Coordinates: 51°36′04″N 3°21′00″W / 51.601°N 3.350°W / 51.601; -3.350
Pontypridd is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returns one Member of Parliament (MP), elected by the first past the post system. Pontypridd has been represented by a succession of Labour MPs since 1922. Since the 2010 general election the seat has been held by Owen Smith.
Boundaries
Pontypridd constituency can be split into two parts, an eastern part containing the town itself, and a western part focussed on Llantrisant. In Pontypridd itself the wards are: Town, Treforest, Rhondda (consisting of Hopkinstown, Maesycoed, Graigwen, Trehafod, & Pwllgwaun), Graig, Trallwng, Rhydyfelin Central & Ilan, Hawthorn, Taffs Well. The Western half consists of the following wards: Beddau, Church Village, Tonteg, Llantwit Fardre, Llantrisant, Pontyclun, Talbot Green, Tonyrefail East and Tonyrefail West.[2]
Alternatively, one can think of the constituency as being divided between a 'suburban' district in the south and communities that grew in the industrial revolution to the north; the Southern area, particularly between Church Village and Llantrisant, contains much new residential and light industrial development, and benefits from good transport links due to its proximity to the M4. This section has a growing population and is an important 'dormitory' for Cardiff. The Northern parts, particularly Tonyrefail and the northern end of Pontypridd town consists of large sections of 19th century housing and suffered high unemployment in the 1980s as the old industries closed. However, in recent years, economic recovery has been firm, especially considered with neighbouring constituencies to the north.
The Pontypridd constituency was created in its original form from parts of the old South Glamorganshire & East Glamorganshire constituencies as part of Representation of the People Act 1918 (sometimes referred to as 'The Fourth Reform Act') which granted virtually all men over 21 the right to vote, extended voting rights to women over 30 years of age, & increased the number of the now abolished University constituencies. Part of this Act also effected a 'General Redistribution of Seats' on an 'equitable basis'.[3] It originally included the old Borough & Rural district of Cowbridge (which included Ystradowen, Bonvilston, St Athan, Llantwit Major & Llandow) & the Urban district of Pontypridd plus the Rural District of Llantrisant & Llantwit Fardre.[4] The constituency remained unchanged from this form until the Third Periodic Parliamentary Boundary Review's proposals were implemented in 1983.[5] This removed Cowbridge Borough and the Cowbridge Rural District placing them in the Vale of Glamorgan constituency additionally moving out the communities of Llanharry, Llanharan, and Brynna into the Ogmore constituency.
However the communities of Creigiau and Pentyrch were added to the seat at this time, only to be removed again in time for the 2010 General Election. For the 2010 Election the Cilfyndd and Glyncoch electoral divisions were also removed from the seat, and added to the Cynon Valley constituency.[6]
Members of Parliament
Like many seats in South Wales, Pontypridd has been retained by the Labour party for over 90 years.
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
![](../I/m/Thomas_Arthur_Lewis.jpg)
T.A. Lewis
- endorsed by the Coalition Government
See also
Footnotes
- a Prior to 2010 the Pontypridd Constituency also consisted of the Cilfynydd, Glyncoch, Creigiau & Pentyrch Wards. The Fifth Periodic Parliamentary Boundary Review for Wales placed Cilfynydd & Glyncoch wards in the Cynon Valley (UK Parliament constituency) & the Creigiau & Pentyrch wards in the Cardiff West (UK Parliament constituency). These changes were made & in place for the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
- b The Total Electorate for the Constituency in June 1987 was 61,255.
- c In 1983 the Third Periodical Boundary Review report made major changes to the constituency, removing the Cowbridge community & placing it the new Vale of Glamorgan seat & also by removing the Llanharry & Llanharan communities to the Ogmore seat. However, the Pentyrch & Creigiau communities were added to the new seat from the old Barry seat, to give a New seat with nearly 15,000 less electors.
- d The Total Electorate for the newly reconstituted Constituency in June 1983 was 60,883.
- e Arthur Pearson's initial selection following a closely contested process at a selection conference at Pontyclun occurred only after several rounds of voting, and he was finally chosen against the prominent local miners' agent W. H. May on 15 January 1938.
