Gower (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Gower (Assembly constituency).

Coordinates: 51°37′12″N 4°08′13″W / 51.620°N 4.137°W / 51.620; -4.137

Gower
constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Gower in Wales.
Preserved county	West Glamorgan
Electorate	62,389 (December 2010)^[1]
Major settlements	Mumbles, Clydach, Pontarddulais, Penllergaer
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of parliament	Byron Davies (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Glamorganshire
Overlaps
Welsh Assembly	South Wales West
European Parliament constituency	Wales

Gower (Welsh: Gŵyr) is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by one member of parliament (MP). Byron Davies is the current MP after winning, by only 27 votes, in the 2015 UK General Election.

Overview

The constituency was first created in 1885 and has existed in various forms ever since. Before 2015 it had elected only Labour MPs since 1906, at the time the longest run (with Normanton and Makerfield) of any British constituency. It is one of three parliamentary seats representing the city and county of Swansea, the others being Swansea West and Swansea East.

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Swansea, and the Sessional Divisions of Gower, Pontardawe, and Swansea.

1918-1950: The Urban District of Oystermouth, and the Rural Districts of Gower and Swansea.

1950-1983: The Urban District of Llwchwr, and the Rural Districts of Gower and Pontardawe.

1983-2010: The City of Swansea wards of Bishopston, Fairwood, Gower, Newton, Oystermouth, Penclawdd, Pennard, and West Cross, and the Borough of Lliw Valley wards of Clydach, Dulais East, Gorseinon Central, Gorseinon East, Gowerton East, Gowerton West, Graigfelin, Kingsbridge, Llangyfelach, Lower Loughor, Mawr, Penllergaer, Penyrheol, Pontardulais, Tal-y-bont, Upper Loughor, and Vardre.

2010-present: The Swansea County electoral divisions of Bishopston, Clydach, Fairwood, Gorseinon, Gower, Gowerton, Kingsbridge, Llangyfelach, Lower Loughor, Mawr, Newton, Oystermouth, Penclawdd, Penllergaer, Pennard, Penyrheol, Pontardulais, Upper Loughor, and West Cross.

The constituency encompasses most of the old Lordship of Gower (less the city of Swansea) and covers the inner Gower Peninsula and outer Gower areas including Clydach, Gowerton, Gorseinon, Felindre and Garnswllt.

History

Liberals and Labour 1885-1918

The first years of the constituency saw a struggle between the Liberals and those who favoured direct labour representation. Although its new electors in 1885 were predominantly the miners and tinplaters of the Swansea Valley, the new MP was Frank Ash Yeo, a local colliery owner and clearly an upper-class figure.^[2] In 1885 he comfortably defeated Henry Nathaniel Miers of Ynyspenllwch in the Swansea Valley, a coal owner, tinplate manufacturer and landowner.^[3]

General Election 1885: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Frank Ash Yeo	5,560
	Conservative	Henry Nathaniel Miers	2,103		-
Majority			3,457
Turnout				72.6
	Liberal win (new seat)

On Yeo's death in 1888, representatives of the trade unions in the constituency overturned the Liberal association's choice of Sir Horace Davey and ensured the selection of David Randell as candidate. Randell was a Methodist solicitor who specialised in trade union litigation and his victory, albeit with a reduced majority over John Dillwyn Llewellyn, formed the basis of later claims that Gower was a 'labour' seat.^[2]

2015 General Election

The defeat of Labour's 2015 candidate, Liz Evans by Byron Davies, in the 2015 General Election, by only 27 votes, was the narrowest victory across the whole country, making it the most marginal Conservative gain. Subsequently, Davies' victory brought 105 consecutive years of Labour representation to an end.

Members of Parliament

	Member^[4]	Whip
1885	Frank Yeo	Liberal
1888	David Randell	Liberal
1900	John Aeron Thomas	Liberal
1906	John Williams	Liberal
1910	John Williams	Labour
1922	David Grenfell	Labour
1959	Ifor Davies	Labour
1982	Gareth Wardell	Labour
1997	Martin Caton	Labour
2015	Byron Davies	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Gower^[5]^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Byron Davies	15,862	37.1	+5.1
	Labour	Liz Evans	15,835	37.0	-1.4
	UKIP	Colin Beckett	4,773	11.2	+9.6
	Plaid Cymru	Darren Thomas	3,051	7.1	+0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Mike Sheehan	1,552	3.6	-15.4
	Green	Julia Marshall	1,161	2.7	n/a
	Monster Raving Loony	Baron Barnes Von Claptrap	253	0.6	n/a
	Independent	Steve Roberts	168	0.4	n/a
	TUSC	Mark Evans	103	0.2	n/a
Majority			27	0.1
Turnout			42,758	69.2	+1.7
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+3.2

