Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Senedd constituency)
# Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Senedd constituency)

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Welsh: Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni) is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales East electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

## Boundaries

The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Westminster constituency.

The other seven constituencies of the South Wales East electoral region are Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport East, Newport West and Torfaen.

## Voting

In general elections for the Senedd, each voter has two votes. The first vote may be used to vote for a candidate to become the Member of the Senedd for the voter's constituency, elected by the first past the post system. The second vote may be used to vote for a regional closed party list of candidates. Additional member seats are allocated from the lists by the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account in the allocation.

## Assembly Members and Members of the Senedd

| Election | Election | Member | Party | Portrait |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | 1999 | Huw Lewis | Labour Co-op | |
| | 2016 | Dawn Bowden | Labour Co-op | |

## Elections

### Elections in the 2020s

2021 Senedd election: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dawn Bowden | 13,009 | 61.5 | +14.3 | 11,181 | 52.9 | +6.0 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Ian Gwynne | 3,698 | 17.5 | -0.5 | 3,787 | 17.9 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | Donna Gavin | 2,665 | 12.6 | +6.2 | 2,879 | 13.6 | +7.2 |
| | Abolish | Hugh Moelwyn Hughes | 656 | 3.1 | New | 866 | 4.1 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jez Becker | 420 | 2.0 | -3.4 | 426 | 2.0 | -1.3 |
| | UKIP | George Alexandrov Pykov | 382 | 1.8 | -18.9 | 444 | 2.1 | -18.4 |
| | Reform UK | Colin Jones | 324 | 1.5 | New | 278 | 1.3 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 580 | 2.7 | +0.7 |
| | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | 230 | 1.1 | New |
| | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | 193 | 0.9 | New |
| | Propel | Propel | Propel | Propel | Propel | 123 | 0.6 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 87 | 0.4 | ±0.0 |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 44 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,311 | 44.0 | +14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,154 | 34.8 | -3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||

Regional Ballot void votes: 162. Want of an Official Mark (0), Voting for more than ONE party or individual candidate (58), Writing or mark by which the Voter could be identified (0), Unmarked or Void for uncertainty (104)

### Elections in the 2010s

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dawn Bowden | 9,763 | 47.2 | -7.1 | 9,666 | 46.9 | -9.0 |
| | UKIP | David Rowlands | 4,277 | 20.7 | New | 4,230 | 20.5 | +16.0 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Brian Thomas | 3,721 | 18.0 | +9.2 | 3,399 | 16.5 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Simon | 1,331 | 6.4 | +0.1 | 1,340 | 6.4 | -1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Griffin | 1,122 | 5.4 | -7.4 | 692 | 3.3 | -3.8 |
| | Green | Julie Colbran | 469 | 2.3 | New | 404 | 2.0 | -0.3 |
| | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | 617 | 3.0 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 122 | 0.6 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 76 | 0.4 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 85 | 0.4 | -0.2 |
| | National Front | National Front | National Front | National Front | National Front | 68 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,486 | 25.5 | -11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,683 | 38.5 | +3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.9 | |

Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Huw Lewis | 10,483 | 54.3 | +17.3 | 10,779 | 55.9 | +13.8 |
| | Independent | Tony Rogers | 3,432 | 17.8 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amy Kitcher | 2,480 | 12.8 | −2.4 | 1,374 | 7.1 | -6.9 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Noel Turner | 1,701 | 8.8 | −3.2 | 2,363 | 12.2 | -4.6 |
| | Conservative | Chris O'Brien | 1,224 | 6.3 | +0.8 | 1,554 | 8.1 | +0.4 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 859 | 4.5 | -1.2 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 726 | 3.8 | -0.6 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 711 | 3.7 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 445 | 2.3 | ±0.0 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 324 | 1.7 | +0.4 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 112 | 0.6 | ±0.0 |
| | English Democrat | English Democrat | English Democrat | English Democrat | English Democrat | 52 | 0.3 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,051 | 36.5 | +14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,320 | 35.3 | −3.6 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

Regional ballots rejected at the count: 138

### Elections in the 2000s

Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Huw Lewis | 7,776 | 37.0 | −23.5 | 8,849 | 42.1 | -14.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amy Kitcher | 3,195 | 15.2 | +8.0 | 2,946 | 14.0 | +5.7 |
| | Independent | Clive Tovey | 2,622 | 12.5 | New |
| | Plaid Cymru | Glyndwr Jones | 2,519 | 12.0 | −4.2 | 3,529 | 16.8 | +0.7 |
| | Independent | Jeff Edwards | 1,915 | 9.1 | New |
| | Conservative | Giles Howard | 1,151 | 5.5 | −2.9 | 1,612 | 7.7 | -0.5 |
| | Independent | Jock Greer | 844 | 4.0 | New |
| | Independent | Vivienne Elliott-Hadley | 809 | 3.8 | New |
| | Independent | Richard D.M. Williams | 162 | 0.8 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 1,191 | 5.7 | +2.9 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 922 | 4.4 | +3.4 |
| | Independent - Colin Hobbs | Independent - Colin Hobbs | Independent - Colin Hobbs | Independent - Colin Hobbs | Independent - Colin Hobbs | 537 | 2.6 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 475 | 2.3 | -0.1 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 424 | 2.0 | -1.3 |
| | Welsh Christian Party | Welsh Christian Party | Welsh Christian Party | Welsh Christian Party | Welsh Christian Party | 275 | 1.3 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 130 | 0.6 | New |
| | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | 77 | 0.4 | New |
| | English Democrat | English Democrat | English Democrat | English Democrat | English Democrat | 33 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,518 | 21.8 | −22.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,993 | 38.9 | +6.1 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −15.8 | |

Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Huw Lewis | 11,148 | 60.5 | +16.6 | 10,317 | 56.2 | +11.9 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Alun G. Cox | 2,988 | 16.2 | −10.9 | 2,965 | 16.1 | -18.4 |
| | Conservative | John L. Prosser | 1,539 | 8.4 | +3.4 | 1,515 | 8.2 | +2.3 |
| | Independent | Neil Greer | 1,423 | 7.7 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | John A. Ault | 1,324 | 7.2 | +0.5 | 1,529 | 8.3 | -1.5 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 599 | 3.3 | +0.9 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 507 | 2.8 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 436 | 2.4 | +0.4 |
| | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | 252 | 1.4 | New |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 175 | 1.0 | New |
| | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | 77 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,160 | 44.3 | +27.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,422 | 32.8 | −12.1 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +13.8 | |

2003 Electorate: 55,768 Regional ballots rejected: 228

### Elections in the 1990s

Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Huw Lewis | 11,024 | 43.9 | N/A | 11,076 | 44.3 | N/A |
| | Plaid Cymru | Alun G. Cox | 6,810 | 27.1 | N/A | 8,546 | 34.2 | N/A |
| | Independent | Tony Rogers | 3,746 | 14.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elwyn Jones | 1,682 | 6.7 | N/A | 2,446 | 9.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Carole M. Hyde | 1,246 | 5.0 | N/A | 1,470 | 5.9 | N/A |
| | Socialist Alliance | Michael Jenkins | 580 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 588 | 2.4 | N/A |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 512 | 2.0 | N/A |
| | United Socialist | United Socialist | United Socialist | United Socialist | United Socialist | 207 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | Others | Others | Others | Others | Others | 114 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,214 | 16.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,088 | 44.9 | N/A |
| | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) |

1999 Electorate: 55,676

