Wales is divided into thirty-two constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which elect Members of Parliament to the House of Commons.
At the 2024 United Kingdom general election in Wales, 27 Labour MPs, 4 Plaid Cymru MPs and 1 Liberal Democrat MP were elected. The Conservative Party lost all of their 13 MPs in Wales.
This is a decrease from forty constituencies, last used in the general election of December 2019 which had resulted in 22 of the Welsh constituencies being represented by Labour MPs, 14 by Conservative MPs, and 4 by Plaid Cymru MPs.[1] The number of constituencies was reduced from 40 to 32,[2] as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, in which the Boundary Commission for Wales set the boundaries of the new constituencies, following a process starting in 2021[3] and concluding on 28 June 2023 when the final recommendations were published by the commission.[2]
Until 2026, the devolved Senedd will continue using 40 constituencies as in the previous UK Parliament, but would later replace them with 16 Senedd constituencies comprising pairings of the 32 UK Parliament constituencies.
Constituencies since 2024
edit
†Conservative ₪Plaid Cymru ¤Liberal Democrat *Brexit Party/Reform UK ¢Green Party
Constituencies until 2024
edit‡Labour †Conservative ₪Plaid Cymru ¤Liberal Democrat *Brexit Party/Reform UK ¢Independent
| Constituency | Electorate[4] | Majority[5] | Member of Parliament[5] | Nearest opposition[5] | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberavon | 50,750 | 10,490 | Stephen Kinnock‡ | Charlotte Lang† |  | ||
| Aberconwy | 44,699 | 2,034 | Robin Millar† | Emily Owen ‡ |  | ||
| Alyn and Deeside | 62,789 | 213 | Mark Tami‡ | Sanjoy Sen† |  | ||
| Arfon | 42,215 | 2,781 | Hywel Williams₪ | Steffie Williams Roberts‡ |  | ||
| Blaenau Gwent | 50,739 | 8,647 | Nick Smith‡ | Richard Taylor* |  | ||
| Brecon and Radnorshire | 55,490 | 7,131 | Fay Jones† | Jane Dodds¤ |  | ||
| Bridgend | 63,303 | 1,157 | Jamie Wallis† | Madeleine Moon‡ |  | ||
| Caerphilly | 63,166 | 6,833 | Wayne David‡ | Jane Pratt† |  | ||
| Cardiff Central | 64,037 | 17,179 | Jo Stevens‡ | Meirion Jenkins† |  | ||
| Cardiff North | 68,438 | 6,982 | Anna McMorrin‡ | Mo Ali† |  | ||
| Cardiff South and Penarth | 78,837 | 12,737 | Stephen Doughty‡ | Philippa Broom† |  | ||
| Cardiff West | 68,508 | 10,986 | Kevin Brennan‡ | Carolyn Webster† |  | ||
| Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | 57,419 | 1,809 | Jonathan Edwards¢ | David Darkin‡ |  | ||
| Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | 59,158 | 7,745 | Simon Hart† | Marc Tierney‡ |  | ||
| Ceredigion | 56,250 | 6,329 | Ben Lake₪ | Amanda Jenner† |  | ||
| Clwyd South | 53,919 | 1,239 | Simon Baynes† | Susan Elan Jones‡ |  | ||
| Clwyd West | 57,714 | 6,747 | David Jones† | Jo Thomas‡ |  | ||
| Cynon Valley | 51,134 | 8,822 | Beth Winter‡ | Pauline Church† |  | ||
| Delyn | 54,560 | 865 | Rob Roberts¢ | David Hanson‡ |  | ||
| Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 44,362 | 4,740 | Liz Saville-Roberts₪ | Tomos Davies† |  | ||
| Gower | 61,762 | 1,837 | Tonia Antoniazzi‡ | Francesca O'Brien† |  | ||
| Islwyn | 55,423 | 5,464 | Christopher James Evans‡ | Gavin Chambers† |  | ||
| Llanelli | 60,518 | 4,670 | Nia Griffith‡ | Tamara Reay† |  | ||
| Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | 56,322 | 10,606 | Gerald Jones‡ | Sara Jones† |  | ||
| Monmouth | 67,098 | 9,982 | David Davies† | Yvonne Murphy‡ |  | ||
| Montgomeryshire | 48,997 | 12,138 | Craig Williams† | Kishan Devani¤ |  | ||
| Neath | 56,419 | 5,637 | Christina Rees‡ | Jon Burns† |  | ||
| Newport East | 58,554 | 1,992 | Jessica Morden‡ | Mark Brown† |  | ||
| Newport West | 66,657 | 902 | Ruth Jones‡ | Matthew Evans† |  | ||
| Ogmore | 57,581 | 7,805 | Chris Elmore‡ | Sadie Vidal† |  | ||
| Pontypridd | 60,327 | 5,887 | Alex Davies-Jones‡ | Sam Trask† |  | ||
| Preseli Pembrokeshire | 59,606 | 5,062 | Stephen Crabb† | Philippa Thompson‡ |  | ||
| Rhondda | 50,262 | 11,440 | Chris Bryant‡ | Hannah Jarvis |  | ||
| Swansea East | 58,450 | 11,440 | Carolyn Harris‡ | Denise Howard† |  | ||
| Swansea West | 57,078 | 8,116 | Geraint Davies₵ | James Price† |  | ||
| Torfaen | 62,330 | 3,742 | Nick Thomas-Symonds‡ | Graham Smith† |  | ||
| Vale of Clwyd | 56,649 | 1,827 | James Davies† | Chris Ruane‡ |  | ||
| Vale of Glamorgan | 76,508 | 3,562 | Alun Cairns† | Belinda Loveluck-Edwards‡ |  | ||
| Wrexham | 49,737 | 2,131 | Sarah Atherton† | Mary Wimbury‡ |  | ||
| Ynys Môn (Anglesey) | 51,925 | 1,968 | Virginia Crosbie† | Mary Roberts‡ |  | ||
2023 boundary changes
editFailed sixth periodic review
editUnder the terms of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies (the 2018 review) was based on reducing the total number of MPs from 650 to 600 and a strict electoral parity requirement that the electorate of all constituencies should be within a range of 5% either side of the electoral quota.
