early history :...
(namely the civil parishes of Bettws
Betws
Betws is a small village on the River Amman, some 15 miles north of Swansea, Wales; it is part of the ecclesiastical parish of Betws and Ammanford...
, Llandybie
Llandybie
Llandybie is a community, and a large village two miles north of Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, Wales.The latest Ordnance Survey map the Grid reference at the centre of the village is SN 617 154...
and Quarter Bach
Quarter Bach
Quarter Bach is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales.It is at the foot of the Black Mountain, in the far east of the county. The main settlement here is Upper Brynamman, though it also includes Ystradowen and the other areas to the south east which happen to be part of Carmarthenshire, as...
, and Ward I of the civil parish of Llandilo Rural)
The division bordered 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...
to the west and north, Brecon and Radnor to the north east, Neath
Neath (UK Parliament constituency)
Neath is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election and one Assembly Member by the first past the post system of election.- The Constituency of Neath :The constituency...
to the east, Gower
Gower (UK Parliament constituency)
Gower is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
to the south east and the sea to the south.
1950
In 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
Llandeilo
Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th century stone bridge. Its population is 1,731.The town is served by Llandeilo railway station on the Heart of Wales Line.- Early history :...
for the part RDC included):
- The borough of Llanelly;
- The urban districts of Ammanford, Burry Port and Cwmamman;
- The rural district of Llanelly and the parish of Bettws in the rural district of Llandilo.
At the 1970 general 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 official spelling of the constituency name was altered to Llanelli. This followed the change in name of the both the borough and rural district in 1966.
1974
The constituency appears to have been unchanged by the redistribution. The local authorities remained the same (apart from spelling changes):
- The borough of Llanelli;
- the urban districts of Ammanford, Burry Port and Cwmamman;
- the rural district of Llanelli and the parish of Bettws in the rural district of Llandeilo.
The substantial local government changes
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
which took effect in 1974 did not affect this redistribution as it used the boundaries as they existed in November 1970 to construct parliamentary constituencies.
1983
The 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
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
. 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
Dinefwr
Dinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which was the royal capital of the Principality of Deheubarth and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales....
.
1997
In this redistribution the constituency was reduced so that it covered the same area as the Borough of Llanelli
Llanelli (district)
The Borough of Llanelli was one of thirty-seven local government districts in Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was the smallest of six districts in the newly-created county of Dyfed, and was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 by a merger of the municipal boroughs of Llanelli and Kidwelly, Burry...
.
2010
After the United Kingdom general election, in May 2010, the constituency has comprised the Carmarthenshire County electoral divisions of Bigyn, Burry Port
Burry Port
Burry Port is a small town five miles outside the larger centre of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the Loughor estuary. The town's population is roughly 8,000 although in the 2001 census there were 4209 residents....
, Bynea
Bynea
Bynea is a village close to the River Loughor in Carmarthenshire, Wales. This was an agricultural area until the turn of the twentieth century, when it became heavily industralised with coal mines and steelworks...
, Dafen, Elli, Felinfoel
Felinfoel
Felinfoel is a small village and community council ward on the River Lliedi on the northern border of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, with a population of about 2,000.The Felinfoel Brewery, home of Double Dragon Ale, is the oldest in Wales...
, Glanymor
Glanymor
Glanymor is an electoral ward for Llanelli Town Council and Carmarthenshire County Council in south Llanelli.It consists of the following areas of Llanelli:*Glanymor*Lakeside*Machynys*New Dock...
, Glyn, Hendy
Hendy
Yr Hendy is a village in the community of Llanedi, Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated on the border between Carmarthenshire and Swansea. Yr Hendy lies on the Afon Gwili just across the River Loughor from the town of Pontarddulais and, together with Fforest to its north, forms part of the continuous...
, Hengoed, Kidwelly
Kidwelly
Kidwelly is a town in Carmarthenshire, west Wales, approximately north-west of the main town of Llanelli.It lies on the River Gwendraeth Fach above Carmarthen Bay. The town is twinned with French village St Jacut de la Mer.-History:...
, Llangennech
Llangennech
Llangennech is a village in the area of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, United Kingdom.It is governed by Carmarthenshire County Council and Llanelli Rural council. It falls in the Llanelli parliament Constituency. Llangennech is also the name of an electoral ward coterminous with the village...
, Llannon
Llannon
Llannon is a small village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located on the A476 road 11 miles south east of the county town, Carmarthen, between Tumble and Swiss Valley...
, Lliedi, Llwynhendy
Llwynhendy
Llywnhendy is a village on the edge of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales with a population of 4,276.It is bordered by Bynea, Pemberton and the Bryn. It is an old village with strong industrial roots. The steel-works in nearby Bynea was a major employer until the decline of the steel...
, Pembrey
Pembrey
Pembrey is a village in Carmarthenshire Wales, situated between Burry Port and Kidwelly, overlooking Carmarthen Bay.-History:The name Pembrey is an Anglicisation of the Welsh, Pen-bre...
, Pontyberem
Pontyberem
Pontyberem is a village situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, South Wales.- History :...
, Swiss Valley, Trimsaran
Trimsaran
Trimsaran is a former mining village which lies on the B4308 between Llanelli and Kidwelly, in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire.Trimsaran is six miles from Llanelli, and from Carmarthen...
, Tycroes
Tycroes
Tycroes is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales. As measured in the 2001 Census, the population of Tycroes was 2,156 persons . Tycroes School has around 180 pupils....
and Tyisha.
The Boundary Commission
Boundary Commission (United Kingdom)
Boundary Commissions in the UK are non-departmental public bodies responsible for determining the boundaries of constituencies for elections to the Westminster Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales. There are four boundary commissions in the United Kingdom: one...
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
Llanelli has traditionally been an ultra-safe LabourLabour 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...
seat, with a Labour MP representing the constituency since 1922. In recent years however Labour's majority has been somewhat eroded by 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...
, who hold the equivalent seat
Llanelli (Assembly constituency)
Llanelli is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the Mid and West Wales electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight...
in the Welsh Assembly.
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
Josiah Towyn Jones Josiah Towyn Jones Josiah Towyn Jones was a Welsh clergyman and Liberal Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire East and later for Llanelly.... |
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... |
|
| 1922 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... |
John Henry Williams John Henry Williams (Welsh politician) Dr John Henry Williams was a Liverpool-born Welsh Labour Party politician.Williams was a medical practitioner in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire and was elected to Carmarthenshire County Council where he was the chairman of the health committee.At the 1922 general election, he was elected as Member of... |
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... |
|
| 1936 by-election | Jim Griffiths Jim Griffiths James "Jim" Griffiths CH , was a Welsh Labour politician, trade union leader and the first ever Secretary of State for Wales.-Background and education:... |
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... |
|
| 1970 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... |
Denzil Davies Denzil Davies David John Denzil Davies is a former British Treasury Minister . He served for 35 years as the Member of Parliament for Llanelli for the Labour Party from 1970 to 2005, and is a member of the Privy Council.-Early life:He attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen, and then... |
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... |
|
| 2005 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.... |
Nia Griffith Nia Griffith Nia Rhiannon Griffith is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Llanelli since 2005.-Background:... |
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... |
|
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
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
See also
- Llanelli (Assembly constituency)Llanelli (Assembly constituency)Llanelli is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the Mid and West Wales electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight...
- List of Parliamentary constituencies in Dyfed
Sources
- 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 CreweIvor CreweSir Ivor Martin Crewe is the Master of University College, Oxford. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex and Professor in the Department of Government....
and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984)