Rhondda (Senedd constituency)
# Rhondda (Senedd constituency)

Rhondda 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 Central 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 Rhondda Westminster constituency. It is entirely within the preserved county of Mid Glamorgan.

The other seven constituencies of the region are Cardiff Central, Cardiff North, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cardiff West, Cynon Valley, Pontypridd and Vale of Glamorgan.

## 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 | Member | Party |
| - | - | - |
| 1999 | Geraint Davies | Plaid Cymru |
| 2003 | Leighton Andrews | Labour |
| 2016 | Leanne Wood | Plaid Cymru |
| 2021 | Buffy Williams | Labour |

## Elections

### Elections in the 2020s

2021 Senedd election: Rhondda :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Williams | 12,832 | 54.7 | +18.8 | 11,949 | 51.1 | +18.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Leanne Wood | 7,335 | 31.3 | -19.3 | 6,495 | 27.8 | -20.4 |
| | Conservative | Tom Parkhill | 1,490 | 6.4 | +4.2 | 2,058 | 8.8 | +6.3 |
| | Propel | Jeff Gregory | 525 | 2.2 | New | 288 | 1.2 | New |
| | Abolish | Ian McLean | 430 | 1.8 | New | 648 | 2.8 | +0.3 |
| | Reform UK | Steve Bayliss | 355 | 1.5 | New | 306 | 1.3 | New |
| | Freedom Alliance | Steven Phillips | 291 | 1.2 | New | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jackie Charlton | 200 | 0.9 | +0.2 | 206 | 0.9 | -0.3 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 575 | 2.5 | +1.0 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 343 | 1.5 | -8.4 |
| | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | 159 | 0.7 | New |
| | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | 136 | 0.6 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 74 | 0.3 | ±0.0 |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 57 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | 49 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | 45 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,497 | 23.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,458 | | |
| | Labour gain from Plaid Cymru | Labour gain from Plaid Cymru | Swing | +19.1 | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||

### Elections in the 2010s

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Rhondda :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Leanne Wood | 11,891 | 50.6 | +21.1 | 11,354 | 48.2 | +23.7 |
| | Labour | Leighton Andrews | 8,432 | 35.9 | -27.3 | 7,623 | 32.4 | -22.2 |
| | UKIP | Stephen Clee | 2,203 | 9.4 | New | 2,337 | 9.9 | +6.6 |
| | Conservative | Maria Hill | 528 | 2.2 | -2.6 | 582 | 2.5 | -1.8 |
| | Green | Pat Matthews | 259 | 1.1 | New | 346 | 1.5 | -1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rhys Taylor | 173 | 0.7 | -1.8 | 278 | 1.2 | -1.0 |
| | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | 591 | 2.5 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 105 | 0.4 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 114 | 0.5 | ±0.0 |
| | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | 45 | 0.2 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 82 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 62 | 0.3 | ±0.0 |
| | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | 40 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,459 | 14.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,486 | 47.2 | +9.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru gain from Labour | Plaid Cymru gain from Labour | Swing | | |

Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Rhondda :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leighton Andrews | 12,650 | 63.2 | +5.0 | 10,919 | 54.6 | +1.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Sara Evans-Fear | 5,911 | 29.5 | -0.5 | 4,906 | 24.5 | -1.0 |
| | Conservative | James Jeffreys | 969 | 4.8 | -0.3 | 861 | 4.3 | -0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Summers | 497 | 2.5 | -4.0 | 436 | 2.2 | -2.2 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 746 | 3.7 | +2.3 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 667 | 3.3 | +0.7 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 502 | 2.5 | +0.4 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 476 | 2.4 | -1.8 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 200 | 1.0 | +0.1 |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 112 | 0.6 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 105 | 0.5 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 66 | 0.3 | -0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,739 | 33.7 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,027 | 38.0 | -4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.8 | |

Regional ballots rejected at the count: 112

### Elections in the 2000s

Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Rhondda :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leighton Andrews | 12,875 | 58.2 | -3.4 | 11,692 | 52.9 | -7.1 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Jill Evans | 6,660 | 30.1 | +3.1 | 5,576 | 25.5 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Karen Roberts | 1,441 | 6.5 | +3.5 | 964 | 4.4 | -0.1 |
| | Conservative | Howard Parsons | 1,131 | 5.1 | +2.9 | 1,006 | 4.6 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 922 | 4.2 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 584 | 2.6 | +0.1 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 473 | 2.1 | +0.3 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 307 | 1.4 | -1.7 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 190 | 0.9 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 167 | 0.8 | +0.4 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | 77 | 0.3 | New |
| | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | 76 | 0.3 | New |
| | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | 59 | 0.3 | New |
| | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | 11 | ±0.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,215 | 28.1 | -6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,107 | 42.1 | -3.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.3 | |

Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Rhondda :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leighton Andrews | 14,170 | 61.6 | +21.1 | 13,746 | 60.0 | +19.8 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Geraint Rhys Davies | 6,216 | 27.0 | -21.7 | 5,204 | 22.7 | -17.5 |
| | Independent | Jeffrey Gregory | 909 | 4.0 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Veronica Watkins | 680 | 3.0 | -1.7 | 1,023 | 4.5 | -1.4 |
| | UKIP | Kunnathur T. Rajan | 524 | 2.3 | New | 568 | 2.5 | New |
| | Conservative | Paul James Williams | 504 | 2.2 | -0.6 | 813 | 3.6 | +0.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 710 | 3.1 | Unknown |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 407 | 1.8 | Unknown |
| | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | 164 | 0.7 | New |
| | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | 65 | 0.3 | New |
| | New Millennium Bean Partyn | New Millennium Bean Partyn | New Millennium Bean Partyn | New Millennium Bean Partyn | New Millennium Bean Partyn | 88 | 0.4 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 91 | 0.4 | Unknown |
| | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | 19 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,954 | 34.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,003 | 45.6 | -4.6 |
| | Labour gain from Plaid Cymru | Labour gain from Plaid Cymru | Swing | +21.4 | |

2003 Electorate: 50,463 Regional ballots rejected: 394

### Elections in the 1990s

Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Rhondda :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | List | List | List |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Geraint Rhys Davies | 13,558 | 48.7 | N/A | 12,908 | 46.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Wayne David | 11,273 | 40.5 | N/A | 11,256 | 40.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Meurig Williams | 1,303 | 4.7 | N/A | 1,659 | 5.9 | N/A |
| | Independent | Glyndwr Summers | 913 | 3.3 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Hobbins | 774 | 2.8 | N/A | 801 | 2.9 | N/A |
| | Other list parties | | | | | 1,395 | 5.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,285 | 8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,821 | 50.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) |

1999 Electorate: 55,266

