Brecon and Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Brecon and Radnorshire (Template:Langx) was a county constituency in Wales of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1918, it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

The constituency was abolished as part of the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales. The entire constituency became part of the newly named constituency of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe.

Boundaries

Template:Maplink The boundaries of the constituency corresponded broadly with the ancient counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire. Radnorshire is included in full, and the only significantly populated area from Brecknockshire not in this constituency is Brynmawr, which is in Blaenau Gwent. This is the largest constituency in England and Wales by area. No town in the constituency exceeds a population of 10,000, the largest being Ystradgynlais at roughly 9,000. Other towns in the constituency were Brecon, Knighton, Crickhowell and Llandrindod Wells. The remainder of the constituency is largely made up of small villages and land used for farming sheep: sheep outnumber humans in Powys as a whole by around ten to one.

Under planned constituency changes announced in September 2016 ahead of the next general election, it was proposed to merge this seat with the southern half of Montgomeryshire, including Newtown, to form a new constituency called Brecon, Radnor and Montgomery.

History

The constituency was created in the boundary changes of 1918 by merging Breconshire and Radnorshire, both previously constituencies in their own right. As part of the Third Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies there were changes to the boundaries in 1983, when the constituency lost several small areas in the south. While historically having been held by the Labour Party for forty years, the constituency was captured from the Conservative government by the SDP–Liberal Alliance at a dramatic by-election in 1985. It was regained by the Conservatives in 1992, taken back by the Liberal Democrats in 1997, and then returned to the Conservatives in 2015. It was the Conservatives' fifteenth target seat at the 2005 election, but the party's share of the vote fell, leaving it as the Conservatives' 95th target seat in 2010, requiring a swing of 5.09%. In the event, the swing to the Conservatives was 0.3%, and the Liberal Democrats retained the seat, with Roger Williams remaining the MP. In 2015 the seat was reclaimed for the Conservatives by Chris Davies, whose majority of 5,102 was the largest in the constituency since Tom Hooson won the seat, also for the Conservatives, in 1983. Roger Williams stood for the Liberal Democrats in 2015 but shed over 6,500 votes from his 2010 result, a loss of 17.8%.

In 2019, Davies pleaded guilty to filing false expenses claims, triggering a recall petition, the third such petition in the UK. The petition was successful, forcing Davies to vacate the seat. A by-election was held on 1 August, which was won by Liberal Democrat candidate Jane Dodds. Dodds was then defeated by Conservative Fay Jones at the general election in December 2019.

Members of Parliament

Year		Member	Whip
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1918	Sidney Robinson	Coalition Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1922	William Jenkins	National Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1923		Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1924	Walter Hall	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1929	Peter Freeman	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1931	Walter Hall	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1935	Ivor Guest	National
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1939 by-election	William Jackson	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	Tudor Watkins	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1970	Caerwyn Roderick	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1979	Tom Hooson	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1985 by-election	Richard Livsey	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1988		Liberal Democrats
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1992	Jonathan Evans	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1997	Richard Livsey	Liberal Democrats
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2001	Roger Williams	Liberal Democrats
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2015	Christopher Davies	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2019 by-election	Jane Dodds	Liberal Democrats
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2019	Fay Jones	Conservative
	2024	Constituency abolished

Elections

File:Brecon & Radnor election results 2019.png

Brecon & Radnor election results, prior to the 2019 United Kingdom general election

Elections in the 1910s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link coalition 1918

General election 1918: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			37,771
	win (new seat)

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Jenkins	Template:Replace	67.4
		Edward John	9,850	32.6
Majority			10,555	34.8
Turnout			30,255	77.9
Registered electors			38,815
	hold		Swing	N/A

File:William Albert Jenkins.jpg

W.A. Jenkins

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1923: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			39,750
	hold

General election 1924: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Hall	Template:Replace	38.4
		William Jenkins	10,374	31.1
		Edward John	10,167	30.5
Majority			2,460	7.3
Turnout			33,375	83.6
Registered electors			39,943
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

General election 1929: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Peter Freeman	Template:Replace	33.7
		Walter Hall	14,324	33.3
		Wynne Cemlyn-Jones	14,182	33.0
Majority			187	0.4
Turnout			43,057	87.7
Registered electors			49,031
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.2

