Preseli Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Preseli Pembrokeshire (Senedd constituency).
For the local authority which existed 1974–1996, see Preseli Pembrokeshire.

Preseli Pembrokeshire
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Preseli Pembrokeshire in Wales
Preserved countyDyfed
Electorate58,343 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsHaverfordwest, Milford Haven, Fishguard, St Davids.
1997–2024
SeatsOne
Created fromCeredigion and Pembroke North, Pembroke
Replaced byCeredigion Preseli, Mid and South Pembrokeshire
SeneddPreseli Pembrokeshire, Mid and West Wales

Preseli Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Preseli Sir Benfro) was a seat and constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.[n 1]

The Preseli Pembrokeshire Senedd constituency was created with the same boundaries in 1999.

Its last MP, who held the seat since 2005, was the Conservative Stephen Crabb, who was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Work and Pensions Secretary) from March to July 2016. The seat was held by Labour's candidate from its creation in 1997 until 2005. The Labour and Conservative parties have won at least 27.7% of the vote apiece since its 1997 creation, with the next-placed parties having reached a maximum of 14.5% of the vote to date in a generally broad field.

The seat attracted five candidates in 2010, eight in 2015 (an election in which five of the deposits were refunded and three lost) and seven in 2017. At the 2017 election, Crabb's majority was the 27th closest out of the 650 Commons seats, 0.8% or 314 votes.[2] In 2019, there were four candidates; Crabb retained the seat with an increased majority.

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 for the 2024 United Kingdom general election. Its wards were split between Ceredigion Preseli and Mid and South Pembrokeshire.[3]

Constituency profile

The seat was predominantly rural with both Welsh and English speaking areas. Milford Haven has a significant port and oil industry, and tourism is also a key sector due to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.[4] The seat was less affluent than the UK average.[5]

Boundaries

Map
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

The constituency was created in 1997 from parts of the seats of Ceredigion and Pembroke North and Pembroke. It comprises the north and west coasts of Pembrokeshire and areas inland, including the Preseli Hills in the north of the county. It was the most westerly constituency in Wales. Much of the coastal area was in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

On its creation in 1997, its boundaries were co-terminous with the then District of Preseli Pembrokeshire. Since the 2006 boundary review of Welsh parliamentary constituencies, which took effect at the 2010 general election, it consists of the Pembrokeshire County electoral divisions of: Burton; Camrose; Cilgerran; Clydau; Crymych; Dinas Cross; Fishguard North East; Fishguard North West; Goodwick; Haverfordwest Castle; Haverfordwest Garth; Haverfordwest Portfield; Haverfordwest Prendergast; Haverfordwest Priory; Johnston; Letterston; Llangwm; Llanrhian; Maenclochog; Merlin's Bridge; Milford Central; Milford East; Milford Hakin; Milford Hubberston; Milford North; Milford West; Newport; Neyland East; Neyland West; Rudbaxton; St David's; St Dogmaels; St Ishmael's; Scleddau; Solva; The Havens; and Wiston.

Members of Parliament

Election Candidate Party
1997 Jackie Lawrence Labour
2005 Stephen Crabb Conservative
2024 Constituency abolished

Elections

Pembrokeshire election history

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Preseli Pembrokeshire[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jackie Lawrence 20,477 48.3 N/A
Conservative Robert Buckland 11,741 27.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Clarke 5,527 13.0 N/A
Plaid Cymru Alun Jones 2,683 6.3 N/A
Referendum David Berry 1,574 3.7 N/A
Green Molly Scott Cato 401 0.9 N/A
Majority 8,736 20.6 N/A
Turnout 42,403 78.3 N/A
Registered electors 54,150
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Preseli Pembrokeshire[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jackie Lawrence 15,206 41.3 −7.0
Conservative Stephen Crabb 12,260 33.3 +5.6
Plaid Cymru Rhys Sinnett 4,658 12.7 +6.4
Liberal Democrats Alexander Dauncey 3,882 10.6 −2.4
Socialist Labour Patricia Bowen 452 1.2 N/A
UKIP Hugh Jones 319 0.9 N/A
Majority 2,946 8.0 −12.6
Turnout 36,777 67.8 −10.5
Registered electors 54,283
Labour hold Swing -6.3
General election 2005: Preseli Pembrokeshire[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Crabb 14,106 36.6 +3.3
Labour Sue Hayman 13,499 35.0 −6.3
Liberal Democrats Dewi Smith 4,963 12.9 +2.3
Plaid Cymru Matt Mathias 4,752 12.3 −0.4
UKIP James Carver 498 1.3 +0.4
Green Molly Scott Cato 494 1.3 N/A
Socialist Labour Patricia Bowen 275 0.7 −0.5
Majority 607 1.6 N/A
Turnout 38,587 69.5 +1.7
Registered electors 55,502
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +4.8