The Boundary Commission for Wales submitted their final proposals in respect of the Sixth Review in September 2018. Although the proposals were immediately laid before Parliament they were not brought forward by the Government for approval. Accordingly, they did not come into effect for the 2019 election which took place on 12 December 2019, and which was contested using the constituency boundaries in place since 2010.
On 24 March 2020, the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Chloe Smith, issued a written statement to Parliament setting out the Government's thinking with regard to parliamentary boundaries.[6] Subsequently, the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020[7] was passed into law on 14 December 2020 which formally removed the duty to implement the 2018 review and set out the framework for future boundary reviews.
2023 periodic review
edit
The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 was passed in December 2020, and the publication of the most recent data of electorate sizes of constituencies on 5 January 2021, lead the Boundary Commission for Wales to begin its review of the parliamentary constituencies in Wales, with the commission required to publish its final recommendations for boundary changes by 1 July 2023. By December 2021, the commission published the responses collected during the consultation period, and then conducted a six-week 'secondary consultation. Unlike the previous periodic review, the total UK constituencies was kept at 650.
When proportionally dividing the total 2021 electoral population of the United Kingdom using a statutory formula between the constituent countries of the UK, it results in England having 543 constituencies, Scotland having 57, Wales having 32 and Northern Ireland with the remaining 18. Each constituency recommended to have no more than 77,062 electors and no less than 69,724.[8] The figure from Wales is calculated to be 8 seats lower from the total constituencies used for the 2019 UK general election when there were 40 constituencies, the largest decrease of any UK country or region. Wales has one 'protected constituency' not subject to UK electoral quotas, Ynys Môn on the Isle of Anglesey, where boundary changes are not applied. The decrease in constituencies in Wales has been described by the commission to represent "the most significant change to Wales's constituencies in a century", and the commission has no control over the number of constituencies in Wales. The final proposal published by the commission no longer required parliamentary approval and the recommendations in the final report were implemented automatically, however the second consultation period allowed public hearing about the proposals. The commission stated that it tried wherever possible to use existing local government boundaries, such as those of existing constituencies and principal areas.
Final recommendations
edit The final recommendations on the new constituencies in Wales were published on 28 June 2023 by the Boundary Commission for Wales.[2][9] This followed years of proposals and consultations since 2021, with initial proposals published in 2021[3] and revised in 2022.[8]
Categorisation of status is purely based on the names used by the constituencies, if a new constituency largely overlaps with a previous one but was renamed, it is considered a new constituency.
New – Did not exist previously with either the name or boundaries.
Expanded – Keeps name but gains wards.
Redefined – Keeps name but with other altered boundaries.
Revived – Former constituency revived under the same name(s).
