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List of parliamentary constituencies in Gwent

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The preserved county of Gwent is divided into seven-and-a-half parliamentary constituencies — approximately one half of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney falls within Mid Glamorgan.[n 1].

Constituencies

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Name Current boundaries
  1. Blaenau Gwent CC
  2. Caerphilly CC
  3. Islwyn CC
  4. Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney CC (part)
  5. Monmouth CC
  6. Newport East CC
  7. Newport West CC
  8. Torfaen CC
Parliamentary constituencies in Gwent
Parliamentary constituencies in Gwent

  Conservative   Labour   Brexit Party

Constituency Electorate Majority Member of Parliament Nearest opposition Map reference above
Blaenau Gwent 50,736 8,647   Nick Smith   Richard Taylor ৳ 1
Caerphilly 63,166 6,833   Wayne David   Jane Pratt † 2
Islwyn 55,423 5,464   Christopher Evans   Gavin Chambers † 3
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney This data is shown at list of Parliamentary constituencies in Mid Glamorgan
Monmouth 67,094 9,982   David Davies   Yvonne Murphy ‡ 5
Newport East 58,554 1,992   Jessica Morden   Mark Brown † 6
Newport West 66,657 902   Ruth Jones   Matthew Evans † 7
Torfaen 61,743 3,742   Nick Thomas-Symonds   Graham Smith † 8

The current boundaries have been effective since the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election and the 2010 United Kingdom general election.[1] Very, in relative terms, minor boundary changes occurred from the previous scheme and no name changes.

Proposed boundary changes

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The Boundary Commission for Wales submitted their final proposals in respect of the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies (the 2018 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.

Under the terms of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Sixth 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.

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. They propose to bring forward primary legislation to remove the statutory obligation to implement the 2018 Boundary Review recommendations, as well as set the framework for future boundary reviews in time for the next review which is due to begin in early 2021 and report no later than October 2023. It is proposed that the number of constituencies now remains at the current level of 650, rather than being reduced to 600, while retaining the requirement that the electorate should be no more than +/- 5% from the electoral quota.[2]

Historical representation by party

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A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

1885 to 1918

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  Conservative   Labour   Liberal   Liberal-Labour

Constituency 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 01 04 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 17
Monmouth Boroughs Carbutt Elliot Spicer Harris Lawrence Haslam
Monmouthshire North Price McKenna
Monmouthshire South Morgan Herbert Thomas
Monmouthshire West Warmington Harcourt Richards

1918 to 1950

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  Coalition Liberal (1918-22) / National Liberal (1922-23)   Conservative   Independent Labour   Labour

Constituency 1918 20 22 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 34 1935 39 40 45 1945 45 46 1950
Abertillery Brace Barker Daggar
Bedwellty Edwards Finch
Ebbw Vale Richards Davies Bevan
Monmouth Forestier-Walker Herbert Pym Thorneycroft
Newport Haslam Clarry Walker Clarry Bell Freeman
Pontypool Griffiths Jenkins West

1950 to 1983

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  Conservative   Labour   Social Democratic

Constituency 1950 50 1951 1955 56 58 1959 60 1964 65 1966 1970 Feb 74 Oct 74 1979 81
Abertillery Daggar L. Williams A. Williams Thomas
Bedwellty Finch Kinnock
Ebbw Vale Bevan Foot
Monmouth Thorneycroft Anderson Thomas
Newport Freeman Soskice Hughes
Pontypool West Abse

1983 to present

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  Blaenau Gwent People's Voice   Conservative   Independent   Labour

Constituency 1983 1987 91 1992 95 1997 2001 2005 06 2010 2015 2017 19 2019 2024
Blaenau Gwent
B. G. & Rhymney ('24)
Foot L. Smith Law D. C. Davies N. Smith
Caerphilly R. Davies David Evans
Islwyn Kinnock Touhig C. Evans N/A
Monmouth
Monmouthshire (2024)
Thomas Edwards R. Evans Edwards D. T. Davies Fookes
Newport East Hughes Howarth Morden
Newport W
Newport W & Islwyn ('24)
Robinson Flynn Jones
Torfaen Abse Murphy Thomas-Symonds

See also

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Notes and references

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References
  1. ^ The Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006, OPSI website
  2. ^ "Update: Strengthening Democracy:Written statement - HCWS183". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
Notes
  1. ^ county constituencies (CCs) for the purposes of type of returning officer and level of expenses; the trivial distinction is sometimes made in the most detailed analyses of UK politics between borough and county constituencies