General Election 2010: Gower^[7]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Martin Caton	16,016	38.4	-4.0
	Conservative	Byron Davies	13,333	32.0	+6.5
	Liberal Democrats	Mike Day	7,947	19.1	+0.6
	Plaid Cymru	Darren Price	2,760	6.6	-1.2
	BNP	Adrian Jones	963	2.3	N/A
	UKIP	Gordon Triggs	652	1.6	-1.6
Majority			2,683	6.4
Turnout			41,671	67.5	+2.1
	Labour hold		Swing	-5.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Gower^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Martin Caton	16,786	42.5	-4.8
	Conservative	Mike Murray	10,083	25.5	-2.0
	Liberal Democrats	Nick Tregoning	7,291	18.4	+6.3
	Plaid Cymru	Sian Caiach	3,089	7.8	-2.5
	UKIP	Richard Lewis	1,264	3.2	+3.2
	Green	Rhodri Griffiths	1,029	2.6	+1.0
Majority			6,703	17.0
Turnout			39,542	64.9	+1.5
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.4

General Election 2001: Gower^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Martin Caton	17,676	47.3	-6.5
	Conservative	John Bushell	10,281	27.5	+3.7
	Liberal Democrats	Sheila Waye	4,507	12.1	-0.9
	Plaid Cymru	Sian Caiach	3,865	10.3	+5.2
	Green	Tina Shrewsbury	607	1.6	N/A
	Socialist Labour	Darran Hickery	417	1.1	N/A
Majority			7,395	19.8
Turnout			37,353	63.4	-11.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Gower^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Martin Caton	23,313	53.8	+3.7
	Conservative	Alun Cairns	10,306	23.8	−11.3
	Liberal Democrats	Howard W. Evans	5,624	13.0	+3.0
	Plaid Cymru	D. Elwyn Williams	2,226	5.1	+1.6
	Referendum	Richard D. Lewis	1,745	4.0	N/A
	Independent	Anthony G. Popham	122	0.3	N/A
Majority			13,007	30.0	+15.0
Turnout			43,336	75.1	−11.7
	Labour hold		Swing	+7.5

General Election 1992: Gower^[12]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Gareth Wardell	23,485	50.1	+3.5
	Conservative	Anthony L. Donnelly	16,437	35.1	+0.6
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher G. Davies	4,655	9.9	−6.2
	Plaid Cymru	Adam Price	1,639	3.5	+0.7
	Green	Brian Kingzett	448	1.0	N/A
	Raving Loony Green Giant Party	Gerry P. Egan	114	0.2	N/A
	Natural Law	Michael S. Beresford	74	0.2	N/A
Majority			7,048	15.0	+2.9
Turnout			46,852	81.9	+1.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.5

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Gower^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Gareth Wardell	22,139	46.6	+8.5
	Conservative	G A L Price	16,374	34.5	-0.8
	Social Democratic	D H O Elliott	7,645	16.1	-7.3
	Plaid Cymru	J G M Edwards	1,341	2.8	-0.4
Majority			5,765	12.1	+9.3
Turnout			47,498	80.7	+2.0
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1983: Gower^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Gareth Wardell	16,972	38.1	N/A
	Conservative	A R T Kenyon	15,767	35.3	N/A
	Social Democratic	Gwynoro Glyndwr Jones	10,416	23.4	N/A
	Plaid Cymru	N Williams	1,444	3.2	N/A
Majority			1,205	2.8	N/A
Turnout			44,599	78.7	N/A
	Labour hold		Swing