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Preseli Pembrokeshire[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Crabb 16,994 42.8 +6.4
Labour Mari Rees 12,339 31.2 −3.7
Liberal Democrats Nick Tregoning 5,759 14.5 +1.5
Plaid Cymru Henry Jones-Davies 3,654 9.2 −3.3
UKIP Richard Lawson 906 2.3 +1.0
Majority 4,605 11.6 +10.0
Turnout 39,602 69.0 −1.0
Registered electors 57,400
Conservative hold Swing +5.0
General election 2015: Preseli Pembrokeshire[14][15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Crabb 16,383 40.4 −2.4
Labour Paul Miller 11,414 28.1 −3.1
UKIP Howard Lillyman 4,257 10.5 +8.2
Independent Chris Overton 3,729 9.2 N/A
Plaid Cymru John Osmond 2,518 6.2 −3.0
Green Frances Bryant 1,452 3.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Nick Tregoning 780 1.9 −12.6
The New Society of Worth Rodney Maile 23 0.1 N/A
Majority 4,969 12.3 +0.7
Turnout 40,556 70.7 +1.7
Registered electors 57,291
Conservative hold Swing +0.3
General election 2017: Preseli Pembrokeshire[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Crabb 18,302 43.4 +3.0
Labour Philippa Thompson 17,988 42.6 +14.5
Plaid Cymru Owain Llŷr Williams 2,711 6.4 +0.2
Independent Chris Overton 1,209 2.9 −6.3
Liberal Democrats Bob Kilmister 1,106 2.6 +0.7
UKIP Susan Bale 850 2.0 −8.5
The New Society of Worth Rodney Maile 31 0.1 ±0.0
Majority 314 0.8 −11.5
Turnout 42,197 72.1 +1.4
Registered electors 58,555
Conservative hold Swing -5.7
General election 2019: Preseli Pembrokeshire[18][19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Crabb 21,381 50.4 +7.0
Labour Philippa Thompson 16,319 38.5 −4.1
Plaid Cymru Cris Tomos 2,776 6.5 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Thomas Hughes 1,943 4.6 +2.0
Rejected ballots 153
Majority 5,062 11.9 +11.1
Turnout 42,419 71.2 −0.9
Registered electors 59,586
Conservative hold Swing +5.6

Of the 153 rejected ballots:

  • 119 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[20]
  • 34 voted for more than one candidate.[20]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As in all seats since the mid-20th century abolition of University Seats, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

References

  1. ^ "Beyond 20/20 WDS - Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ Library, House of Commons (23 June 2017). "GE2017: Marginal seats and turnout".
  3. ^ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
  4. ^ UK Polling Report http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/preselipembrokeshire/
  5. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Preseli+Pembrokeshire
  6. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ "BBC NEWS>VOTE 2001>Results and Constituencies>Preseli Pembrokeshire". Vote 2001. BBC News. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ^ "BBC NEWS > Preseli Pembrokeshire". Vote 2001. BBC News. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Preseli Pembrokeshire parliamentary constituency - Election 2005" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ Preseli Pembrokeshire BBC Election - Preseli Pembrokeshire
  14. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Pembrokeshire results". Election Results. Pembrokeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Preseli Pembrokeshire Parliamentary constituency". Election 2015 Results. BBC. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Preseli Pembrokeshire Parliamentary constituency". Election 2017 Results. BBC. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  18. ^ "Elections and Voting". Pembrokeshire County Council. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Preseli Pembrokeshire parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  20. ^ a b c "Election-Results/General-Election-2019". Pembrokeshire County Council. Retrieved 7 April 2020.