Cardiff Central (Welsh: Canol Caerdydd) is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales Central electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Cardiff Central
Canol Caerdydd
Senedd borough constituency
for the Senedd
Cardiff Central shown within the South Wales Central electoral region and the region shown within Wales
Current Senedd borough constituency
Created1999
PartyLabour
MSJenny Rathbone
Preserved countySouth Glamorgan

History

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From 1999, Cardiff Central was a safe seat for the Liberal Democrats. However the seat was lost to Labour in 2011 with a huge 14.7% swing. In 2016 this was the Liberal Democrats target seat with their candidate Eluned Parrott a current regional AM for South Wales Central. The result actually saw a very slight increase in Labour's majority in a very disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats. The seat remained one of the most marginal in the Assembly until the 2021 Senedd election, where Labour increased their majority substantially.

Furthermore, in 2016 two former Big Brother participants were the candidates for Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives.

Boundaries

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Map of current boundaries

The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Cardiff Central Westminster constituency. It is entirely within the preserved county of South Glamorgan.

The other seven constituencies of the region are Cardiff North, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cardiff West, Cynon Valley, Pontypridd, Rhondda and Vale of Glamorgan.

Voting

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In general elections for the Senedd, each voter has two votes. The first vote may be used to vote for a candidate to become the Member of the Senedd for the voter's constituency, elected by the first past the post system. The second vote may be used to vote for a regional closed party list of candidates. Additional member seats are allocated from the lists by the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account in the allocation.

Assembly members and Members of the Senedd

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Election Member Portrait Party
1999 Jenny Randerson   Liberal Democrat
2011 Jenny Rathbone   Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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2021 Senedd election: Cardiff Central[1]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Labour Jenny Rathbone 13,100 45.9 +7.5 11,272 39.5 +6.4
Liberal Democrats Rodney Berman 5,460 19.1 -16.2 4,522 15.9 -12.3
Conservative Calum Davies 3,788 13.3 +4.4 4,047 14.2 +4.0
Plaid Cymru Wiliam Rees 3,470 12.2 +4.7 4,633 16.3 +5.4
Green Ceri Davies 1,552 5.4 +1.0 2,258 7.9 +2.0
Abolish Munawar Mughal 440 1.5 New 643 2.3 -0.6
Propel Dilan Nazari 268 0.9 New 296 1.0 New
Freedom Alliance Thomas Franklin 156 0.5 New
Reform UK Julian Bosley 151 0.5 New 173 0.6 New
Socialist (GB) Brian Johnson 82 0.3 New
Gwlad Alford Thomas 65 0.2 New 80 0.3 New
UKIP 200 0.7 -5.2
No More Lockdowns 135 0.5 New
TUSC 97 0.3 -0.1
Communist 87 0.3 +0.1
Workers Party 33 0.1 New
Independent Alan Coulthard 32 0.1 New
Majority 7,640 26.8 +23.7
Turnout 28,532 44.5[2] -1.1
Labour hold Swing
Notes

Elections in the 2010s

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Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Cardiff Central
Party Candidate Constituency Regional[3][4]
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Labour Jenny Rathbone 10,016 38.4 +0.5 8,595 33.1 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Eluned Parrott 9,199 35.3 -2.4 7,337 28.2 +2.3
Conservative Joel Williams 2,317 8.9 -6.2 2,642 10.2 -5.9
Plaid Cymru Glyn Wise 1,951 7.5 +0.3 2,831 10.9 +3.6
UKIP Mohammed Islam 1,223 4.7 New 1,526 5.9 +2.6
Green Amelia Womack 1,150 4.4 New 1,536 5.9 -3.2
Independent Jane Croad 212 0.8 New
Abolish 750 2.9 New
Women's Equality 437 1.7 New
Monster Raving Loony 118 0.5 -0.3
TUSC 107 0.4 -0.1
Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power 42 0.2 New
Communist 40 0.2 -0.2
Independent (Jonathan Bishop)[5] 24 0.1 New
Majority 817 3.1 +2.9
Turnout 26,068 45.6 +7.6
Labour hold Swing +1.7
Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Cardiff Central
Party Candidate Constituency [6] Regional[7]
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Labour Jenny Rathbone 8,954 37.9 +16.0 7,778 32.8 +11.2
Liberal Democrats Nigel Howells 8,916 37.7 -13.5 6,130 25.9 -11.1
Conservative Matt Smith 3,559 15.1 +1.1 3,820 16.1 +0.6
Plaid Cymru Chris Williams 1,690 7.2 -1.1 1,738 7.3 -1.9
Independent Mathab Khan 509 2.2 New
Green 2,163 9.1 +3.6
UKIP 789 3.3 -0.1
Socialist Labour 337 1.4 +0.6
BNP 330 1.4 -1.5
Welsh Christian 236 1.0 -0.1
Monster Raving Loony 178 0.8 New
TUSC 125 0.5 New
Communist 83 0.4 -0.1
Majority 38 0.2 N/A
Turnout 23,628 38.0 +2.0
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +14.7

