Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)
# Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)

Ceredigion and Pembroke North was a county constituency in southwestern Wales which elected one MP via the first past the post electoral system. It was located in the preserved county of Dyfed.

## Boundaries

The constituency had the same boundaries for its entire lifetime, and consisted of Ceredigion and an area of northern Pembrokeshire around the towns of Newport and Fishguard. It was created in 1983, and abolished again at the next review of electoral boundaries in 1997.

Under proposed changes announced in September 2016, the constituency would be recreated with a somewhat larger area, and also including a small area of western Montgomeryshire.

## Electoral history

The Liberals' Geraint Howells was the seat's first MP, having also held the predecessor Cardigan seat for 9 years. He was elected in both 1983 and 1987 with a comparatively low vote share compared to most other constituencies. In 1992, however, Plaid Cymru jumped from fourth to first place in one of that election's biggest upsets. Cynog Dafis was its MP thereafter, and then transferred to Ceredigion after the seat's abolition.

The area was considered to be a swing seat between Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| - | - | - |
| 1983 | Geraint Howells | Liberal |
| 1988 | Geraint Howells | Liberal Democrats |
| 1992 | Cynog Dafis | Plaid Cymru |

## Elections

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Ceredigion and Pembroke North :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Geraint Howells | 19,677 | 41.8 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | William Raw-Rees | 14,038 | 29.8 | +0.1 |
| | Labour | Griffith Hughes | 6,840 | 14.5 | ―5.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Cynog Dafis | 6,072 | 12.9 | ―1.6 |
| | Ecology | Marylin Smith | 431 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,639 | 12.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,058 | 77.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 60,523 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |

General election 1987: Ceredigion and Pembroke North :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Geraint Howells | 17,683 | 36.6 | ―5.2 |
| | Conservative | Owen Williams | 12,983 | 26.9 | ―2.9 |
| | Labour | John Davies | 8,965 | 18.6 | +4.1 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Cynog Dafis | 7,848 | 16.2 | +3.3 |
| | Green | Marylin Wakefield | 821 | 1.7 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,700 | 9.7 | ―2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,300 | 76.5 | ―1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,141 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Ceredigion and Pembroke North :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Plaid Cymru | Cynog Dafis | 16,020 | 30.3 | +14.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geraint Howells | 12,827 | 25.1 | ―11.5 |
| | Conservative | Owen Williams | 12,718 | 24.8 | ―2.1 |
| | Labour | John Davies | 9,637 | 18.8 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,193 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,202 | 77.4 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,180 | | |
| | Plaid Cymru gain from Liberal Democrats | Plaid Cymru gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
