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UK Parliament - Islwyn

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > Wales > Wales > Islwyn

Office

Parliament

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

00, 0000 - 12:00pm

Polls Open

May 06, 2010 - 01:00am

Polls Close

May 06, 2010 - 04:00pm

Term Start

May 17, 2010 - 12:00pm

Term End

May 17, 2015 - 12:00pm

Contributor

Ralphie

Last Modified

New Jerusalem January 02, 2011 10:01pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

BBC Profile:
Islwyn and its predecessor seat Bedwellty have been won by Labour at every general election since the latter was created in 1918. Neil Kinnock first won Bedwellty in 1970 and he held the seat, which became Islwyn in 1983, until he resigned to become a European Commissioner. A by-election was held in February 1995, won for Labour by Don Touhig with a majority of 13,097. Touhig won in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 general elections. In 2005 his majority was 15,740.

At this election, Islwyn has been enlarged. The new voters come from the Aberbargoed and Maesycwmmer electoral divisions which were transferred from the old Caerphilly constituency. Both these areas were previously part of the old Bedwellty seat, the precursor of Islwyn. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

Set in the Western valley of Gwent and part of Caerphilly, this constituency - which is named after a Welsh language poet of the 19th century - includes Blackwood, Newbridge and Risca.

Islwyn is a former mining district, with the Oakdale mine the last to close in 1989; it has since attracted new light industry which has become a mainstay of the economy. It has Wales' largest proportion of its workforce in manufacturing sectors.

The re-opening of the Ebbw Valley Line reconnects Newbridge and Risca with the national rail network which could presage these valley towns becoming commuter areas for Cardiff.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
Lab 21,795 (64.35%)
PC 4,213 (12.44%)
LD 4,128 (12.19%)
C 3,735 (11.03%)