Vale of Clwyd LAB Hold

Welsh assembly election

constituency

	Vale of Clwyd	LAB Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Ann Jones	LAB	8256	46.2	8.5
	Darren Miller	CON	5487	30.7	8.1
	Malcolm Evans	PC	2516	14.1	-5.3
	Robina Feeley	LD	1630	9.1	2.9
		MAJORITY	2769	15.5
		TURNOUT	18000	36.5	-7.2

ELECTORATE	49319

Top-up region: North Wales

DESCRIPTION: Vale of Clwyd

Vale of Clwyd is one of the newer Welsh seats and it brings together two relatively different areas. Parts of the constituency along the coastline include some of the most deprived wards in Wales, while inland rural areas are comparatively well-off, and contain a higher proportion of Welsh-speakers. This seat is characterised by a large number of older people, with the second highest proportion of retired people in Wales. More than one in four is over the age of 60. Most people live in the seaside towns of Prestatyn and Rhyl, and Rhyl West has attracted negative publicity for its social problems and unemployment. Agriculture and tourism are major employers, and the St Asaph Business Park is also a major job provider. Several light industrial estates have also been developed in Rhyl and Denbigh.

The seat was created for the 1997 general election out of parts of the former Clwyd North West & Delyn constituencies, both of which have formerly been held by the Conservatives. There is still a sizeable Tory vote here, and in the 2001 general election the party came second with 32%. But Labour won the assembly seat in 1999 and at 2001 general election. The constituency lies within the Denbighshire local authority area, where the Independents are the largest group.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	8359	37.6
	CON	5018	22.6
	PC	4295	19.3
	DAW	1908	8.8
	LD	1376	6.2
	IND	661	3.1
	499	586	2.7

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	16179	50
	CON	10418	32.2
	LD	3058	9.5
	PC	2300	7.1
	UKIP	391	1.2