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Hall	Template:Replace	59.8
		Peter Freeman	17,223	40.2
Majority			8,397	19.6
Turnout			42,843	87.1
Registered electors			49,199
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1935: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ivor Guest	Template:Replace	52.6
		Leslie Haden-Guest	19,910	47.4
Majority			2,169	5.2
Turnout			41,989	84.3
Registered electors			49,827
	hold		Swing

1939 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Jackson	Template:Replace	53.4
		Richard Hanning Philipps	18,043	46.6
Majority			2,636	6.8
Turnout			38,722	79.9
Registered electors			48,486
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Labour: William Jackson

General election 1945: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	46.8
		Oscar Guest	14,089	33.4
		David Lewis	8,335	19.8
Majority			5,636	13.4
Turnout			42,149	80.0
Registered electors			52,689
	hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	48.8
		David Gibson-Watt	19,690	42.7
		Rolle Malcolm Ritson Paton	3,903	8.5
Majority			2,829	6.1
Turnout			46,112	88.8
Registered electors			51,951
	hold		Swing	―4.2

General election 1951: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	52.2
		David Gibson-Watt	22,489	47.8
Majority			2,083	4.4
Turnout			47,061	89.2
Registered electors			52,728
	hold		Swing	―0.9

General election 1955: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	53.1
		Henry Graham Partridge	16,412	36.4
		Russell Thomas	4,745	10.5
Majority			7,541	16.7
Turnout			45,110	86.8
Registered electors			51,969
	hold		Swing	+6.2

General election 1959: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	57.3
		John H. Davies	18,939	42.7
Majority			6,472	14.6
Turnout			44,350	86.4
Registered electors			51,357
	hold		Swing	―1.1

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	57.7
		Frank T. Stevens	15,415	37.1
		Trefor Richard Morgan	2,165	5.2
Majority			8,552	20.6
Turnout			41,547	82.8
Registered electors			50,159
	hold		Swing	+3.0

General election 1966: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tudor Watkins	Template:Replace	57.5
		Frank T. Stevens	14,523	36.5
		Trefor Richard Morgan	2,410	6.0
Majority			8,379	21.0
Turnout			39,835	80.5
Registered electors			49,464
	hold		Swing	+0.2

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Caerwyn Roderick	Template:Replace	43.4
		Gareth John Jarvis Neale	13,892	32.2
		Geraint Howells	8,169	18.9
		William George Jenkins	2,349	5.4
Majority			4,844	11.2
Turnout			43,146	81.9
Registered electors			52,694
	hold		Swing	―4.9

General election February 1974: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Caerwyn Roderick	Template:Replace	40.5
		Lloyd Havard Davies	15,903	35.4
		Noel Kennedy Thomas	8,741	19.5
		Dafydd Noel Gittins	2,099	4.7
Majority			2,277	5.1
Turnout			44,923	83.4
Registered electors			53,857
	hold		Swing	―3.1

General election October 1974: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Caerwyn Roderick	Template:Replace	42.1
		Lloyd Havard Davies	15,610	35.3
		Noel Kennedy Thomas	7,682	17.4
		Dafydd Noel Gittins	2,300	5.2
Majority			3,012	6.8
Turnout			44,214	81.4
Registered electors			54,300
	hold		Swing	+0.9

General election 1979: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tom Hooson	Template:Replace	47.2
		Caerwyn Roderick	19,633	40.9
		Norman Lewis	4,654	9.7
		Janet Power	1,031	2.1
Majority			3,027	6.3
Turnout			47,978	84.2
Registered electors			56,975
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+6.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tom Hooson	Template:Replace	48.2
		David Morris	9,471	25.0
		Richard Livsey	9,226	24.4
		Sian Meredudd	640	1.7
		Richard Booth	278	0.7
Majority			8,784	23.2
Turnout			37,870	80.1
Registered electors			47,277
	hold		Swing	+8.4

1985 Brecon and Radnor by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Livsey	Template:Replace	35.8
		Frederick Willey	13,194	34.4
		Chris Butler	10,631	27.7
		Janet Davies	435	1.1
		Screaming Lord Sutch	202	0.5
	One Nation Conservative	Roger Everest	154	0.4
		Andre C. L. Genillard	43	0.1
Majority			559	1.4
Turnout			38,412	79.4
Registered electors			48,371
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+16.0

General election 1987: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Livsey	Template:Replace	34.8
		Jonathan Evans	14,453	34.7
		Frederick Willey	12,180	29.2
		John Davies	535	1.3
Majority			56	0.1
Turnout			41,677	84.3
Registered electors			49,394
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+12.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Brecon and Radnor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jonathan Evans	Template:Replace	36.1
		Richard Livsey	15,847	35.8
		Christopher Mann	11,634	26.3
		Sian Meredudd	418	0.9
		Hugh Richards	393	0.9
Majority			130	0.3
Turnout			44,269	85.9
Registered electors			51,509
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+0.2

