Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Senedd constituency).

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Welsh: Dwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr) was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom last represented since 2010 by Jonathan Edwards of Plaid Cymru. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was created in 1997, mostly from the former seat of Carmarthen.

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in Wales
Preserved county	Dyfed
Population	71,046 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate	54,557 (December 2010)[2]
Major settlements	Carmarthen (part), Ammanford, Llandeilo, Llandovery
1997–2024
Seats	One
Created from	Carmarthen, Llanelli
Senedd	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Mid and West Wales

The Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Senedd constituency was created with the same boundaries in 1999 (as an Assembly constituency).

The constituency was abolished as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales. Its wards were divided between Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) and Llanelli.^[3]

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010-2024

The constituency was within the Carmarthenshire authority area, with Llanybydder, Llandovery and Llanfihangel-ar-Arth in the north, Llanfihangel-uwch-Gwili, Llanegwad, and Llandeilo in the central area, and Ammanford and Glanamman in the south.

Boundary changes for the 2010 general election introduced minor alterations, with the areas around Hermon and Llanpumsaint removed to the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency. These changes came into effect in 2007 for the National Assembly for Wales.

The constituency includes the whole of 41 Carmarthenshire communities (Abergwili; Ammanford; Betws; Cenarth; Cilycwm; Cwmamman; Cynwyl Gaeo; Dyffryn Cennen; Gorslas; Llanarthney; Llanddarog; Llanddeusant; Llandeilo; Llandovery; Llandybie; Llandyfaelog; Llanegwad; Llanfair-ar-y-bryn; Llanfihangel Aberbythych; Llanfihangel-ar-Arth; Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn; Llanfynydd; Llangadog; Llangathen; Llangeler; Llangunnor; Llangyndeyrn; Llanllawddog; Llanllwni; Llansadwrn; Llansawel; Llanwrda; Llanybydder; Llanycrwys; Manordeilo and Salem; Myddfai; Newcastle Emlyn; Pencarreg; Quarter Bach; St Ishmael; Talley).

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[4][5]	Party
	1997	Alan Williams	Labour
	2001	Adam Price	Plaid Cymru
	2010	Jonathan Edwards	Plaid Cymru
	2020		Independent
	2024	Constituency abolished

Elections

Carmarthen - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr election results

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alan Williams	17,907	42.9	N/A
	Plaid Cymru	Rhodri Glyn Thomas	14,457	34.6	N/A
	Conservative	Edmund Hayward	5,022	12.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Juliana Hughes	3,150	7.5	N/A
	Referendum	Ian Humphreys-Evans	1,196	2.9	N/A
Majority			3,450	8.3	N/A
Turnout			32,654	78.6	N/A
Registered electors			53,121
	Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Adam Price	16,130	42.4	+7.8
	Labour	Alan Williams	13,540	35.6	−7.3
	Conservative	David Thomas	4,912	12.9	+0.9
	Liberal Democrats	Doiran Evans	2,815	7.4	−0.1
	UKIP	Michael Squires	656	1.7	N/A
Majority			2,590	6.8	N/A
Turnout			38,053	70.4	−8.2
Registered electors			54,035
	Plaid Cymru gain from Labour		Swing	+7.5

General election 2005: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr^[13][14][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Adam Price	17,561	45.9	+3.5
	Labour	Ross Hendry	10,843	28.3	−7.3
	Conservative	Suzy Davies	5,235	13.7	+0.8
	Liberal Democrats	Juliana Hughes	3,719	9.7	+2.3
	UKIP	Mike Squires	661	1.7	±0.0
	Legalise Cannabis	Sid Whitworth	272	0.7	N/A
Majority			6,718	17.6	+10.8
Turnout			38,291	71.6	+1.2
Registered electors			53,091
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing	+5.4

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr^[16][17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Jonathan Edwards	13,546	35.6	−10.2
	Labour	Christine Gwyther	10,065	26.5	−1.8
	Conservative	Andrew Morgan	8,506	22.4	+8.7
	Liberal Democrats	William Powell	4,609	12.1	+2.4
	UKIP	John Atkinson	1,285	3.4	+1.7
Majority			3,481	9.1	−8.3
Turnout			38,011	72.6	+1.8
Registered electors			52,385
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing	-4.2