- h The Total Electorate for the Constituency in May 1979 was 75,050, this was & still is the highest recorded electorate so far for the Pontypridd constituency in any of its forms.
- i The Total Electorate for the Constituency in October 1974 was 70,200.
- j The Total Electorate for the Constituency in February 1974 was 69,685.
- k The Total Electorate for the Constituency in June 1970 was 65,265.
- l The Total Electorate for the Constituency in March 1966 was 55,088.
- m The Total Electorate for the Constituency in October 1964 was 53,859.
- n The Total Electorate for the Constituency in October 1959 was 53,903.
- o The Total Electorate for the Constituency in May 1955 was 54,214.
- p The Total Electorate for the Constituency in October 1951 was 54,126.
- q The Total Electorate for the Constituency in February 1950 was 53,275.
- r The Total Electorate for the Constituency in July 1945 was 53,346.
- s The Total Electorate for the Constituency in November 1935 was 48,469.
- t The Total Electorate for the Constituency in October 1931 was 47,346.
- u The Total Electorate for the Constituency in May 1929 was 47,860.
- v The Total Electorate for the Constituency in October 1924 was 41,099.
- w Enacted in the Representation of the People Act 1918 & created from the old East Glamorganshire (which included Pontypridd & the Tonteg/Church Village/Llantwit Fardre areas) & South Glamorganshire (which included the Llantrisant, Tonyrefail, Pontyclun, Llanharry & Cowbridge areas) parliamentary constituencies, the Pontypridd constituency from 1918 to the 1983 UK General Election remained unchanged & consisted of the Cowbridge, Llantwit Major, St Athan, Ystradowen, Llandow & Bonvilston communities plus Pontypridd urban district council plus the Llantrisant(which included Llanharry, Llanharan, Brynna) & Llantwit Fardre rural districts.
- x The Total Electorate for the Constituency in December 1918 was 34,778.
Notes and references
- ↑ Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council Ward figures for 2012 County Council Elections
- ↑ "Comisiwn Ffiniau i Gymru" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1910, 1911, 1919, Poltico's Publishing Page 8 1918 Election section
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1950, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 55
- ↑ Third Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Wales. February 1983.
Cmd.8798.
- ↑ "Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Wales" (PDF). Stationery Office. Retrieved 2014-04-03.
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 2)
- ↑ "Pontypridd 2015". Parliamentary General Elections 2015. Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ↑ total electorate 58,940 email from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council 19Aug15
- ↑ "Pontypridd". UK Polling Report. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
- ↑ "List of selected candidates". UK Inpendance Party. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ↑ "List of selected candidates". Liberal Democrats. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
- ↑ "Election Campaigns 2014". Socialist Labour Party. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
- ↑ Pontypridd BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Pontypridd
- ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide June 1987, The Times Newspapers Ltd, Golden Square Page 187
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide June 1983, The Times Newspapers Ltd, St Edmundsbury Press, Bury Page 186
- ↑ Third Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Wales. February 1983 Cmd.8798.
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide May 1979, The Times Newspapers Ltd, Ogle Street, London Page 188
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide October 1974, The Times Newspapers Ltd, Printing House Square Page 218
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide February 1974, The Times Newspapers Ltd, Printing House Square Page 207
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1970, The Times Newspapers Ltd, Printing House Square Page 182
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1966, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 170
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1964, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 202
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1959, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 189
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1955, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 206
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1951, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 182
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1950, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 240
- 1 2 The Times House of Commons Guide 1945, The Times Office, Printing House Square Page 109
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1929, 1931, 1935, Politico's Publishing Page 135 1935 section
- 1 2 The Times House of Commons Guide 1929, 1931, 1935, Politico's Publishing Page 108 1931 section
- 1 2 The Times House of Commons Guide 1929, 1931, 1935, Politico's Publishing Page 119 1929 section
- 1 2 3 House of Commons Information Office Email Dated 18 December 2008
- ↑ The Times House of Commons Guide 1910, 1911, 1919, Poltico's Publishing Page 68 1918 Section