| Recommended constituency (Welsh name) |
Electorate (2023) |
Area (km2) | Electoral wards from | Status | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous constituency | Principal area | |||||
| Aberafan Maesteg | 69,817 | 397 | Bridgend (part) | Bridgend | New constituency | |
| Ogmore (part) | Bridgend | |||||
| Aberavon (part) | Neath Port Talbot | |||||
| Neath (part) | Neath Port Talbot | |||||
| Alyn and Deeside Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy |
75,695 | 205 | Alyn and Deeside (all) | Flintshire | Expanded constituency | |
| Delyn (part) | Flintshire | |||||
| Bangor Aberconwy | 70,468 | 1,435 | Aberconwy (all) | Conwy | New constituency | |
| Clwyd West (part) | Conwy | |||||
| Clwyd West (part) | Denbighshire | |||||
| Arfon (part) | Gwynedd | |||||
| Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney Blaenau Gwent a Rhymni |
71,079 | 166 | Blaenau Gwent (all) | Blaenau Gwent | New constituency | |
| Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (part) | Caerphilly | |||||
| Islwyn (part) | Caerphilly | |||||
| Caerphilly (part) | Caerphilly | |||||
| Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe Aberhonddu, Maesyfed a Chwm Tawe |
72,113 | 3,090 | Brecon and Radnorshire (all) | Powys | New constituency | |
| Neath (part) | Neath Port Talbot | |||||
| Bridgend Pen-y-bont |
70,770 | 124 | Bridgend (part) | Bridgend | Redefined constituency | |
| Ogmore (part) | Bridgend | |||||
| Caerfyrddin | 72,683 | 2,034 | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (part) | Carmarthenshire | Revived constituency | Previously existed 1542–1997 under its English name "Carmarthen". |
| Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (part) | Carmarthenshire | |||||
| Caerphilly Caerffili |
72,458 | 140 | Caerphilly (part) | Caerphilly | Redefined constituency | |
| Islwyn (part) | Caerphilly | |||||
| Cardiff East Dwyrain Caerdydd |
72,463 | 33 | Cardiff Central (part) | Cardiff | Revived constituency | Name restored; previously existed 1918–1950. |
| Cardiff South and Penarth (part) | Cardiff | |||||
| Cardiff North Gogledd Caerdydd |
71,143 | 49 | Cardiff North (all) | Cardiff | Expanded constituency | |
| Pontypridd (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Cardiff South and Penarth De Caerdydd a Phenarth |
72,269 | 60 | Cardiff South and Penarth (part) | Cardiff | Redefined constituency | |
| Cardiff Central (part) | Cardiff | |||||
| Cardiff South and Penarth (part) | Vale of Glamorgan | |||||
| Vale of Glamorgan (part) | Vale of Glamorgan | |||||
| Cardiff West Gorllewin Caerdydd |
73,947 | 63 | Cardiff West (all) | Cardiff | Expanded constituency | |
| Pontypridd (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Ceredigion Preseli | 74,063 | 2,458 | Ceredigion (all) | Ceredigion | New constituency | |
| Preseli Pembrokeshire (part) | Pembrokeshire | |||||
| Clwyd East Dwyrain Clwyd |
76,395 | 676 | Clwyd West (part) | Denbighshire | New constituency | |
| Clwyd South (part) | Denbighshire | |||||
| Vale of Clwyd (part) | Denbighshire | |||||
| Delyn (part) | Flintshire | |||||
| Clwyd South (part) | Wrexham | |||||
| Clwyd North Gogledd Clwyd |
76,150 | 170 | Clwyd West (part) | Conwy | New constituency | |
| Vale of Clwyd (part) | Denbighshire | |||||
| Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 72,533 | 2,613 | Clwyd South (part) | Denbighshire | Expanded constituency | |
| Dwyfor Meirionnydd (all) | Gwynedd | |||||
| Arfon (part) | Gwynedd | |||||
| Gower Gŵyr |
76,801 | 345 | Gower (part) | Swansea | Redefined constituency | |
| Swansea West (part) | Swansea | |||||
| Llanelli | 69,895 | 397 | Llanelli (all) | Carmarthenshire | Expanded constituency | |
| Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (part) | Carmarthenshire | |||||
| Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare Merthyr Tudful ac Aberdâr |
74,805 | 245 | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (part) | Merthyr Tydfil (all) | New constituency | |
| Cynon Valley (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Mid and South Pembrokeshire Canol a De Sir Benfro |
76,820 | 985 | Preseli Pembrokeshire (part) | Pembrokeshire | New constituency | |
| Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (part) | Pembrokeshire | |||||
| Monmouthshire Sir Fynwy |
72,681 | 884 | Monmouth (part) | Monmouthshire (all) | Revived constituency | Name restored; previously existed 1536–1885. |
| Newport East (part) | Monmouthshire (all) | |||||
| Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr Maldwyn a Glyndŵr |
74,223 | 2,379 | Montgomeryshire (all) | Powys | New constituency | |
| Clwyd South (part) | Wrexham | |||||
| Neath and Swansea East Castell-nedd a Dwyrain Abertawe |
74,705 | 219 | Aberavon (part) | Neath Port Talbot | New constituency | |
| Neath (part) | Neath Port Talbot | |||||
| Gower (part) | Swansea | |||||
| Swansea East (part) | Swansea | |||||
| Newport East Dwyrain Casnewydd |
76,159 | 142 | Newport East (part) | Newport | Redefined constituency | |
| Newport West (part) | Newport | |||||
