Gower (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°37′12″N 4°08′13″W / 51.620°N 4.137°W / 51.620; -4.137

Gower
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Gower in Wales.
Preserved county West Glamorgan
Electorate 62,389 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Mumbles, Clydach, Gorseinon, Pontarddulais, Penllergaer
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour)
Number of members One
Created from Glamorganshire
Overlaps
Welsh Assembly South Wales West
European Parliament constituency Wales

Gower (Welsh: Gŵyr) is a constituency created in 1885 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by one member of parliament (MP). Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour Party became its MP after winning it from a Conservative in the 2017 UK general election. Her party had represented the seat from 1908 until 2015.

Gower is one of five seats won (held or gained) by a Labour candidate in 2017 from a total of five covering its county. Antoniazzi's 2017 win was one of thirty net gains for the Labour Party.

Overview

The constituency was created in 1885 and has had relatively widely varied boundaries. Before 2015 it had elected Labour MPs since 1906, sharing the longest single-party representation with Normanton and Makerfield. It holds approximately a third of the electorate of the city and county of Swansea, the rest of which is Swansea West and Swansea East.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Swansea, and the Sessional Divisions of Gower, Pontardawe, and Swansea.

1918–1950: The Urban District of Oystermouth, and the Rural Districts of Gower and Swansea.

1950–1983: The Urban District of Llwchwr, and the Rural Districts of Gower and Pontardawe.

1983–2010: The City of Swansea wards of Bishopston, Fairwood, Gower, Newton, Oystermouth, Penclawdd, Pennard, and West Cross, and the Borough of Lliw Valley wards of Clydach, Dulais East, Gorseinon Central, Gorseinon East, Gowerton East, Gowerton West, Graigfelin, Kingsbridge, Llangyfelach, Lower Loughor, Mawr, Penllergaer, Penyrheol, Pontardulais, Tal-y-bont, Upper Loughor, and Vardre.

2010–present: The Swansea County electoral divisions of Bishopston, Clydach, Fairwood, Gorseinon, Gower, Gowerton, Kingsbridge, Llangyfelach, Lower Loughor, Mawr, Newton, Oystermouth, Penclawdd, Penllergaer, Pennard, Penyrheol, Pontardulais, Upper Loughor, and West Cross.

The constituency encompasses most of the old Lordship of Gower (less the city of Swansea) and covers the inner Gower Peninsula and outer Gower areas including Clydach, Gowerton, Gorseinon, Felindre and Garnswllt.

History

Liberals and Labour 1885–1918

The first years, seeing more heavy industrial make-up than today, represented a struggle between the Liberals and those who favoured direct labour representation. Although its new electors in 1885 were predominantly the miners and tinplaters of the Swansea Valley, the new MP was Frank Ash Yeo, a local colliery owner and clearly an upper-class figure.[2] In 1885 he comfortably defeated Henry Nathaniel Miers of Ynyspenllwch in the Swansea Valley, a coal owner, tinplate manufacturer and landowner.[3]:60–61

On Yeo's death in 1888, representatives of the trade unions in the constituency overturned the Liberal association's choice of Sir Horace Davey and ensured the selection of David Randell as candidate. Randell was a Methodist solicitor who specialised in trade union litigation and his victory, albeit with a reduced majority over John Dillwyn Llewellyn, formed the basis of later claims that Gower was a 'labour' seat.[2]

Modern history

Since 1945, Gower has been a reliable seat for the Labour Party, having been won by comfortable margins except in two elections since; in the 1983 Conservative landslide, in which it was held by just 1,205 votes, and in 2010, where it was held by 2,683 votes. However, unlike many Welsh valley seats, which have given commanding majorities to Labour, Gower has not seen a majority of over 10,000 votes or 20% of the vote for the Labour candidate in any election (with the exception of 1997) since 1979.

In 2015, incumbent MP Martin Caton stood down, and the new Labour candidate Liz Evans was defeated by the Conservative Byron Davies by 27 votes, less than 0.1% of votes cast, which made it the most marginal Conservative seat going into the next election.[4] Davies' victory brought 105 consecutive years of Labour representation to an end, but Labour won the seat back in the 2017 general election with a majority of 3,269, slightly larger than Caton's final majority in 2010.

