Rhondda
2005 Results:
Labour: 21198 (68.1%)
Plaid Cymru: 4956 (15.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 3264 (10.5%)
Conservative: 1730 (5.6%)
Other: 0 (0%)
Majority: 16242 (52.1%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 1557 (4.6%)
Labour: 23230 (68.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 1525 (4.5%)
Plaid Cymru: 7183 (21.1%)
Other: 507 (1.5%)
Majority: 16047 (47.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 1551 (3.8%)
Labour: 30381 (74.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 2307 (5.7%)
Plaid Cymru: 5450 (13.4%)
Referendum: 658 (1.6%)
Other: 460 (1.1%)
Majority: 24931 (61.1%)
No Boundary Changes
Profile: In the south Wales valleys, the Rhondda is coal mining territory, while the deep mines have gone it retains the character of the mining community, along with the economic deprivation that the departure of the mines left behind. Local employment was further hit by the closure of the Burberry factory in 2007.
Normally a rock solid Labour bastion, Labour is entrenched in the culture of the Rhondda. The constituency the divisions of it that existed between 1918 and 1974 have been held by Labour since 1885, normally with majorities of well over 50%. In the Welsh Assembly elections the seat has been more keenly fought - in 1999 Plaid Cmyru won the seat and, while it was regained by Labour in 2003, Labour’s majorities in Welsh Assembly elections are notably lower than the landslide victories they invariably manage at Westminister elections.
Current MP: Chris Bryant (Labour) born 1962, Cardiff. Educated at Cheltenham College and Oxford University, where he was an officer in the Oxford University Conservative association before joining the Labour party in 1986. Ordained as a Church of England priest 1987. Head of European Affairs at the BBC 1998-2000. Hackney councillor 1993-1998. Contested Wycombe 1997. First elected as MP for Rhondda in 2001. A surprising figure for such a working class bastion of traditional Labour, Bryant is a former Conservative, former clergyman and openly gay, having received some mockery in the Commons after photos of him in only his underwear were found on the website Gaydar. In the early years following his election his reputation was as an extreme loyalist, but in 2006 he was one of 15 MPs who signed a letter demanding that Tony Blair name a date for his departure (more information at They work for you)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 72443
Male: 48.3%
Female: 51.7%
Under 18: 23.7%
Over 60: 23.5%
Born outside UK: 1%
White: 99.3%
Asian: 0.2%
Mixed: 0.2%
Other: 0.2%
Christian: 60.2%
Full time students: 2.3%
Graduates 16-74: 9.1%
No Qualifications 16-74: 47.2%
Owner-Occupied: 76.1%
Social Housing: 12.3% (Council: 8.3%, Housing Ass.: 4%)
Privately Rented: 7.6%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 8.8%
35 Responses
Pages:« 1 2 [3] Show All
Ruislip Northwood
I see now there was one Conservative councillor elected in Rhondda-Cynon-Taff, but this was in Llantwit Fardre which is in the Taff Ely part of the ‘county’, Ponypridd constituency. This is an outer suburban part of Cardiff. So no Conservative elected in the Rhondda
May 6th, 2008 at 10:43 amQuite right Pete, but their was only one Conservative Candidate standing in the whole of the Rhondda.There is stll a reluctance in the valleys for people to stand as Tories, hence the rather large number of independents.
Interesting two of the most diverse Constituencies now have one Conservative Councillor - Rhondda and Cambridge
May 8th, 2008 at 5:06 pmPreston
There is now one (the first indeed) LibDem in Barrow. There should be a Single Party Member Councillor Organisation or some such =P
May 8th, 2008 at 5:49 pmOr perhaps two such organisations:
One for councillors who are the first of their party to be elected and one for those who are the last remaining of their party.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pmRuislip Northwood
“Interesting two of the most diverse Constituencies now have one Conservative Councillor - Rhondda and Cambridge”
Yes but as I say the Conservative councillor is not in this constituency. I think there may have never been a Conservative councillor elected in the Rhondda
May 9th, 2008 at 9:33 amPages: « 1 2 [3] Show All