Without being at all political and considering only the facts, it would seem after yesterday’s general election that the physical entity known as the Vale of Clwyd has reverted to type and is once again returning Conservative MPs.
In the Vale of Clwyd seat that, aside from Dinbych a'r Rhyl, is probably fertile Conservative country, out goes Labour’s Chris Ruane in a seat he has held since 1992 (when it was Clwyd North). He lost by 237 votes, so there's all to play for next time around.
As for the southern part of the Vale, within Clwyd West, it has now however firmly re-established itself once again a safe Conservative Westminster seat.
During the early part of the last century, the predecessor seat of Denbigh (which included much of what is currently Clwyd South and the Vale of Clwyd) was held initially by Liberals. From 1935 to 1959, the National Liberals gained the seat and, in 1947, they merged with the Conservatives. From 1959 onwards, the Denbigh constituency was pure Conservative.
In 1983, the new seat of Clwyd South West replaced Denbigh. This was largely rural but it included Rhosllannerchrugog, together with Llangollen, Rhuthun/Ruthin and sparsely populated countryside around and between. This, too, was held by the Conservatives, with Robert Harvey marginally ahead of Social Democrat Robert Ellis by 1,551 votes. Labour was relegated to third.
Then came an upset. In 1987, Labour’s Martyn Jones beat Harvey by 1,028 votes. Next, in 1992, Jones increased his majority to 4,941 votes. 1992's Labour win was therefore more decisive, with 44 per cent of the vote.
Clwyd South West was split in two seats for the 1997 general election. That of Clwyd South included the urban villages of Wrexham plus the Dee Valley to Corwen. The electorate returned Martyn Jones, beating one Boris Johnson (re-elected in 2015 to parliament) for the Conservatives by a blistering 13,810 votes. Jones managed 58 per cent of the vote. Jones held to his retirement in 2010 when Labour’s Susan Elan Jones continued, albeit with reduced margins.
In 1997, Rhuthun transferred to the oddly shaped constituency of Clwyd West, to include Abergele and Bae Colwyn Bay. The first successful candidate was Llanfwrog Rural's Gareth Thomas (Labour), knocking out the infamous Conservative Rod Richards into second place by 1,848 votes. Thomas held the seat in 2001 by 1,115 votes but lost to Conservative David Jones in 2005, by just 133 votes. Jones retained the seat in 2010 with a vastly increased 6,419 majority over Labour's Donna Hutton and again in 2015, yesterday, with a 6,730 majority over out-of-political-retirement Gareth Thomas.
The colours to the Rhuthun area:
1935-1955 National Liberal
1959 - 1983 Conservative
1987-2001 Labour
2005 to date Conservative
As an aside, in recent times, has Rhuthun ever sat comfortably with its parliamentary bedfellows? It always seems that Rhuthun was a bolt-on to both Clwyd South West and Clwyd West.
In the Vale of Clwyd seat that, aside from Dinbych a'r Rhyl, is probably fertile Conservative country, out goes Labour’s Chris Ruane in a seat he has held since 1992 (when it was Clwyd North). He lost by 237 votes, so there's all to play for next time around.
As for the southern part of the Vale, within Clwyd West, it has now however firmly re-established itself once again a safe Conservative Westminster seat.
General elections in Clwyd West during its life
During the early part of the last century, the predecessor seat of Denbigh (which included much of what is currently Clwyd South and the Vale of Clwyd) was held initially by Liberals. From 1935 to 1959, the National Liberals gained the seat and, in 1947, they merged with the Conservatives. From 1959 onwards, the Denbigh constituency was pure Conservative.
In 1983, the new seat of Clwyd South West replaced Denbigh. This was largely rural but it included Rhosllannerchrugog, together with Llangollen, Rhuthun/Ruthin and sparsely populated countryside around and between. This, too, was held by the Conservatives, with Robert Harvey marginally ahead of Social Democrat Robert Ellis by 1,551 votes. Labour was relegated to third.
Then came an upset. In 1987, Labour’s Martyn Jones beat Harvey by 1,028 votes. Next, in 1992, Jones increased his majority to 4,941 votes. 1992's Labour win was therefore more decisive, with 44 per cent of the vote.
Clwyd South West was split in two seats for the 1997 general election. That of Clwyd South included the urban villages of Wrexham plus the Dee Valley to Corwen. The electorate returned Martyn Jones, beating one Boris Johnson (re-elected in 2015 to parliament) for the Conservatives by a blistering 13,810 votes. Jones managed 58 per cent of the vote. Jones held to his retirement in 2010 when Labour’s Susan Elan Jones continued, albeit with reduced margins.
In 1997, Rhuthun transferred to the oddly shaped constituency of Clwyd West, to include Abergele and Bae Colwyn Bay. The first successful candidate was Llanfwrog Rural's Gareth Thomas (Labour), knocking out the infamous Conservative Rod Richards into second place by 1,848 votes. Thomas held the seat in 2001 by 1,115 votes but lost to Conservative David Jones in 2005, by just 133 votes. Jones retained the seat in 2010 with a vastly increased 6,419 majority over Labour's Donna Hutton and again in 2015, yesterday, with a 6,730 majority over out-of-political-retirement Gareth Thomas.
The colours to the Rhuthun area:
1935-1955 National Liberal
1959 - 1983 Conservative
1987-2001 Labour
2005 to date Conservative
As an aside, in recent times, has Rhuthun ever sat comfortably with its parliamentary bedfellows? It always seems that Rhuthun was a bolt-on to both Clwyd South West and Clwyd West.
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