| Newport West and Islwyn Gorllewin Casnewydd ac Islwyn |
76,234 | 154 | Newport West (part) | Newport | New constituency | |
| Islwyn (part) | Caerphilly | |||||
| Pontypridd | 73,743 | 141 | Cynon Valley (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Redefined constituency | |
| Ogmore (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Pontypridd (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Rhondda and Ogmore Rhondda ac Ogwr |
73,557 | 199 | Ogmore (part) | Bridgend | New constituency | |
| Ogmore (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Pontypridd (part) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Rhondda (all) | Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||||
| Swansea West Gorllewin Abertawe |
74,612 | 35 | Swansea East (part) | Swansea | Redefined constituency | |
| Swansea West (part) | Swansea | |||||
| Torfaen | 70,591 | 126 | Torfaen (all) | Torfaen (all) | Expanded constituency | |
| Monmouth (part) | Torfaen (all) | |||||
| Vale of Glamorgan Bro Morgannwg |
70,426 | 301 | Vale of Glamorgan (part) | Vale of Glamorgan | Redefined constituency | |
| Wrexham Wrecsam |
70,964 | 292 | Clwyd South (part) | Wrexham | Expanded constituency | |
| Wrexham (all) | Wrexham | |||||
| Ynys Môn | 52,415 | 746 | Ynys Môn (all) | Isle of Anglesey (all) | Protected constituency | Constituency not subject to the statutory UK electoral quota. |
2024 results
editThe number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies in Wales at the 2024 general election were as follows:[10]
| Party | Votes | % | Change from 2019 |
Seats | Change from 2019 (actual) |
Change from 2019 (notional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 487,636 | 37.0 |  3.9
|
27 |  5
|
9
|
| Conservative | 240,003 | 18.2 | 17.9
|
0 | 14
|
12
|
| Reform UK | 223,018 | 16.9 | 11.5
|
0 |  0
|
0
|
| Plaid Cymru | 194,811 | 14.7 | 4.8
|
4 | 0
|
2
|
| Liberal Democrats | 85,911 | 6.5 | 0.5
|
1 | 1
|
1
|
| Green | 61,662 | 4.7 | 3.7
|
0 | 0
|
0
|
| Others | 26,035 | 2.0 | 1.3
|
0 | 0
|
0
|
| Total | 1,319,076 | 100.0 | 32 | 8
|
Results history
editPrimary data source: House of Commons research briefing – General election results from 1918 to 2019 (2024 as above)
Percentage votes
edit
Key:
- CON – Conservative Party, including National Liberal Party up to 1966
- LAB – Labour Party, including Labour and Co-operative Party
- LIB – Liberal Party up to 1979; SDP-Liberal Alliance 1983 & 1987; Liberal Democrats from 1992
- PC – Plaid Cymru
- UKIP – UK Independence Party 2010 to 2017 (included in Other up to 2005 and from 2019)
- REF - Reform UK (2019 - Brexit Party)
- GRN – Green Party of England and Wales (included in Other up to 2005)
Seats
edit
Key:
- CON – Conservative Party, including National Liberal Party up to 1966
- LAB – Labour Party, including Labour and Co-operative Party
- LIB – Liberal Party up to 1979; SDP-Liberal Alliance 1983 & 1987; Liberal Democrats from 1992
- PC – Plaid Cymru
- OTH – 1970 – Independent (S. O. Davies); 2005 – Independent (Peter Law)
Maps
edit-
2010 -
2015 -
2017 -
2019 by-elections -
December 2019 -
2024
These are maps of the results of the last four general elections in Wales and changes in 2019 following a by-election and a change of affiliation.
- Red represents the Labour Party's MPs.
- Blue represents the Conservative Party's MPs.
- Amber represents the Liberal Democrats' MPs.
- Green represents Plaid Cymru's MPs.
- Grey represents Independent MPs.
2019 by-elections
editTwo by-elections were held in 2019:
See also
edit- List of parliamentary constituencies in Clwyd
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Dyfed
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Gwent
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Gwynedd
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Mid Glamorgan
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Powys
- List of parliamentary constituencies in South Glamorgan
- List of parliamentary constituencies in West Glamorgan
- Senedd constituencies and electoral regions
References
edit- ^ "Wales 2019 results". Election 2019 Results. BBC. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ a b c "Wales' new parliamentary constituencies published". Boundary Commission for Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Major changes to cut number of Welsh MPs published". BBC News. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Baker, Carl; Uberoi, Elise; Cracknell, Richard (28 January 2020). "General Election 2019: full results and analysis".
- ^ a b c "BBC Elections 2019 results". BBC Elections. 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Update: Strengthening Democracy:Written statement – HCWS183". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020".
- ^ a b "Revised Proposals" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. pp. 24–25, 30.
- ^ a b 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies – The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
- ^ "General election 2024 results". House of Commons Library. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.