Members of Parliament

YearMember[5]Whip
1885 Frank Yeo Liberal
1888 David Randell Liberal
1900 John Aeron Thomas Liberal
1906 John Williams Liberal
1909 Labour
1922 David Grenfell Labour
1959 Ifor Davies Labour
1982 Gareth Wardell Labour
1997 Martin Caton Labour
2015 Byron Davies Conservative
2017 Tonia Antoniazzi Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2017: Gower[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Tonia Antoniazzi 22,727 49.9 +12.8
Conservative Byron Davies 19,458 42.7 +5.6
Plaid Cymru Harri Roberts 1,669 3.7 −3.5
Liberal Democrat Howard W. Evans 931 2.0 −1.6
UKIP Ross Ford 642 1.4 −9.8
Pirate Jason Winstanley 149 0.3 +0.3
Majority 3,269 7.2 N/A
Turnout 45,576 73.49 +4.3
Registered electors 62,089
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -3.6
General Election 2015: Gower[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Byron Davies 15,862 37.1 +5.1
Labour Liz Evans 15,835 37.0 -1.4
UKIP Colin Beckett 4,773 11.2 +9.6
Plaid Cymru Darren Thomas 3,051 7.1 +0.5
Liberal Democrat Mike Sheehan 1,552 3.6 −15.4
Green Julia Marshall 1,161 2.7 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Baron Barnes Von Claptrap 253 0.6 N/A
Independent Steve Roberts 168 0.4 N/A
TUSC Mark Evans 103 0.2 N/A
Majority 27 0.1 N/A
Turnout 42,758 69.2 +1.7
Registered electors 61,820
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.2
General Election 2010: Gower[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Martin Caton 16,016 38.4 −4.0
Conservative Byron Davies 13,333 32.0 +6.5
Liberal Democrat Mike Day 7,947 19.1 +0.6
Plaid Cymru Darren Price 2,760 6.6 −1.2
BNP Adrian Jones 963 2.3 N/A
UKIP Gordon Triggs 652 1.6 −1.6
Majority 2,683 6.4 -10.6
Turnout 41,671 67.5 +2.1
Registered electors 61,696
Labour hold Swing −5.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Gower[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Martin Caton 16,786 42.5 −4.8
Conservative Mike Murray 10,083 25.5 −2.0
Liberal Democrats Nick Tregoning 7,291 18.4 +6.3
Plaid Cymru Sian Caiach 3,089 7.8 −2.5
UKIP Richard Lewis 1,264 3.2 +3.2
Green Rhodri Griffiths 1,029 2.6 +1.0
Majority 6,703 17.0 -2.8
Turnout 39,542 64.9 +1.5
Registered electors 60,432
Labour hold Swing −1.4
General Election 2001: Gower[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Martin Caton 17,676 47.3 −6.5
Conservative John Bushell 10,281 27.5 +3.7
Liberal Democrats Sheila Waye 4,507 12.1 −0.9
Plaid Cymru Siân Caiach 3,865 10.3 +5.2
Green Tina Shrewsbury 607 1.6 N/A
Socialist Labour Darran Hickery 417 1.1 N/A
Majority 7,395 19.8 -10.2
Turnout 37,353 63.4 −11.7
Registered electors 58,935
Labour hold Swing -5.1

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Gower[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Martin Caton 23,313 53.8 +3.7
Conservative Alun Cairns 10,306 23.8 −11.3
Liberal Democrat Howard W. Evans 5,624 13.0 +3.0
Plaid Cymru D. Elwyn Williams 2,226 5.1 +1.6
Referendum Richard D. Lewis 1,745 4.0 N/A
Independent Anthony G. Popham 122 0.3 N/A
Majority 13,007 30.0 +15.0
Turnout 43,336 75.1 −11.7
Registered electors 57,707
Labour hold Swing +7.5
General Election 1992: Gower[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Gareth Wardell 23,485 50.1 +3.5
Conservative Anthony L. Donnelly 16,437 35.1 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Christopher G. Davies 4,655 9.9 −6.2
Plaid Cymru Adam Price 1,639 3.5 +0.7
Green Brian Kingzett 448 1.0 N/A
Raving Loony Green Giant Party Gerry P. Egan 114 0.2 N/A
Natural Law Michael S. Beresford 74 0.2 N/A
Majority 7,048 15.0 +2.9
Turnout 46,852 81.9 +1.2
Registered electors 57,231
Labour hold Swing +1.5

