Vale of Clwyd (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Vale of Clwyd (Senedd constituency).

Vale of Clwyd
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Vale of Clwyd in Wales
Preserved countyClwyd
Electorate55,925 (December 2018)[1]
Major settlementsRhyl, Prestatyn, Denbigh, St Asaph, Rhuddlan, Trefnant, Tremeirchion, Bodelwyddan.
1997–2024
SeatsOne
Created fromClwyd North West, Delyn, Clwyd South West
Replaced byClwyd East, Clwyd North
SeneddVale of Clwyd, North Wales

The Vale of Clwyd (Welsh: Dyffryn Clwyd) was a constituency of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament created in 1997. As with all seats it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system at least every five years.

The Vale of Clwyd Senedd constituency was created with the same boundaries in 1999 (as an Assembly constituency).

The constituency was abolished as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales. Its area was split between Clwyd East and Clwyd North, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.[2]

Boundaries

Map
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1997–2010: The Borough of Rhuddlan, the District of Glyndwr wards of Denbigh Central, Denbigh Lower, Denbigh Upper, Henllan, and Llandyrnog, and the Borough of Colwyn ward of Trefnant.

2010–2024: The Denbighshire County electoral divisions of Bodelwyddan, Denbigh Central, Denbigh Lower, Denbigh Upper/Henllan, Dyserth, Llandyrnog, Prestatyn Central, Prestatyn East, Prestatyn Meliden, Prestatyn North, Prestatyn South West, Rhuddlan, Rhyl East, Rhyl South, Rhyl South East, Rhyl South West, Rhyl West, St Asaph East, St Asaph West, Trefnant, and Tremeirchion.

The constituency was created in 1997 from the seats of Clwyd North West, Clwyd South West and Delyn. It wasin the north of Wales, containing the seaside town of Prestatyn and its coastal neighbour Rhyl which is overlooked by the community of Rhuddlan. It also contained the inland towns of Denbigh, St Asaph, Bodelwyddan, Trefnant and Tremeirchion.

Political history

The seat was won by the Labour candidate in 1997, 2001, 2005 and on a marginal majority in 2010. The seat was next won by the Conservative candidate standing in 2015. The 2015 result gave the seat the 4th most marginal majority of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.[3] However, Labour regained the seat in the 2017 general election with more than half the eligible votes, the first Labour gain from the Conservatives on the night. In 2019 general election, the seat reverted to the Conservatives as the party made gains from Labour in north east Wales.[4]

Members of Parliament

Election Member[5] Party
1997 Chris Ruane Labour
2015 James Davies Conservative
2017 Chris Ruane Labour
2019 James Davies Conservative
2024 Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Vale of Clwyd[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Ruane 20,617 52.7 N/A
Conservative David Edwards 11,662 29.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Daniel Munford 3,425 8.8 N/A
Plaid Cymru Gwyneth Kensler 2,301 5.9 N/A
Referendum Simon Vickers 834 2.1 N/A
UKIP Scott Cooke 293 0.7 N/A
Majority 8,995 22.9 N/A
Turnout 39,132 74.6 N/A
Registered electors 52,426
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Vale of Clwyd[8][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Ruane 16,179 50.0 ―2.7
Conservative Brendan Murphy 10,418 32.2 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Graham Rees 3,058 9.5 +0.7
Plaid Cymru John Williams 2,300 7.1 +1.2
UKIP William Campbell 391 1.2 +0.5
Majority 5,761 17.8 ―5.1
Turnout 32,346 63.6 ―11.0
Registered electors 50,842
Labour hold Swing ―2.5
General election 2005: Vale of Clwyd[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Ruane 14,875 46.0 ―4.0
Conservative Felicity Elphick 10,206 31.6 ―0.6
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Jewkes 3,820 11.8 +2.3
Plaid Cymru Mark Jones 2,309 7.1 ±0.0
Independent Mark Young 442 1.4 N/A
UKIP Edna Khambatta 375 1.2 ±0.0
Legalise Cannabis Jeff Ditchfield 286 0.9 N/A
Majority 4,669 14.4 ―3.4
Turnout 32,313 62.2 ―1.4
Registered electors 51,983
Labour hold Swing ―1.7

