Cardiff West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Alex Barros-Curtis of the Labour Party. The constituency retained its name and gained wards as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales for the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Constituency profile

Population areas within the constituency include Riverside, Pontcanna, St Fagans and Ely. There are some Conservative and Plaid Cymru-leaning areas in the north of the seat such as Creigiau and St Fagans, Pentyrch and Radyr, but the bulk of the seat comprises districts towards the centre of Cardiff such as Caerau, Canton, Ely and Riverside which are very strongly Labour.

History

A traditionally safe Labour seat, represented for 33 years by George Thomas (who became Speaker in 1976 and was re-elected without party affiliation in 1979). It has returned a Conservative only once, in the Tories' landslide year of 1983, when Stefan Terlezki became the MP. Labour regained the seat at the next general election in 1987, when Rhodri Morgan was elected. After the creation of the Welsh Assembly Government, Morgan stepped down from his Westminster seat in 2001 to serve as leader of Welsh Labour and First Minister for Wales. Kevin Brennan retained the seat for Labour on Morgan's retirement from Westminster politics. Following the announcement of the date of the 2024 general election Brennan announced his retirement from politics.

Boundaries

Until 2024 Cardiff West was entirely within the boundaries of the City of Cardiff, though in 2024 (as a result of the 2023 Review of UK constituences) it gained the Rhondda Cynon Taf ward of Pontyclun. 1950–1974: The County Borough of Cardiff wards of Canton, Ely, Grangetown, Llandaff, and Riverside. 1974–1983: The County Borough of Cardiff wards of Canton, Ely, Llandaff, Grangetown, Plasmawr, and Riverside. 1983–2010: The City of Cardiff wards of Caerau, Canton, Ely, Fairwater, Llandaff, Radyr and St Fagans, and Riverside. 2010–2024: The City of Cardiff wards of Caerau, Canton, Creigiau and St Fagans, Ely, Fairwater, Llandaff, Pentyrch, Radyr, and Riverside. 2024–present: The City of Cardiff wards of Caerau, Canton, Ely, Fairwater, Llandaff, Pentyrch and St Fagans, Radyr, and Riverside, and the Rhondda Cynon Taf wards of Pont-y-clun Central, Pont-y-clun East, and Pont-y-clun West.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 2010s

Of the 113 rejected ballots: Of the 89 rejected ballots: Of the 144 rejected ballots:

Elections in the 2020s

The selection of Barros-Curtis as Labour candidate, with minimal input from local party members, was criticised. He is the Labour Party's executive director of legal affairs. Barros-Curtis had no connection to the Cardiff area, though had grown up in North Wales.