Cardiff West LAB Hold

Welsh assembly election

constituency

	Cardiff West	LAB Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Rhodri Morgan	LAB	10420	50.3	-11.3
	Heather Douglas	CON	3583	17.3	2.5
	Jaqueline-Anne Gasson	LD	2914	14.1	5.2
	Eluned Bush	PC	2859	13.8	-0.8
	Frank Hughes	UKIP	929	4.5	4.5
		MAJORITY	6837	33
		TURNOUT	21413	35.4	-5.1

ELECTORATE	60523

Top-up region: South Wales Central

DESCRIPTION: Cardiff West

Cardiff West has the distinction of having been represented by some of the most influential politicians in Wales. It is the assembly seat of First Minister Rhodri Morgan, also the MP for the area from 1987 until his former researcher, Kevin Brennan, replaced him in the Commons in 2001. Mr Morgan fought the 1999 assembly election against the background of his bruising contest with Alun Michael to become leader of the Welsh Labour Party and therefore leader-elect of the assembly. Mr Morgan lost that contest, but within a year he was first minister following Mr Michael’s resignation. Mr Morgan’s high profile probably helped him to secure the largest majority in the country. He was also the only Labour AM to increase his party’s share of the vote, from 38.8% in 1997 to 46.8% in 1999. Mr Morgan's own predecessor was the Commons Speaker George Thomas - later Viscount Tonypandy - who became probably the best known voice in Parliament - and was a fervent opponent of devolution.

This is now regarded as one of Labour's safest seats. It contains a number of suburban middle-class areas such as Llandaff and Radyr, large working-class areas like Ely, Pentrebane and Riverside, as well as districts such as Pontcanna and Canton, with their high concentration of Welsh-speakers and non-Tory voting middle-class residents.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	14308	61.6
	CON	3446	14.8
	PC	3402	14.6
	LD	2063	8.9

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	18594	54.6
	CON	7273	21.3
	LD	4458	13.1
	PC	3296	9.7
	UKIP	462	1.4