General election 2015: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr^[18][19][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Jonathan Edwards	15,140	38.4	+2.8
	Labour	Calum Higgins	9,541	24.2	−2.3
	Conservative	Matthew Paul	8,336	21.2	−1.2
	UKIP	Norma Woodward[21]	4,363	11.1	+7.7
	Green	Ben Rice[22]	1,091	2.8	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Sara Lloyd Williams[23]	928	2.4	−9.7
Majority			5,599	14.2	+5.1
Turnout			39,399	70.9	−1.7
Registered electors			55,750
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing	+2.5

General election 2017: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr^[24][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Jonathan Edwards	16,127	39.3	+0.9
	Labour	David Darkin	12,219	29.8	+5.6
	Conservative	Havard Hughes	10,778	26.3	+5.1
	UKIP	Neil Hamilton	985	2.4	−8.7
	Liberal Democrats	Lesley Prosser[26]	920	2.2	−0.2
Rejected ballots			65
Majority			3,908	9.5	−4.7
Turnout			41,029	73.3	+2.4
Registered electors			56,711
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing	-2.3

Of the 65 rejected ballots:

• 44 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.^[25]
• 14 voted for more than one candidate.^[25]
• 7 had writing or a mark by which the voter could be identified.^[25]

General election 2019: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr ^[27][28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Jonathan Edwards	15,939	38.9	−0.4
	Conservative	Havard Hughes	14,130	34.5	+8.2
	Labour	Maria Carroll	8,622	21.0	−8.8
	Brexit Party	Peter Prosser	2,311	5.6	N/A
Rejected ballots			145
Majority			1,809	4.4	−5.1
Turnout			41,002	71.4	−1.9
Registered electors			57,407
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing	-4.3

Of the 145 rejected ballots:

• 123 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.^[27]
• 20 voted for more than one candidate.^[27]
• 2 had writing or a mark by which the voter could be identified.^[27]

Edwards was elected as a Plaid Cymru MP, but had the whip withdrawn by the party after he was arrested on suspicion of assault in May 2020.

See also

• Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Senedd constituency)
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Dyfed
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Wales

References

1. "Carmarthen East and Dinefwr: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
2. "Beyond 20/20 WDS - Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
3. 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
4. "Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 1997-". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 2 February 2015.
5. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 3)
6. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
7. "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
8. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.50 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
9. This constituency was new in 1997, and the election result is calculated relative to a notional 1992 result.
10. "BBC NEWS>VOTE 2001>Results and Constituencies>Carmarthen East and Dinefwr". Vote 2001. BBC News. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
11. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
12. "BBC NEWS > Carmarthen East and Dinefwr". Vote 2001. BBC News. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
13. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
14. "Carmarthen East and Dinefwr: Constituency". Election 2010. The Guardian. 5 May 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
15. "Carmarthen East & Dinefwr parliamentary constituency - Election 2005" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
16. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
17. Carmarthen East and Dinefwr BBC Election - 2010 Election - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
18. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
19. "Carmarthen East result". The Newsroom. Carmarthenshire County Council. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
20. "Carmarthen East & Dinefwr parliamentary constituency - Election 2015" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
21. "UKIP denies candidate's suspension". BBC News. 18 March 2015.
22. Sinclair, Thomas (27 November 2014). "Pembrokeshire Green Party announce candidates".
23. "Sara Lloyd Williams". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
24. "Carmarthen East & Dinefwr parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
25. "Parliamentary General Election 2017" (PDF). Carmarthen County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
26. "Lesley Prosser". Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
27. "Parliamentary General Election 2019" (PDF). Carmarthen County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
28. "Carmarthen East & Dinefwr parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2019.

External links

• nomis Constituency Profile for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
• Politics Resources (Election results from 1922 onwards)
• Electoral Calculus (Election results from 1955 onwards)
• 2017 Election House Of Commons Library 2017 Election report
• A Vision Of Britain Through Time (Constituency elector numbers)
• Carmarthen East and Dinefwr UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Carmarthen East and Dinefwr UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

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