List of parliamentary constituencies in Gwynedd

Three constituencies cover the preserved county of Gwynedd for the House of Commons of the UK Parliament (Westminster), and are used also for elections to the Senedd. The current boundaries have been effective since the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election and the 2010 United Kingdom general election.[1][n 1].

The preserved county of Gwynedd shares its name with the southern bulk, the principal area, Gwynedd, Anglesey (Welsh: Ynys Môn), forms a second principal area, i.e. has its own local government council.

For Senedd elections, the constituencies each elect one assembly member and are grouped into additional-member electoral regions, in this instance the region is North Wales.

Westminster boundaries

From 2010

ConstituencyBoundaries
1. Arfon CC (Westminster)
Parliamentary constituencies in Gwynedd 2010
2. Dwyfor Meirionnydd CC (Westminster)
3. Ynys Môn CC (Westminster)

  Plaid Cymru  Conservative  Labour

ConstituencyElectorateMajorityMember of ParliamentNearest oppositionMap reference above
Arfon42,2152,781 Hywel Williams Steffie Williams Roberts ‡1
Dwyfor Meirionnydd44,3624,740 Liz Saville-Roberts Tomos Davies †2
Ynys Môn51,9251,968 Virginia Crosbie Mary Roberts ‡3

1997 to 2010

ConstituencyBoundaries
1. Caernarfon CC (Westminster)
Parliamentary constituencies in Gwynedd pre-2010
2. Conwy CC (Westminster) (part)
3. Meirionnydd Nant Conwy CC (Westminster) (part)
4. Ynys Môn CC (Westminster)

Proposed boundary changes

The Boundary Commission for Wales submitted their final proposals in respect of the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies (the 2018 review) in September 2018. Although the proposals were immediately laid before Parliament they were not brought forward by the Government for approval. Accordingly, they did not come into effect for the 2019 election which took place on 12 December 2019, and which was contested using the constituency boundaries in place since 2010.

Under the terms of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Sixth Review was based on reducing the total number of MPs from 650 to 600 and a strict electoral parity requirement that the electorate of all constituencies should be within a range of 5% either side of the electoral quota.

On 24 March 2020, the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Chloe Smith, issued a written statement to Parliament setting out the Government's thinking with regard to parliamentary boundaries. They propose to bring forward primary legislation to remove the statutory obligation to implement the 2018 Boundary Review recommendations, as well as set the framework for future boundary reviews in time for the next review which is due to begin in early 2021 and report no later than October 2023. It is proposed that the number of constituencies now remains at the current level of 650, rather than being reduced to 600, while retaining the requirement that the electorate should be no more than +/- 5% from the electoral quota.[2]

Senedd boundaries

From 2007

ConstituencySenedd regionConstituency boundaries
1. Arfon CC (Senedd)North Wales
Senedd constituencies in Gwynedd 2007
2. Dwyfor Meirionnydd CC (Senedd)Mid and West Wales
3. Ynys Môn CC (Senedd)North Wales

The North Wales region also includes seven Clwyd constituencies.The Mid and West Wales region also includes five Dyfed constituencies and two Powys constituencies.

1999 to 2007

ConstituencyAssembly regionConstituency boundaries
1. Caernarfon CC (Assembly)North Wales
Assembly constituencies in Gwynedd pre-2007
2. Conwy CC (Assembly) (part)
3. Meirionnydd Nant Conwy CC (Assembly) (part)Mid and West Wales
4. Ynys Môn CC (Assembly)North Wales

Historical representation by party

Before 1974/1983 this table covers the historic counties of Anglesey, Carnarvonshire and Merionethshire. A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

1832 to 1885

  Conservative  Liberal  Peelite  Whig

Constituency183233331835361837184146184718521857
AngleseyWilliams-BulkeleyStanleyWilliams-Bulkeley
BeaumarisF. PagetG. PagetStanley
CaernarvonC. PagetNanneyC. PagetL. Jones-ParryHughes
CaernarvonshireSmithOrmsby-GoreE. Douglas-Pennant
MerionethshireVaughanRichardsW. W. Wynne

1859 to 1885

  Conservative  Liberal

Constituency1859186566186870187418808082
AngleseyWilliams-BulkeleyDavies
BeaumarisStanleyLloyd
CaernarvonC. WynneHughesT. Jones-Parry
CaernarvonshireE. Douglas-PennantG. Douglas-PennantT. Jones-ParryG. Douglas-PennantC. WilliamsRathbone
MerionethshireW. W. WynneW. R. WynneD. WilliamsHolland

1885 to 1918

  Conservative  Liberal

Constituency18851886901892189599000606Jan 10Dec 1015
AngleseyR. DaviesLewisEllis-Griffith
ArfonRathboneW. JonesRees
CarnarvonJones-ParrySwetenhamD. Lloyd George
MerionethshireRobertsonEllisEdwardsWilliamsHaydn Jones
EifionJ. RobertsE. Davies

1918 to 1950

  Coalition Liberal (1918–22) / National Liberal (1922–23)  Conservative  Independent Labour  Independent Liberals  Labour  Liberal

Constituency1918192223192324192919311935451945
AngleseyO. ThomasR. ThomasM. Lloyd George
CarnarvonS. DaviesPrice-White
CarnarvonshireBreeseR. JonesOwenG. Roberts
MerionethshireHaydn JonesE. Roberts

1950 to 1983

  Conservative  Labour  Liberal  Plaid Cymru

Constituency1950195119551959196419661970Feb 1974Oct 19741979
AngleseyLloyd GeorgeHughesBest
CaernarfonG. RobertsWigley
MerionethshireE. RobertsT. JonesEdwardsThomas
Conway1W. JonesThomasDaviesW. Roberts

1983 to 2010

  Conservative  Labour  Plaid Cymru

Constituency198319871992199720012005
Ynys MônBestWyn JonesOwen
CaernarfonWigleyH. Williams
Meirionnydd Nant ConwyThomasLlwyd
Conway1W. RobertsB. Williams

1In 2003 the area of the former Aberconwy district, largely identical to the Conway constituency, was moved from the preserved county of Gwynedd to the preserved county of Clwyd. This constituency is graphed with the Gwynedd constituencies until the reorganisation of constituency boundaries in 2010.

2010 to present

  Conservative  Labour  Plaid Cymru

Constituency20102015201720192024
Ynys MônOwenCrosbie
Arfon1H. WilliamsN/A
Dwyfor MeirionnyddLlwydSaville-Roberts

1parts transferred in 2024 to the constituency of Bangor Aberconwy which lies mostly in Clwyd

See also

Notes and references

References
Notes