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Gower[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Gareth Wardell 22,139 46.6 +8.5
Conservative Gerald Price 16,374 34.5 −0.8
Social Democratic David Elliott 7,645 16.1 -7.3
Plaid Cymru Jonathan Edwards 1,341 2.8 −0.4
Majority 5,765 12.1 +9.3
Turnout 47,498 80.7 +2.0
Registered electors 58,871
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Gower[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Gareth Wardell 16,972 38.1 -15.14
Conservative A R T Kenyon 15,767 35.3 +4.75
Social Democratic Gwynoro Jones 10,416 23.4 N/A
Plaid Cymru N Williams 1,444 3.2 -3.96
Majority 1,205 2.8 -19.89
Turnout 44,599 78.7 -2.1
Registered electors 56,693
Labour hold Swing
Gower by-election, 1982
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Gareth Wardell 17,095 43.48 -9.8
Social Democratic Gwynoro Jones 9,875 25.12 +16.1
Conservative Trefor Llewellyn 8,690 22.10 -8.4
Plaid Cymru Ieuan Owen 3,431 8.73 +1.6
Computer Democrat John Donovan 125 0.32 N/A
Civil Rights/Welsh Political Prisoner David Burns 103 0.26 N/A
Majority 7,220 18.36 -4.3
Turnout 39,319 65.40 -15.40
Registered electors 60,123
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 24,963 53.24 -4.05
Conservative T Llewellyn 14,322 30.55 +10.29
Liberal R Blakeborough-Pownal 4,245 9.05 -3.41
Plaid Cymru E Thomas 3,357 7.16 -2.83
Majority 10,641 22.69 -14.35
Turnout 46,887 80.80 +3.86
Registered electors 58,023
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 25,067 57.29 +4.41
Conservative DFR George 8,863 20.26 +0.80
Liberal R Owen 5,453 12.46 -6.89
Plaid Cymru M Powell 4,369 9.99 +1.70
Majority 16,204 37.04 +4.62
Turnout 43,752 76.94 -2.94
Registered electors 56,867
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 23,856 52.88 -10.50
Conservative DFR George 8,780 19.46 -3.12
Liberal Clem Thomas 8,737 19.37 -6.91
Plaid Cymru JN Harris 3,741 8.29 -5.75
Majority 15,076 33.42 -7.38
Turnout 45,114 79.88 +2.94
Registered electors 56,476
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 26,485 63.38 -13.78
Conservative Michael J Carter 9,435 22.58 -0.76
Plaid Cymru Clifford G Davies 5,869 14.04 N/A
Majority 17,050 40.80 -37.14
Turnout 41,789 76.94 -1.00
Registered electors 54,317
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 29,910 77.16 +6.14
Conservative David RO Lewis 8,852 22.84 +0.38
Majority 21,058 54.33 +5.77
Turnout 38,762 77.94 -2.05
Registered electors 49,731
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Gower[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 27,895 71.02 +4.13
National Liberal and Conservative J Huw P Griffiths 8,822 22.46 -1.52
Plaid Cymru J. Gwyn Griffiths 2,562 6.52 -2.61
Majority 19,073 48.56 +5.65
Turnout 39,279 79.97 -2.94
Registered electors 49,119
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Gower[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ifor Davies 27,441 66.89 -1.36
National Liberal and Conservative Michael Heseltine 9,837 23.98 +2.87
Plaid Cymru J. Gwyn Griffiths 3,744 9.13 -1.51
Majority 17,604 42.91 -4.23
Turnout 41,022 82.91 +6.13
Registered electors 49,480
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Gower[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 26,304 68.25 -7.68
National Liberal and Conservative B Gwyther Jones 8,135 21.11 -2.94
Plaid Cymru Chris Rees 4,101 10.64 N/A
Majority 18,169 47.14 -4.73
Turnout 38,540 76.78 -7.53
Registered electors 50,193
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Gower[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 32,661 75.93 -0.20
National Liberal and Conservative Rowe Harding 10,351 24.07 -0.20
Majority 22,310 51.87 -0.40
Turnout 43,012 84.31 -0.46
Registered electors 51,016
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Gower[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 32,564 76.13 +7.64
National Liberal and Conservative Rowe Harding 10,208 23.87 -7.64
Majority 22,356 52.27 +15.30
Turnout 42,772 84.77 +7.79
Registered electors 50,459
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 30,676 68.49 +1.69
Liberal National John Aeron-Thomas 14,115 31.51 N/A
Majority 16,561 36.97 +3.38
Turnout 44,791 76.98 +0.86
Registered electors 58,188
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 25,632 66.80 +13.39
National GC Hutchinson 13,239 33.20 N/A
Majority 13,393 33.59 +26.77
Turnout 38,871 76.12 -7.40
Registered electors 52,376
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1931: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 21,963 53.41 -0.49
Liberal Edgar Rees Jones 19,157 46.59 +17.69
Majority 2,806 6.82 -18.28
Turnout 41,120 83.52 +3.92
Registered electors 49,232
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 20,664 54.0 -3.2
Liberal Frederick William Davies 11,055 28.9 N/A
Unionist Alan Lennox-Boyd 6,554 17.1 -25.7
Majority 9,609 25.1 +10.7
Turnout 38,273 79.6 +4.1
Registered electors 48,060
Labour hold Swing +11.3
General Election 1924: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 15,374 57.2 -1.9
Unionist Ernest Thomas Nethercoat 11,516 42.8 N/A
Majority 3,858 14.4 -3.8
Turnout 26,890 75.5 +2.5
Registered electors 35,631
Labour hold Swing N/A
General Election 1923: Gower [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 14,771 59.1 +4.9
Liberal Lily Folland 10,219 40.9 -4.9
Majority 4,552 18.2 +9.8
Turnout 24,990 73.0 -1.6
Registered electors 34,250
Labour hold Swing +4.9
General Election 1922: Gower [25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 13,388 54.2 -0.6
Liberal Frederick William Davies 11,302 45.8 +0.6
Majority 2,086 8.4 -1.2
Turnout 24,690 74.6 +12.4
Registered electors 33,084
Labour hold Swing -0.6
Gower by-election, 1922 [25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Rhys Grenfell 13,296 57.5 +2.7
Coalition Liberal D.H. Williams 9,841 42.5 -2.7
Majority 3,455 15.0 +5.4
Turnout 23,137 73.0 +10.8
Registered electors 31,679
Labour hold Swing +2.7