Gower by-election, 1982
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Gareth Wardell	17,095	43.5	-9.8
	Social Democratic	Gwynoro Glyndwr Jones	9,875	25.1	+16.1
	Conservative	Trefor Llewellyn	8,690	22.1	-8.4
	Plaid Cymru	Ieuan Owen	3,431	8.7	+1.6
	Computer Democrat	John Donovan	125	0.3	N/A
	Civil Rights/Welsh Political Prisoner	David Burns	103	0.3	N/A
Majority			7,220	18.4
Turnout
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Ifor Davies	24,963	53.24	N/A
	Conservative	T Llewellyn	14,322	30.55	N/A
	Liberal	R Blakeborough-Pownal	4,245	9.05	N/A
	Plaid Cymru	E Thomas	3,357	7.16	N/A
Majority			10,641	22.69	N/A
Turnout			46,887	80.8	N/A
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election October 1974: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ifor Davies	25,067	57.29
	Conservative	DFR George	8,863	20.26
	Liberal	R Owen	5,453	12.46
	Plaid Cymru	M Powell	4,369	9.99
Majority			16,204	37.04
Turnout				76.94
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election February 1974: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ifor Davies	23,856	52.88
	Conservative	DFR George	8,780	19.46
	Liberal	Richard Clement Charles Thomas	8,737	19.37
	Plaid Cymru	JN Harris	3,741	8.29
Majority			15,076	33.42
Turnout				79.88
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1970: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ifor Davies	26,485	63.38
	Conservative	Michael J Carter	9,435	22.58
	Plaid Cymru	Clifford G Davies	5,869	14.04
Majority			17,050	40.80
Turnout				76.94
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ifor Davies	29,910	77.16
	Conservative	David RO Lewis	8,852	22.84
Majority			21,058	54.33
Turnout				77.94
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1964: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ifor Davies	27,895	71.02
	Liberal National	J Huw P Griffiths	8,822	22.46
	Plaid Cymru	John Gwyn Griffiths	2,562	6.52
Majority			19,073	48.56
Turnout				79.97
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Ifor Davies	27,441	66.89
	Conservative	Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine	9,837	23.98
	Plaid Cymru	John Gwyn Griffiths	3,744	9.13
Majority			17,604	42.91
Turnout				82.91
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1955: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	26,304	68.25
	National Liberal	B Gwyther Jones	8,135	21.11
	Plaid Cymru	Edward Christopher Rees	4,101	10.64
Majority			18,169	47.14
Turnout				76.78
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1951: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	32,661	75.93
	National Liberal	W. Rowe Harding	10,351	24.07
Majority			22,310	51.87
Turnout				84.31
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1950: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	32,564	76.13
	National Liberal	W. Rowe Harding	10,208	23.87
Majority			22,356	52.27
Turnout				84.77
	Labour hold		Swing

Election in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	30,676	68.49
	Liberal National	John Aeron-Thomas	14,115	31.51
Majority			16,561	36.97
Turnout				76.98
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	25,632	66.80
	Liberal National	GC Hutchinson	13,239	33.20
Majority			13,393	33.59
Turnout				76.12
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1931: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	21,963	53.41
	Liberal	Sir Edgar Rees Jones	19,157	46.59
Majority			2,806	6.82
Turnout				83.52
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	20,664	54.0	-3.2
	Liberal	Frederick William Davies	11,055	28.9	n/a
	Unionist	Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd	6,554	17.1	-25.7
Majority			9,609	25.1	+10.7
Turnout				79.6	+4.1
	Labour hold		Swing	n/a

General Election 1924: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	15,374	57.2	-1.9
	Unionist	Ernest Thomas Nethercoat	11,516	42.8	n/a
Majority			3,858	14.4	-3.8
Turnout				75.5	+2.5
	Labour hold		Swing	n/a

General Election 1923: Gower ^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	14, 771	59.1	+4.9
	Liberal	Mrs Lily Folland	10,219	40.9	-4.9
Majority			4,552	18.2	+9.8
Turnout				73.0	-1.6
	Labour hold		Swing	+4.9

General Election 1922: Gower ^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	13,388	54.2	-3.3
	Liberal	Frederick William Davies	11,302	45.8	+3.3
Majority			2,086	8.4	-6.6
Turnout				74.6	+1.6
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.3

Gower by-election, 1922 ^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	David Rhys Grenfell	13,296	57.5	+2.7
	Coalition Liberal	D.H. Williams	9,841	42.5	-2.7
Majority			3,455	15.0	+5.4
Turnout				73.0	+10.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.7

Elections in the 1910s

John Williams

General Election 1918: Gower
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	John Williams	10,109	54.8
	Liberal	D H Williams	8,353	45.2
Majority			1,756	9.6
Turnout				62.2
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 1914/15:

A General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Labour:John Williams
Liberal:
Unionist: Peter D Thomas^[18]

