Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Ceredigion Preseli (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.

Ceredigion and Pembroke North
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Preserved county	Dyfed
1983–1997
Seats	One
Created from	Cardigan and Pembrokeshire
Replaced by	Ceredigion and Preseli Pembrokeshire

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 have been recreated with a somewhat larger area, and also including a small area of western Montgomeryshire.^[1][2][3]

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.^[4][5] In 1992, however, Plaid Cymru jumped from fourth to first place in one of that election's biggest upsets.^[6] 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		Liberal Democrats
	1992	Cynog Dafis	Plaid Cymru

Elections

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Ceredigion and Pembroke North^[4]

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			5,639	12.0	+6.1
Turnout			47,058	77.8
Registered electors			60,523
	Liberal win (new seat)

General election 1987: Ceredigion and Pembroke North^[5]

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			4,700	9.7	―2.3
Turnout			48,300	76.5	―1.3
Registered electors			63,141
	Liberal hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Ceredigion and Pembroke North^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Cynog Dafis	16,020	31.3	+15.1
	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			3,193	6.2	N/A
Turnout			51,202	77.4	+0.9
Registered electors			66,180
	Plaid Cymru gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

See also

• Ceredigion (Assembly constituency)
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Dyfed
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Wales

References

1. "Ceredigion could return to south constituency boundary". Cambrian News. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
2. "Ceredigion a Gogledd Sir Benfro (Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire)". 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies — Initial Proposals Report (Report). Boundary Commission for Wales. September 2016. p. 80.
3. "Former MP urges re-think on move". Shropshire Star. 17 September 2016. p. 16.Report based on criticism of proposals by former Montgomeryshire MP Delwyn Williams.
4. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
5. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
6. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.