Elections in the 1910s

John Williams
General Election 1918: Gower
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour John Williams 10,109 54.8 +0.0
Liberal D H Williams 8,353 45.2 +0.0
Majority 1,756 9.6 +0.0
Turnout 18,462 62.2 -5.8
Registered electors 29,667
Labour hold Swing +0.0

General Election 1914/15:

A General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election December 1910: Gower [27][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour John Williams 5,480 54.8 -23.8
Liberal WF Phillips 4,527 45.2 N/A
Majority 953 9.6 -47.6
Turnout 10,007 68.0 -12.5
Registered electors 14,712
Labour hold Swing
General Election January 1910: Gower [27][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour John Williams 9,312 78.6 +35.8
Conservative Percy Reginald Owen Abel Simner 2,532 21.4 +4.2
Majority 6,780 57.2 +54.4
Turnout 11,844 80.5 -2.5
Registered electors 14,712
Labour gain from Independent Liberal-Labour Swing +15.8

Elections in the 1900s

Williams

]

General Election 1906: Gower [25][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Lib-Lab John Williams 4,841 42.8 N/A
Liberal Thomas Williams 4,522 40.0 -12.6
Conservative Ernest Helme 1,939 17.2 N/A
Majority 319 2.8 N/A
Turnout 11,302 83.0 +16.7
Registered electors 13,624
Independent Lib-Lab gain from Liberal Swing
Hodge
General Election 1900: Gower [25][29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Thomas 4,276 52.6 -20.3
Labour Repr. Cmte. John Hodge 3,853 47.4 N/A
Majority 423 5.2 -40.6
Turnout 8,129 66.3 -2.3
Registered electors 12,267
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1895: Gower [25][29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal David Randell 6,074 72.9 N/A
Conservative Charles Henry Glascodyne 2,256 27.1 N/A
Majority 3,818 45.8 N/A
Turnout 8,330 68.6 N/A
Registered electors 12,150
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General Election 1892: Gower [29] [25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal David Randell Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

Randell
Gower by-election, 1888 [25][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal David Randell 3,964 54.1 N/A
Conservative John Dillwyn-Llewelyn 3,358 45.9 N/A
Majority 606 8.2 N/A
Turnout 7,322 67.2 N/A
Registered electors 10,896
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General Election 1886: Gower [25][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Frank Ash Yeo Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold
Yeo
General Election 1885: Gower [25][29][31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Frank Ash Yeo 5,560 72.6 N/A
Conservative Henry Nathaniel Miers 2,103 27.4 N/A
Majority 3,457 45.2 N/A
Turnout 7,663 72.6 N/A
Registered electors 10,562
Liberal win (new seat)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Beyond 20/20 WDS – Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. 1 2 Morgan 1960, p. 9.
  3. ↑ Rees, Ivor Thomas (Autumn 2004). "Whatever happened to young William?". Gwent Local History. 97: 58–66.
  4. ↑ List of Conservative MPs elected in 2015 by % majority UK Political.info. Retrieved 2017-01-29
  5. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)
  6. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated & Notice of Poll" (PDF). City and County of Swansea Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Gower Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Swansea results". Results – UK Parliamentary general election 2015. City and County of Swansea. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ↑ Gower BBC Election – Gower
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑
  21. ↑
  22. ↑
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ Etholiadau'r ganrif 1885–1997, Beti Jones
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  26. ↑ Yorkshire Evening Post 2 May 1914
  27. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  28. 1 2 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  30. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  31. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886

Sources

Books and journals

  • Morgan, Kenneth O. (1960). "Democratic Politics in Glamorgan, 1884–1914". Morgannwg. 4: 5–27.
  • Morgan, Kenneth O (1991). Wales in British Politics 1868–1922 (3rd ed.). Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708311245.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
North Antrim		 Constituency represented by the Father of the House
1952–1959		 Succeeded by
Woodford

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