General election 1997: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Livsey	Template:Replace	40.8
		Jonathan Evans	12,419	29.0
		Christopher Mann	11,424	26.6
		Elizabeth Phillips	900	2.1
		Steven Cornelius	622	1.5
Majority			5,097	11.8
Turnout			42,881	82.2
Registered electors			52,142
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+6.1

The Labour candidate, Chris Mann, won the selection over future AMs Carwyn Jones and Jeffrey Cuthbert, and future AM and MP Peter Law.

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Roger Williams	Template:Replace	36.8
		Felix Aubel	13,073	34.8
		Huw Irranca-Davies	8,024	21.4
		Brynach Parri	1,301	3.5
		Ian Mitchell	762	2.0
		Elizabeth Phillips	452	1.2
		Robert Nicholson	80	0.2
Majority			751	2.0
Turnout			37,516	70.5
Registered electors			53,247
	hold		Swing	―5.0

General election 2005: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Roger Williams	Template:Replace	44.8
		Andrew RT Davies	13,277	34.6
		Leighton Veale	5,755	15.0
		Mabon ap Gwynfor	1,404	3.7
		Elizabeth Phillips	723	1.9
Majority			3,905	10.2
Turnout			38,341	69.5
Registered electors			55,171
	hold		Swing	+4.1

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Roger Williams	Template:Replace	46.2
		Suzy Davies	14,182	36.5
		Chris Lloyd	4,096	10.4
		Janet Davies	989	2.5
		Clive Easton	876	2.3
		Dorienne Robinson	341	0.9
		Jeffery Green	222	0.6
		Chris "Lord Offa of the Dyke" Rogers	210	0.5
Majority			3,747	9.7
Turnout			38,845	72.5
Registered electors			53,589
	hold		Swing	―0.3

General election 2015: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Christopher Davies	Template:Replace	41.1
		Roger Williams	11,351	28.3
		Matthew Dorrance	5,904	14.7
		Darran Thomas	3,338	8.3
		Freddy Greaves	1,767	4.4
		Chris Carmichael	1,261	3.1
Majority			5,102	12.8
Turnout			40,074	73.8
Registered electors			54,441
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+11.1

General election 2017: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Christopher Davies	Template:Replace	48.6
		James Gibson-Watt	12,043	29.1
		Dan Lodge	7,335	17.7
		Kate Heneghan	1,299	3.1
		Peter Gilbert	576	1.4
Majority			8,038	19.5
Turnout			41,334	76.9
Registered electors			56,010
	hold		Swing	+3.4

Following the successful recall petition of Christopher Davies, a by-election was held on 1 August 2019.

2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jane Dodds	Template:Replace	43.5
		Christopher Davies	12,401	39.0
		Des Parkinson	3,331	10.5
		Tom Davies	1,680	5.3
		Lady Lily the Pink	334	1.0
		Liz Phillips	242	0.7
Rejected ballots			73
Majority			1,425	4.5
Turnout			31,814	59.7
Registered electors
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+12.0

Of the 73 rejected ballots:

• 58 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
• 14 voted for more than one candidate.
• 1 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.

Changes in vote share are compared to the 2017 general election, not the 2019 by-election.

General election 2019: Brecon and Radnorshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Fay Jones	Template:Replace	53.1
		Jane Dodds	14,827	35.9
		Tomos Davies	3,944	9.5
		Lady Lily the Pink	345	0.8
		Jeff Green	245	0.6
Rejected ballots			110
Majority			7,131	17.2
Turnout			41,319	74.5
Registered electors			55,490
	hold		Swing	―1.1

Of the 110 rejected ballots:

• 87 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
• 21 voted for more than one candidate.
• 2 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.

See also

• Brecon and Radnorshire (Senedd constituency)
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Powys
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Wales

External links

• nomis Constituency Profile for Brecon and Radnorshire — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
• Politics Resources (Election results from 1922 onwards)
• Electoral Calculus (Election results from 1955 onwards)
• 2017 Election House of Commons Library 2017 Election report
• A Vision Of Britain Through Time (Constituency elector numbers)
• Brecon and Radnorshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Brecon and Radnorshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK