Blaenau Gwent 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 East 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.
Boundaries
The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly , in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Blaenau Gwent Westminster constituency .
The other seven constituencies of the South Wales East electoral region are Caerphilly , Islwyn , Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney , Monmouth , Newport East , Newport West and Torfaen .
History
This seat has had large changes in percentages and swing. Labour have had large majorities but following the By-election in 2006 Blaenau Gwent People's Voice gained the seat, with the previous incumbent Peter Law 's wife Trish Law taking the seat and holding it in the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election . The party did not stand in the 2011 election and Labour regained the seat with a very large majority. However, in the 2016 election this was slashed with Plaid Cymru increasing their vote from 5.4% to 36.6%. Blaenau Gwent People's Voice won the seat in the 2006 by-election and the 2007 election.
Voting
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
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
2021 Senedd election : Blaenau Gwent
Party
Candidate
Constituency
Regional
Votes
%
Votes
%
Labour
Alun Davies
10,226
49.1
+9.4
9,983
48.2
+9.4
Plaid Cymru
Peredur Owen Griffiths
3,588
17.2
-19.4
3,849
18.6
-12.9
Conservative
Edward Dawson
2,611
12.5
+6.2
2,905
14.0
+8.6
Independent
Mandy Moore
2,376
11.4
New
Abolish
Richard Taylor
1,364
6.6
New
1,457
7.0
+3.2
Liberal Democrats
Paula Yates
333
1.6
+0.2
419
2.0
+0.5
Reform UK
Robert Beavis
319
1.5
New
277
1.3
New
Green
653
3.2
+1.6
UKIP
480
2.3
-13.5
Gwlad
282
1.4
New
No More Lockdowns
181
0.9
New
Propel
118
0.6
New
Communist
75
0.4
+0.2
TUSC
44
0.2
-0.2
Majority
6,638
31.9
+28.8
Turnout
20,817
40.31
−1.8
Labour hold
Swing
Regional Ballot void votes: 165. Want of an Official Mark (0), Voting for more than ONE party or individual candidate (50), Writing or mark by which the Voter could be identified (0), Unmarked or Void for uncertainty (115)
Elections in the 2010s
Welsh Assembly Election 2011 :Blaenau Gwent
Party
Candidate
Constituency
Regional
Votes
%
Votes
%
Labour Co-op
Alun Davies
12,926
64.0
+32.7
12,567
62.7
+18.9
Independent
Jayne Sullivan
3,806
18.8
New
Plaid Cymru
Darren Jones
1,098
5.4
+0.6
1,869
9.3
-4.0
Conservative
Bob Hayward
1,066
5.3
+1.2
1,404
7.0
+0.2
BNP
Brian Urch
948
4.7
New
980
4.9
-0.8
Liberal Democrats
Martin Blakebrough
367
1.8
-3.9
641
3.2
-5.2
UKIP
1,009
5.0
-1.3
Socialist Labour
683
3.4
+0.8
Green
440
2.2
-0.1
Welsh Christian
292
1.5
-0.9
English Democrat
89
0.4
New
Communist
58
0.3
±0.0
Majority
9,120
45.1
N/A
Turnout
20,211
37.8
−6.7
Labour Co-op gain from Blaenau Gwent PV
Swing
Regional ballots rejected at the count: 171
Elections in the 2000s
Welsh Assembly Election 2007 : Blaenau Gwent
Party
Candidate
Constituency
Regional
Votes
%
Votes
%
Blaenau Gwent PV
Trish Law
12,722
54.1
N/A
Labour
Keren Bender
7,365
31.3
-38.9
10,141
43.8
-17.1
Liberal Democrats
Gareth Lewis
1,351
5.7
-5.2
1,933
8.4
-2.2
Plaid Cymru
Natasha Asghar
1,129
4.8
-4.8
3,080
13.3
+2.0
Conservative
Bob Hayward
951
4.0
-1.7
1,584
6.8
+0.3
Independent - Colin Hobbs
1,680
7.3
New
UKIP
1,462
6.3
+3.4
BNP
1,313
5.7
+3.8
Socialist Labour
608
2.6
+0.2
Welsh Christian Party
590
2.6
New
Green
526
2.3
-0.1
English Democrat
79
0.3
New
Communist
77
0.3
New
CPA
54
0.2
New
Majority
5,357
22.8
N/A
Turnout
23,518
44.5
+6.7
Blaenau Gwent PV gain from Labour Co-op
Swing
+46.5
Welsh Assembly Election 2003 : Blaenau Gwent
Party
Candidate
Constituency
Regional
Votes
%
Votes
%
Labour Co-op
Peter Law
13,884
70.2
+8.4
12,003
60.9
+8.4
Liberal Democrats
Stephen Bard
2,184
10.9
-0.5
2,087
10.6
-0.6
Plaid Cymru
Rhys Ab Ellis
1,889
9.6
-11.5
2,219
11.3
-12.8
Conservative
Barrie O'Keefe
1,131
5.7
+0.1
1,273
6.5
+0.8
UKIP
Roger Thomas
719
3.6
New
573
2.9
New
Green
480
2.4
+0.6
Socialist Labour
469
2.4
-1.2
BNP
379
1.9
New
Cymru Annibynnol
161
0.3
New
ProLife Alliance
61
0.3
New
Majority
11,736
59.3
+18.6
Turnout
20,022
37.8
−10.6
Labour Co-op hold
Swing
+4.5
2003 Electorate: 52,927
Regional ballots rejected: 300
Elections in the 1990s
Welsh Assembly Election 1999 : Blaenau Gwent
Party
Candidate
Constituency
Regional
Votes
%
Votes
%
Labour Co-op
Peter Law
16,069
61.8
N/A
13,714
52.5
N/A
Plaid Cymru
Phil Williams
5,501
21.1
N/A
6,289
24.1
N/A
Liberal Democrats
Keith Rogers
2,980
11.4
N/A
2,931
11.2
N/A
Conservative
David Thomas
1,444
5.6
N/A
1,475
5.7
N/A
Socialist Labour
928
3.6
N/A
Green
463
1.8
N/A
Others
300
1.1
N/A
Majority
10,568
40.7
Turnout
25,994
48.2
Labour Co-op win (new seat)
References
51°46′37″N 3°11′42″W / 51.777°N 3.195°W / 51.777; -3.195