Ebbw Vale (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918–1983

Ebbw Vale

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1983
Seats| One
Created from| West Monmouthshire
Replaced by| Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney[1]

Ebbw Vale was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1918 general election and returned one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.

## Boundaries

[edit]

The constituency was first contested in 1918 and was used until 1983. It comprised the north-western part of the historic county of Monmouthshire, in south-east Wales.

The seat was a county constituency, formed as a division of Monmouthshire. The areas, which comprised the seat, were Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Tredegar. The division included three Urban District council areas, one named after each town. The boundaries were left unchanged throughout the existence of the Ebbw Vale constituency.[2]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1918 | Thomas Richards | Labour
| 1920 by-election | Evan Davies | Labour
| 1929 | Aneurin Bevan | Labour
| 1960 by-election | Michael Foot | Labour
| 1983 | constituency abolished. See Blaenau Gwent

## Elections

[edit]

### Election in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1979: Ebbw Vale[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 20,028  | 69.2  | −4.9
| Conservative | Geoffrey Inkin[4] | 3,937  | 13.6  | +6.1
| Liberal | A T Pope  | 3,082  | 10.7  | −0.4
| Plaid Cymru | G R J ap Robert  | 1,884  | 6.5  | −0.8
Majority | 16,091  | 55.6  | −7.4
Turnout | 28,931  | 79.9  | +3.8
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election October 1974: Ebbw Vale[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 21,226  | 74.1  | +4.6
| Liberal | Angus Donaldson  | 3,167  | 11.1  | −5.7
| Conservative | Jonathan Evans | 2,153  | 7.5  | −0.3
| Plaid Cymru | G R J ap Robert  | 2,101  | 7.3  | +1.4
Majority | 18,059  | 63.0  | +10.3
Turnout | 28,647  | 76.1  | −3.4
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election February 1974: Ebbw Vale[3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 20,660  | 69.5  | −2.9
| Liberal | Angus Donaldson  | 4,996  | 16.8  | +2.3
| Conservative | Jonathan Evans | 2,303  | 7.8  | +0.7
| Plaid Cymru | J D Rogers  | 1,767  | 5.9  | −0.1
Majority | 15,664  | 52.7  | −5.2
Turnout | 29,726  | 79.5  | +1.1
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1970: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 21,817  | 72.4  | −12.7
| Liberal | Angus Donaldson  | 4,371  | 14.5  | New
| Conservative | Elgar Spencer Jenkins  | 2,146  | 7.1  | −7.8
| Plaid Cymru | Derek James Baskerville  | 1,805  | 6.0  | New
Majority | 17,446  | 57.9  | −12.3
Turnout | 30,139  | 78.4  | −0.9
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

General election 1966: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 24,936  | 85.1  | +1.5
| Conservative | John Roger Lovill  | 4,352  | 14.9  | −1.5
Majority | 20,584  | 70.2  | +3.0
Turnout | 29,288  | 79.3  | −0.2
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1964: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 25,220  | 83.6  | +12.6
| Conservative | Brandon Rhys-Williams | 4,949  | 16.4  | −2.6
Majority | 20,271  | 67.2  | +5.2
Turnout | 30,169  | 79.5  | −6.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
1960 Ebbw Vale by-election[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Michael Foot | 20,528  | 68.8  | −12.2
| Conservative | Brandon Rhys-Williams | 3,799  | 12.7  | −6.3
| Liberal | Patrick Lort-Phillips | 3,449  | 11.5  | New
| Plaid Cymru | Emrys Roberts | 2,091  | 7.0  | New
Majority | 16,729  | 56.1  | −6.0
Turnout | 29,867  | 76.1  | −9.7
| Labour hold | Swing | -3.0  |

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1959: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 27,326  | 81.0  | +1.7
| Conservative | Arthur Gwynne Davies  | 6,404  | 19.0  | −1.7
Majority | 20,922  | 62.0  | +3.4
Turnout | 33,730  | 85.8  | +2.1
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.7  |
General election 1955: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 26,058  | 79.3  | −1.4
| Conservative | James E Bowen  | 6,822  | 20.7  | +1.4
Majority | 19,236  | 58.6  | −2.8
Turnout | 32,880  | 83.7  | −3.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 28,283  | 80.7  | 0.0
| Conservative | James E Bowen  | 6,754  | 19.3  | 0.0
Majority | 21,529  | 61.4  | 0.0
Turnout | 35,037  | 87.0  | +0.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1950: Ebbw Vale[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 28,245  | 80.7  | +0.6
| Conservative | Graeme Finlay | 6,745  | 19.3  | −0.6
Majority | 21,500  | 61.4  | +1.2
Turnout | 34,990  | 86.7  | +4.1
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Ebbw Vale[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 27,209  | 80.1  | +2.3
| Conservative | Charles Stanley Parker  | 6,758  | 19.9  | −2.3
Majority | 20,451  | 60.2  | +4.6
Turnout | 33,967  | 82.6  | 0.0
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Election in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1935: Ebbw Vale[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 25,007  | 77.8  | N/A
| Conservative | Ethel Scarborough | 7,145  | 22.2  | New
Majority | 17,862  | 55.6  | N/A
Turnout | 32,152  | 82.6  | N/A
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1931: Ebbw Vale[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | Unopposed  | N/A | N/A