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Vale of Clwyd[12][13][14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Ruane 15,017 42.3 ―3.6
Conservative Matt Wright 12,508 35.2 +3.5
Liberal Democrats Paul Penlington 4,472 12.6 +0.7
Plaid Cymru Caryl Wyn-Jones 2,068 5.8 ―1.4
BNP Ian Si'Ree 827 2.3 N/A
UKIP Tom Turner 515 1.4 +0.3
Alliance for Green Socialism Mike Butler 127 0.4 N/A
Rejected ballots 55
Majority 2,509 7.1 ―7.3
Turnout 35,534 63.7 ―2.1
Registered electors 55,781
Labour hold Swing ―3.6

Of the 55 rejected ballots:

  • 32 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[15]
  • 23 voted for more than one candidate.[15]
General election 2015: Vale of Clwyd[16][17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Davies 13,760 39.0 +3.8
Labour Chris Ruane 13,523 38.4 ―3.9
UKIP Paul Davies-Cooke[19] 4,577 13.0 +11.6
Plaid Cymru Mair Rowlands 2,486 7.1 +1.3
Liberal Democrats Gwyn Williams 915 2.6 ―10.0
Rejected ballots 77
Majority 237 0.6 N/A
Turnout 35,261 62.4 ―1.3
Registered electors 56,505
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.9

Of the 77 rejected ballots:

  • 60 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[17]
  • 16 voted for more than one candidate.[17]
  • 1 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.[17]
General election 2017: Vale of Clwyd[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Ruane[22] 19,423 50.2 +11.8
Conservative James Davies 17,044 44.1 +5.1
Plaid Cymru David Wyatt 1,551 4.0 ―3.1
Liberal Democrats Gwyn Williams 666 1.7 ―0.9
Rejected ballots 91
Majority 2,379 6.1 N/A
Turnout 38,684 68.0 +5.6
Registered electors 56,890
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +3.5

Of the 91 rejected ballots:

  • 72 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[21]
  • 18 voted for more than one candidate.[21]
  • 1 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.[21]
General election 2019: Vale of Clwyd[23][24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Davies 17,270 46.4 +2.3
Labour Chris Ruane 15,443 41.5 ―8.7
Plaid Cymru Glenn Swingler 1,552 4.2 +0.2
Brexit Party Peter Dain 1,477 4.0 N/A
Liberal Democrats Gavin Scott 1,471 4.0 +2.3
Rejected ballots 84
Majority 1,827 4.9 N/A
Turnout 37,213 65.7 ―2.3
Registered electors 56,649
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +5.5

Of the 84 rejected ballots:

  • 76 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[25]
  • 8 voted for more than one candidate.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Electoral rolls by Welsh Assembly constituency areas and electoral regions". 2019 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  2. ^ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Conservative Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  4. ^ "General election 2019: First female Tory MP wins Wrexham". BBC News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "V"
  6. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b "BBC NEWS > Vale of Clwyd". Vote 2001. BBC News. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency - Election 2005" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ^ "2005 Results". Denbighshire County Council. April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ Vale of Clwyd Denbighshire County Council – candidates Vale of Clwyd
  14. ^ Vale of Clwyd BBC Election 2010 – Vale of Clwyd
  15. ^ a b c "Election Results". Denbighshire County Council. April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ^ a b c d "Vale of Clwyd result". Election results for Vale of Clwyd. Denbighshire County Council. April 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  18. ^ "Vale of Clwyd Parliamentary constituency". Election 2015 Results. BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  19. ^ "UKIP Candidates". UKIP. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  20. ^ "BBC News Election Results". Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d "2017 Results". Denbighshire County Council. April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  22. ^ "BBC News". 28 April 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  23. ^ "The General Election 2019 candidates standing in Vale of Clwyd". Wales Online. Ruth Mosalski. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  25. ^ a b c "Election-Results/General-Election-2019". Denbighshire County Council. April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

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