Constituency of the Senedd
Cardiff Central
(
Welsh
:
Canol Caerdydd
) is a
constituency
of the
Senedd
. It elects one
Member of the Senedd
by the
first past the post
method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the
South Wales Central
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.
History
[
edit
]
From
1999
, Cardiff Central was a
safe seat
for the
Liberal Democrats
. However the seat was lost to
Labour
in
2011
with a huge 14.7% swing. In
2016
this was the Liberal Democrats target seat with their candidate
Eluned Parrott
a current regional AM for
South Wales Central
. The result actually saw a very slight increase in Labour's majority in a very disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats. The seat remained one of the most marginal in the
Assembly
until the
2021 Senedd election
, where Labour increased their majority substantially.
Furthermore, in 2016 two former
Big Brother
participants were the candidates for
Plaid Cymru
and the
Conservatives
.
Boundaries
[
edit
]
Map of current boundaries
The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the
Cardiff Central Westminster constituency
. It is entirely within the
preserved county
of
South Glamorgan
.
The other seven constituencies of the region are
Cardiff North
,
Cardiff South and Penarth
,
Cardiff West
,
Cynon Valley
,
Pontypridd
,
Rhondda
and
Vale of Glamorgan
.
Voting
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
Elections
[
edit
]
Elections in the 2020s
[
edit
]
2021 Senedd election
: Cardiff Central
[1]
Party
|
Candidate
|
Constituency
|
Regional
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Labour
|
Jenny Rathbone
|
13,100
|
45.9
|
+7.5
|
11,272
|
39.5
|
+6.4
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
Rodney Berman
|
5,460
|
19.1
|
-16.2
|
4,522
|
15.9
|
-12.3
|
|
Conservative
|
Calum Davies
|
3,788
|
13.3
|
+4.4
|
4,047
|
14.2
|
+4.0
|
|
Plaid Cymru
|
Wiliam Rees
|
3,470
|
12.2
|
+4.7
|
4,633
|
16.3
|
+5.4
|
|
Green
|
Ceri Davies
|
1,552
|
5.4
|
+1.0
|
2,258
|
7.9
|
+2.0
|
|
Abolish
|
Munawar Mughal
|
440
|
1.5
|
New
|
643
|
2.3
|
-0.6
|
|
Propel
|
Dilan Nazari
|
268
|
0.9
|
New
|
296
|
1.0
|
New
|
|
Freedom Alliance
|
Thomas Franklin
|
156
|
0.5
|
New
|
|
|
Reform UK
|
Julian Bosley
|
151
|
0.5
|
New
|
173
|
0.6
|
New
|
|
Socialist (GB)
|
Brian Johnson
|
82
|
0.3
|
New
|
|
|
Gwlad
|
Alford Thomas
|
65
|
0.2
|
New
|
80
|
0.3
|
New
|
|
UKIP
|
200
|
0.7
|
-5.2
|
|
No More Lockdowns
|
135
|
0.5
|
New
|
|
TUSC
|
97
|
0.3
|
-0.1
|
|
Communist
|
87
|
0.3
|
+0.1
|
|
Workers Party
|
33
|
0.1
|
New
|
|
Independent
|
Alan Coulthard
|
32
|
0.1
|
New
|
Majority
|
7,640
|
26.8
|
+23.7
|
|
Turnout
|
28,532
|
44.5
[2]
|
-1.1
|
|
|
|
|
Labour
hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
|
Elections in the 2010s
[
edit
]
Welsh Assembly Election 2016
: Cardiff Central
Party
|
Candidate
|
Constituency
|
Regional
[3]
[4]
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Labour
|
Jenny Rathbone
|
10,016
|
38.4
|
+0.5
|
8,595
|
33.1
|
+0.3
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
Eluned Parrott
|
9,199
|
35.3
|
-2.4
|
7,337
|
28.2
|
+2.3
|
|
Conservative
|
Joel Williams
|
2,317
|
8.9
|
-6.2
|
2,642
|
10.2
|
-5.9
|
|
Plaid Cymru
|
Glyn Wise
|
1,951
|
7.5
|
+0.3
|
2,831
|
10.9
|
+3.6
|
|
UKIP
|
Mohammed Islam
|
1,223
|
4.7
|
New
|
1,526
|
5.9
|
+2.6
|
|
Green
|
Amelia Womack
|
1,150
|
4.4
|
New
|
1,536
|
5.9
|
-3.2
|
|
Independent
|
Jane Croad
|
212
|
0.8
|
New
|
|
Abolish
|
750
|
2.9
|
New
|
|
Women's Equality
|
437
|
1.7
|
New
|
|
Monster Raving Loony
|
118
|
0.5
|
-0.3
|
|
TUSC
|
107
|
0.4
|
-0.1
|
|
Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power
|
42
|
0.2
|
New
|
|
Communist
|
40
|
0.2
|
-0.2
|
|
Independent (Jonathan Bishop)
[5]
|
24
|
0.1
|
New
|
Majority
|
817
|
3.1
|
+2.9
|
Turnout
|
26,068
|
45.6
|
+7.6
|
|
Labour
hold
|
Swing
|
+1.7
|
|
Welsh Assembly Election 2011
: Cardiff Central
