BBC NEWS | VOTE 2003 | Cardiff Central


CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
Jennifer Randerson	LD	11256	54.6	12.4
Geoff Mungham	LAB	4100	19.9	-10.1
Craig Piper	CON	2378	11.5	-0.2
Owen John Thomas	PC	1795	8.7	-6.0
Raja Gul Raiz	WSAW	541	2.6	2.6
Captain Beany	NMBP	289	1.4	1.4
Madeleine Jeremy	PROL	239	1.2	1.2

	MAJORITY	7156	34.7
	TURNOUT	21052	33.7	-11.3

DESCRIPTION: Cardiff Central

Cardiff Central has the largest student population of any Welsh seat. This may have helped the Liberal Democrats capture the assembly seat in 1999 and education issues, particularly tuition fees, could be crucial this time around. It has swung between the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems in recent years. In 1992 Labour won the Westminster seat from the Tories and Jon Owen Jones has remained MP ever since, although the Lib Dems came within 750 votes of beating him in 2001. The Lib Dems have poured a huge effort into making Cardiff Central their own, especially as the Conservatives have declined here, and are particularly hopeful that Jenny Randerson, the assembly culture minister, will retain her seat. She is a former leader of the opposition on Cardiff County Council and there are 14 Liberal Democrat councillors within the constituency, compared to Labour's five. The Conservatives have one councillor in the seat and also made a strong showing in the June 1999 European elections.

Cardiff Central contains some of the most affluent areas of Wales, such as Cyncoed and Lakeside, although it also encompasses working class areas like Cathays - where many students live - and Adamsdown. It also includes the magnificent Victorian civic centre as well as the city centre, with its thriving shopping area and the Millennium Stadium � the new �cathedral� of Welsh rugby as well as the temporary home of such English football occasions as the FA Cup final.

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