Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Senedd constituency)

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Welsh: Dwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr) is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. It is one of eight constituencies in the Mid and West Wales electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Dwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr
Senedd county constituency
for the Senedd
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr shown within the Mid and West Wales electoral region and the region shown within Wales
Current Senedd county constituency
Created1999
PartyPlaid Cymru
MSAdam Price
Preserved countyDyfed

It had been held since its formation in 1999 by the Plaid Cymru politician, Rhodri Glyn Thomas until his retirement in 2016. It is now held by Plaid Cymru politician Adam Price, who became leader of the party in 2018.

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

1999 to 2007

The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Westminster constituency. It was a Dyfed constituency, one of five constituencies covering, and entirely within, the preserved county of Dyfed.

The other four Dyfed constituencies were Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Llanelli and Preseli Pembrokeshire. They were all within the Mid and West Wales electoral region.

The region consisted of the eight constituencies of Brecon and Radnorshire, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Llanelli, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Montgomeryshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire.

From 2007

The constituency includes the whole of 41 Carmarthenshire communities (Abergwili; Ammanford; Betws; Cenarth; Cilycwm; Cwmamman; Cynwyl Gaeo; Dyffryn Cennen; Gorslas; Llanarthney; Llanddarog; Llanddeusant; Llandeilo; Llandovery; Llandybie; Llandyfaelog; Llanegwad; Llanfair-ar-y-bryn; Llanfihangel Aberbythych; Llanfihangel-ar-Arth; Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn; Llanfynydd; Llangadog; Llangathen; Llangeler; Llangunnor; Llangyndeyrn; Llanllawddog; Llanllwni; Llansadwrn; Llansawel; Llanwrda; Llanybydder; Llanycrwys; Manordeilo and Salem; Myddfai; Newcastle Emlyn; Pencarreg; Quarter Bach; St Ishmael; Talley).

Boundaries changed for the 2007 Assembly election. Carmarthen East and Dinefwr remains one of five Dyfed constituencies and one of eight constituencies in the Mid and West Wales region. However, boundaries within Dyfed changed, to realign them with local government ward boundaries and to reduce the disparities in the sizes of constituency electorates, and the boundaries of the region changed, to align them with the boundaries of preserved counties.

The other four Dyfed constituencies are, again, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Llanelli and Preseli Pembrokeshire, all within the Mid and West Wales electoral region.

The region consists of the constituencies of Brecon and Radnorshire, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Llanelli, Montgomeryshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire.

For Westminster purposes, the same new constituency boundaries became effective for the 2010 United Kingdom general election.

Voting

In general elections for the Senedd, each voter has two votes. The first vote may be used to vote for a candidate to become the Member of the Senedd for the voter's constituency, elected by the first past the post system. The second vote may be used to vote for a regional closed party list of candidates. Additional member seats are allocated from the lists by the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account in the allocation.

Assembly members and Members of the Senedd

ElectionMemberParty
1999Rhodri Glyn ThomasPlaid Cymru
2016Adam Price

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

2021 Senedd election: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr[1]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional[2]
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Plaid CymruAdam Price[a]15,26145.9-2.613,40340.0-3.2
LabourRobert James8,44825.41+6.28,53125.5+5.5
ConservativeHavard Hughes7,75123.31+8.27,12521.3+6.8
Liberal DemocratsMonica French9752.93+0.17322.2-0.9
Reform UKKarl Pollard8182.46New3501.0New
Green1,3203.9+1.2
Abolish7852.3-1.0
UKIP5081.5-9.9
Christian1740.5New
Freedom Alliance (UK)1630.5New
Gwlad1540.5New
Propel1280.4New
Communist920.3+0.1
TUSC260.1New
Majority6,81320.48-8.8
Turnout33,25351.94[3]-1.8
Plaid Cymru holdSwing
Notes

Elections in the 2010s

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
PartyCandidateConstituency[4]Regional[5]
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Plaid CymruAdam Price14,42748.5+3.612,82543.2+3.2
LabourSteve Jeacock5,72719.2-10.85,93020.0-6.6
ConservativeMatthew Paul4,48915.1-5.14,28814.5-3.2
UKIPNeil Hamilton3,47411.7New3,39311.4+7.6
Liberal DemocratsWilliam Powell8372.8-2.09193.1-0.8
GreenFreya Amsbury7972.7New7872.7-1.2
Abolish9733.3New
People First (Wales)1590.5New
Monster Raving Loony1220.4New
Welsh Christian1160.4-0.3
Association of Welsh Independents830.3New
Communist680.2-0.1
Majority8,70029.3+14.4
Turnout29,75153.7+2.4
Plaid Cymru holdSwing+7.2
Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
PartyCandidateConstituency [6]Regional[7]
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Plaid CymruRhodri Glyn Thomas12,50144.9-8.611,12940.0-4.3
LabourAntony Jones8,35330.0+5.47,41926.6+5.1
ConservativeHenrietta Hensher5,63520.2+4.24,94117.7+3.0
Liberal DemocratsWill Griffiths1,3394.8-1.21,0853.9-0.4
Green1,0883.9-0.3
UKIP1,0583.8+0.6
Socialist Labour4701.7+0.6
BNP3921.4-1.2
Welsh Christian1940.70.0
Communist710.30.0
Majority4,14814.9-14.0
Turnout27,82851.3-3.6
Plaid Cymru holdSwing-7.1

Regional ballots rejected: 132[8]

Elections in the 2000s

Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional[9]
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Plaid CymruRhodri Glyn Thomas15,65553.5+5.012,95644.3+3.2
LabourKevin Madge7,18624.6-6.66,28221.5-7.6
ConservativeHenrietta Hensher4,67616.0+2.64,29214.7+2.6
Liberal DemocratsIan Walton1,7526.0-1.01,2444.3-2.6
Green1,2194.2-+0.4
UKIP9483.2+0.8
BNP7562.6New
Gwynoro Jones - Independent4231.4New
Caroline Evans - Independent3901.3New
Socialist Labour3211.1New
Welsh Christian1940.7New
Communist910.3New
Veritas790.3New
CPA400.1New
Majority8,46928.9+11.6
Turnout29,26955.7+6.2
Plaid Cymru holdSwing+5.9
Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional[10]
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Plaid CymruRhodri Glyn Thomas12,96948.5-4.611,02141.1-12.1
LabourAnthony Cooper8,35531.2-0.57,81029.1+3.8
ConservativeHarri Lloyd Davies3,57613.4+4.93,25312.1+2.4
Liberal DemocratsSteffan John1,8667.0+0.31,8596.9+0.9
Green1,0183.8Unknown
Mid and West Wales Pensioners8483.2New
UKIP6442.4New
Cymru Annibynnol1880.7New
Vote 2 Stop the War1030.4New
Prolife Alliance510.2New
Majority4,61417.3-4.1
Turnout26,76649.5-11.5
Plaid Cymru holdSwing-2.1

2003 Electorate: 54,110
Regional ballots rejected: 239

Elections in the 1990s

Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Plaid CymruRhodri Glyn Thomas17,32853.1N/A17,46953.3N/A
LabourChris Llewelyn10,34831.7N/A8,25325.3N/A
ConservativeHelen Stoddart2,7768.5N/A3,1689.7N/A
Liberal DemocratsJuliana Hughes2,2026.7N/A1,9616.0N/A
Other list parties1,7825.5N/A
Majority6,98021.4
Turnout32,65461.0
Plaid Cymru win (new seat)

References

51°56′N 4°06′W / 51.933°N 4.100°W / 51.933; -4.100