Party
|
Candidate
|
Constituency
[6]
|
Regional
[7]
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Labour
|
Jenny Rathbone
|
8,954
|
37.9
|
+16.0
|
7,778
|
32.8
|
+11.2
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
Nigel Howells
|
8,916
|
37.7
|
-13.5
|
6,130
|
25.9
|
-11.1
|
|
Conservative
|
Matt Smith
|
3,559
|
15.1
|
+1.1
|
3,820
|
16.1
|
+0.6
|
|
Plaid Cymru
|
Chris Williams
|
1,690
|
7.2
|
-1.1
|
1,738
|
7.3
|
-1.9
|
|
Independent
|
Mathab Khan
|
509
|
2.2
|
New
|
|
Green
|
2,163
|
9.1
|
+3.6
|
|
UKIP
|
789
|
3.3
|
-0.1
|
|
Socialist Labour
|
337
|
1.4
|
+0.6
|
|
BNP
|
330
|
1.4
|
-1.5
|
|
Welsh Christian
|
236
|
1.0
|
-0.1
|
|
Monster Raving Loony
|
178
|
0.8
|
New
|
|
TUSC
|
125
|
0.5
|
New
|
|
Communist
|
83
|
0.4
|
-0.1
|
Majority
|
38
|
0.2
|
N/A
|
Turnout
|
23,628
|
38.0
|
+2.0
|
|
Labour
gain
from
Liberal Democrats
|
Swing
|
+14.7
|
|
Regional ballots rejected at the count:
208
[8]
Elections in the 2000s
[
edit
]
Welsh Assembly Election 2007
: Cardiff Central
Party
|
Candidate
|
Constituency
[9]
|
Regional
[10]
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
Jenny Randerson
|
11,462
|
51.2
|
-3.4
|
8,281
|
37.0
|
-4.0
|
|
Labour
|
Sue Lent
|
4,897
|
21.9
|
+2.0
|
4,845
|
21.6
|
-2.1
|
|
Conservative
|
Andrew Murphy
|
3,137
|
14.0
|
+2.5
|
3,476
|
15.5
|
+2.6
|
|
Plaid Cymru
|
Thomas Whitfield
|
1,855
|
8.3
|
-0.3
|
2,051
|
9.2
|
-1.0
|
|
UKIP
|
Frank Hughes
|
1,046
|
4.7
|
New
|
769
|
3.4
|
±0.0
|
|
Green
|
1,238
|
5.5
|
+0.9
|
|
BNP
|
651
|
2.9
|
New
|
|
Welsh Christian
|
246
|
1.1
|
New
|
|
Respect
|
198
|
0.9
|
New
|
|
Socialist Labour
|
169
|
0.8
|
-0.6
|
|
Communist
|
110
|
0.5
|
+0.3
|
|
CPA
|
154
|
0.7
|
New
|
|
Socialist Alternative (UK)
|
123
|
0.5
|
New
|
|
Socialist Equality
|
74
|
0.3
|
New
|
Majority
|
6,565
|
29.3
|
−5.4
|
Turnout
|
22,397
|
36.0
|
+2.3
|
|
Liberal Democrats
hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Welsh Assembly Election 2003
: Cardiff Central
Party
|
Candidate
|
Constituency
|
Regional
[11]
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
Jenny Randerson
|
11,256
|
54.6
|
+12.3
|
8,434
|
41.0
|
+5.8
|
|
Labour
|
Geoff M. Mungham
|
4,100
|
19.9
|
-10.1
|
4,866
|
23.7
|
-4.6
|
|
Conservative
|
Craig S. Piper
|
2,378
|
11.5
|
-0.2
|
2,656
|
12.9
|
±0.0
|
|
Plaid Cymru
|
Owen John Thomas
|
1,795
|
8.6
|
-6.1
|
2,099
|
10.2
|
-6.4
|
|
Independent
|
Raja G. Raiz
|
541
|
2.6
|
New
|
|
Independent
|
Captain Beany
|
212
|
0.8
|
New
|
|
Independent
|
Madeleine E. Jeremy
|
239
|
1.2
|
New
|
|
Green
|
940
|
4.6
|
+1.1
|
|
UKIP
|
694
|
3.4
|
New
|
|
Socialist Labour
|
279
|
1.4
|
Unknown
|
|
Vote No 2 Stop the War
|
226
|
1.1
|
New
|
|
ProLife Alliance
|
198
|
0.5
|
New
|
|
New Millennium Bean Party
|
168
|
0.8
|
New
|
|
Cymru Annibynnol
|
56
|
0.3
|
New
|
|
Communist
|
45
|
0.2
|
Unknown
|
Majority
|
7,156
|
34.7
|
+22.4
|
Turnout
|
21,052
|
33.7
|
-11.1
|
|
Liberal Democrats
hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
2003 Electorate:
62,470
Regional ballots rejected:
285
Elections in the 1990s
[
edit
]
Welsh Assembly Election 1999
: Cardiff Central
Party
|
Candidate
|
Constituency
|
Regional
[12]
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
Jenny Randerson
|
10,937
|
42.3
|
N/A
|
9,116
|
35.2
|
N/A
|
|
Labour
|
Mark Drakeford
|
7,769
|
30.0
|
N/A
|
7,343
|
28.3
|
N/A
|
|
Plaid Cymru
|
Owen John Thomas
|
3,795
|
14.7
|
N/A
|
4,307
|
16.6
|
N/A
|
|
Conservative
|
Stephen Jones
|
3,034
|
11.7
|
N/A
|
3,348
|
12.9
|
N/A
|
|
Socialist Alliance
|
Julian Goss
|
338
|
1.3
|
|
Green
|
911
|
3.5
|
|
|
Independent (Alun Mathias)
|
331
|
1.3
|
New
|
|
Other List Parties
|
554
|
2.1
|
|
Majority
|
3,168
|
12.3
|
Turnout
|
25,873
|
44.8
|
|
Liberal Democrats
win
(new seat)
|
1999 Electorate:
57,700
References
[
edit
]
|
---|
About Cardiff
| | |
---|
Cardiff templates
| |
---|
Neighbourhoods
| |
---|
|
51°30′14″N
3°09′00″W
/
51.504°N 3.150°W
/
51.504; -3.150