### Election in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1929: Ebbw Vale [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Aneurin Bevan | 20,088  | 60.3  | N/A
| Liberal | William Griffiths  | 8,924  | 26.8  | New
| Unionist | Mark Brace  | 4,287  | 12.9  | New
Majority | 11,164  | 33.5  | N/A
Turnout | 33,299  | 85.9  | N/A
Registered electors | 38,781  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1924: Ebbw Vale [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Evan Davies | Unopposed
| Labour hold
General election 1923: Ebbw Vale [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Evan Davies | 16,492  | 65.6  | +0.2
| Liberal | Cyrus Golyddan Davies  | 8,639  | 34.4  | New
Majority | 7,853  | 31.2  | +0.4
Turnout | 25,131  | 75.8  | −2.4
Registered electors | 33,171  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1922: Ebbw Vale [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Evan Davies | 16,947  | 65.4  | N/A
| Unionist | Morgan Morgan  | 8,951  | 34.6  | New
Majority | 7,996  | 30.8  | N/A
Turnout | 25,898  | 78.2  | N/A
Registered electors | 33,119  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | N/A |
1920 Ebbw Vale by-election[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Evan Davies | Unopposed
| Labour hold

### Election in the 1910s

[edit]

General election 1918: Ebbw Vale[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Thomas Richards | Unopposed
| Labour win (new seat)

## References

[edit]

* Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Political Reference Publications, 1972) ISBN 0-900178-09-4
* British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press, revised edition, 1977) ISBN 0-333-23048-5
* British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services, 2nd edition, 1983) ISBN 0-900178-07-8
* British Parliamentary Election Results 1974-1983, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1984) ISBN 0-900178-23-X

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "'Ebbw Vale', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
2. ^ Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, pages 38 (1918), 105 (1950), 152 (1971) and 199-202 (maps).
3. ^ a b c British Parliamentary Election Results 1974-1983, page 277
4. ^ Kelsey, Chris (3 August 2013). "Tributes paid to Sir Geoffrey Inkin, creator of Cardiff Bay". Wales Online. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, page 586
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, page 566

* v
* t
* e

Michael Foot

Political career|

* Leader of the Labour Party (1980–1983)
* Shadow Cabinet
* Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (1976-1980)
* Member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport (1945–1955)
* Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale (1960–1983)
* Member of Parliament for Blaenau Gwent (1983–1992)

Shadow Cabinet elections|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973

Party leadership elections|

* 1976
* 1980

Party deputy leadership elections|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1976

General elections|

* 1983

Family|

* Isaac Foot (father)
* Dingle Foot (brother)
* Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon (brother)
* John Foot, Baron Foot (brother)
* Jill Craigie (wife)
* Paul Foot (nephew)
* Oliver Foot (nephew)
* Sarah Foot (niece)

Related topics|

* Guilty Men
* Keep Left
* Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
* Tribune
* 1960 Ebbw Vale by-election
* 1975 European Communities referendum
* The longest suicide note in history
* Michael Foot memorial

* v
* t
* e

Historic UK Parliament constituencies in Wales

Last contested in 1880

* Beaumaris
* Brecon
* Caernarvonshire
* Cardigan
* Carmarthenshire
* Denbighshire
* Glamorganshire
* Haverfordwest
* Monmouthshire
* Pembroke
* Radnor

Last contested in 1910

* Breconshire
* Denbigh Boroughs
* East Carmarthenshire
* East Denbighshire
* East Glamorganshire
* Eifion
* Flint Boroughs
* Mid Glamorganshire
* Monmouth Boroughs
* Montgomery
* North Monmouthshire
* Pembroke and Haverfordwest
* Radnorshire
* Rhondda
* South Glamorganshire
* South Monmouthshire
* Swansea
* West Carmarthenshire
* West Denbighshire
* West Monmouthshire

Last contested in 1915

* Cardiff
* Carmarthen (historic)
* Merthyr Tydfil
* Swansea Boroughs

Last contested in 1945

* Caernarfon
* Caernarvonshire
* Cardiff Central (historic)
* Cardiff East (historic)
* Cardiff South
* Flintshire
* Llandaff and Barry
* Merthyr
* University of Wales

Last contested in 1970

* Rhondda East
* Rhondda West

Last contested in 1979

* Aberdare
* Abertillery
* Barry
* Bedwellty
* Cardiff North West
* Cardiff South East
* Ceredigion
* Denbigh
* East Flintshire
* Ebbw Vale
* Merioneth
* Merthyr Tydfil
* Newport
* Pontypool
* West Flintshire

Last contested in 1992 (review)

* Ceredigion and Pembroke North
* Clwyd North West
* Clwyd South West
* Pembrokeshire

Last contested in 2005 (review)

* Caernarfon
* Conwy
* Meirionnydd Nant Conwy

Last contested in 2019 (review)

* Aberavon
* Aberconwy
* Arfon
* Blaenau Gwent
* Brecon and Radnorshire
* Cardiff Central
* Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
* Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
* Ceredigion
* Clwyd South
* Clwyd West
* Cynon Valley
* Delyn
* Islwyn
* Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
* Monmouth
* Montgomeryshire
* Neath
* Newport West
* Ogmore
* Preseli Pembrokeshire
* Rhondda
* Swansea East
* Vale of Clwyd

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template