Regional ballots rejected at the count: 208[8]

Elections in the 2000s

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Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Cardiff Central
Party Candidate Constituency [9] Regional[10]
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jenny Randerson 11,462 51.2 -3.4 8,281 37.0 -4.0
Labour Sue Lent 4,897 21.9 +2.0 4,845 21.6 -2.1
Conservative Andrew Murphy 3,137 14.0 +2.5 3,476 15.5 +2.6
Plaid Cymru Thomas Whitfield 1,855 8.3 -0.3 2,051 9.2 -1.0
UKIP Frank Hughes 1,046 4.7 New 769 3.4 ±0.0
Green 1,238 5.5 +0.9
BNP 651 2.9 New
Welsh Christian 246 1.1 New
Respect 198 0.9 New
Socialist Labour 169 0.8 -0.6
Communist 110 0.5 +0.3
CPA 154 0.7 New
Socialist Alternative (UK) 123 0.5 New
Socialist Equality 74 0.3 New
Majority 6,565 29.3 −5.4
Turnout 22,397 36.0 +2.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Cardiff Central
Party Candidate Constituency Regional[11]
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jenny Randerson 11,256 54.6 +12.3 8,434 41.0 +5.8
Labour Geoff M. Mungham 4,100 19.9 -10.1 4,866 23.7 -4.6
Conservative Craig S. Piper 2,378 11.5 -0.2 2,656 12.9 ±0.0
Plaid Cymru Owen John Thomas 1,795 8.6 -6.1 2,099 10.2 -6.4
Independent Raja G. Raiz 541 2.6 New
Independent Captain Beany 212 0.8 New
Independent Madeleine E. Jeremy 239 1.2 New
Green 940 4.6 +1.1
UKIP 694 3.4 New
Socialist Labour 279 1.4 Unknown
Vote No 2 Stop the War 226 1.1 New
ProLife Alliance 198 0.5 New
New Millennium Bean Party 168 0.8 New
Cymru Annibynnol 56 0.3 New
Communist 45 0.2 Unknown
Majority 7,156 34.7 +22.4
Turnout 21,052 33.7 −11.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

2003 Electorate: 62,470
Regional ballots rejected: 285

Elections in the 1990s

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Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Cardiff Central
Party Candidate Constituency Regional [12]
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jenny Randerson 10,937 42.3 N/A 9,116 35.2 N/A
Labour Mark Drakeford 7,769 30.0 N/A 7,343 28.3 N/A
Plaid Cymru Owen John Thomas 3,795 14.7 N/A 4,307 16.6 N/A
Conservative Stephen Jones 3,034 11.7 N/A 3,348 12.9 N/A
Socialist Alliance Julian Goss 338 1.3
Green 911 3.5
Independent (Alun Mathias) 331 1.3 New
Other List Parties 554 2.1
Majority 3,168 12.3
Turnout 25,873 44.8
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

1999 Electorate: 57,700

References

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  1. ^ "Cardiff Central Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ Hayward, Will (7 May 2021). "The voter turnout figures for every constituency in Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  3. ^ National Assembly – 5 May 2016 - South Wales Central
  4. ^ "Results and turnout at the 2016 National Assembly for Wales election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Jonathan Bishop". Who Can I vote for?. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Wales elections > Cardiff Central". BBC News. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  7. ^ "Results and turnout at the 2011 National Assembly for Wales Election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Results and turnout at the 2011 National Assembly for Wales election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  9. ^ Election results – 2007 Archived 9 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly for Wales
  10. ^ "2007 Assembly Election Results (updated) July 2007(Page 78 of the PDF / Page 72 of booklet)" (PDF). National Assembly for Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  11. ^ The National Assembly for Wales elections 2003. The Electoral Commission. November 2003. pp. 110–115. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Vote 99 Wales (Time Stub 29:45)". YouTube. BBC News. Retrieved 11 August 2022.

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