General Election December 1910: Gower ^[19]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	John Williams	5,480
	Liberal	WF Phillips	4,527
Majority
Turnout
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election January 1910: Gower ^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	John Williams	9,312
	Conservative	Percy Reginald Owen Abel Simner	2,532
Majority
Turnout
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Elections in the 1900s

Williams

General Election 1906: Gower ^[17]^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Lib-Lab	John Williams	4,841	42.8	n/a
	Liberal	Thomas Jeremiah Williams	4,522	40.0	-12.6
	Conservative	Ernest Helme	1,939	17.2	n/a
Majority			319
Turnout				83.0	+16.7
	Lib-Lab gain from Liberal		Swing

Hodge

General Election 1900: Gower ^[17]^[21]^[22]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	John Aeron Thomas	4,276	52.6
	Independent Labour	John Hodge	3,853	47.4
Majority			423	5.2
Turnout				66.3
	Liberal hold		Swing

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1895: Gower ^[17]^[21]^[23]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	David Randell	6,074
	Liberal Unionist	Charles Henry Glascodyne	2,256
Majority			3,818
Turnout
	Liberal hold		Swing

General Election 1892: Gower ^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	David Randell	unopposed	n/a	n/a
	Liberal hold		Swing	n/a

Elections in the 1880s

Randell

Gower by-election, 1888 ^[17]^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	David Randell	3,964	54.1	n/a
	Conservative	John Talbot Dillwyn-Llewelyn	3,358	45.9	n/a
Majority			606	8.2	n/a
Turnout					n/a
	Liberal hold		Swing	n/a

General Election 1886: Gower ^[17]^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Frank Ash Yeo	unopposed	n/a	n/a
	Liberal hold		Swing	n/a

Yeo

General Election 1885: Gower ^[17]^[21]^[24]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Frank Ash Yeo	5,560	72.6	n/a
	Conservative	Henry Nathaniel Miers	2,103	27.4	n/a
Majority			3,457	45.2	n/a
Turnout				72.6	n/a
	Liberal win (new seat)

Notes and references

↑ "Beyond 20/20 WDS - Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
1 2 Morgan (1960). Morgannwg: 9. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ Rees (2004). Gwent Local History: 60–1. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)
↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
↑ "Swansea results". Results - UK Parliamentary general election 2015. City and County of Swansea. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
↑ Gower BBC Election - Gower
↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
↑ Etholiadau'r ganrif 1885-1997, Beti Jones
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
↑ Yorkshire Evening Post 2 May 1914
↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886

Sources

Books and Journals

Morgan, Kenneth O. (1960). "Democratic Politics in Glamorgan, 1884-1914". Morgannwg. 4: 5–27.
Morgan, Kenneth O (1991). Wales in British Politics 1868–1922 (3rd ed.). Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708311245.
Rees, Ivor Thomas (Autumn 2004). "Whatever happened to young William?". Gwent Local History. 97: 58–66.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by North Antrim	Constituency represented by the Father of the House 1952–1959	Succeeded by Woodford

Constituencies in Wales (40)

Labour (25)	Aberavon Alyn and Deeside Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Central Cardiff South and Penarth Cardiff West Clwyd South Cynon Valley Delyn Islwyn Llanelli Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Neath Newport East Newport West Ogmore Pontypridd Rhondda Swansea East Swansea West Torfaen Wrexham Ynys Môn

Conservative (11)	Aberconwy Brecon and Radnorshire Cardiff North Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Clwyd West Gower Monmouth Montgomeryshire Preseli Pembrokeshire Vale of Clwyd Vale of Glamorgan

Plaid Cymru (3)	Arfon Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Dwyfor Meirionnydd

Liberal Democrats (1)	Ceredigion

Wales European constituency: Conservative (1) Labour (1) Plaid Cymru (1) UKIP (1)

Electoral wards of the City and County of Swansea council

Swansea East Constituency	Bonymaen Cwmbwrla Landore Llansamlet Morriston Mynyddbach Penderry St. Thomas

Swansea West Constituency	Castle Cockett Dunvant Killay North Killay South Mayals Sketty Townhill Uplands

Gower Constituency	Bishopston Clydach Fairwood Gorseinon Gower Gowerton Kingsbridge Llangyfelach Lower Loughor Mawr Newton Oystermouth Penclawdd Penllergaer Pennard Penyrheol Pontarddulais Upper Loughor West Cross

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