Carmarthen Town North (electoral ward)

Carmarthen Town North is an electoral ward, representing part of the community of Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Profile

In 2014, the Carmarthen Town North electoral ward had an electorate of 3,984.[1] The total population was 5,151, of whom 77.1% were born in Wales. The 2011 census indicated that 37.4% of the population were able to speak Welsh.[1]

History

Carmarthen Town North has been an electoral ward since the 1937. It was previously known as Carmarthen Town No.1 Ward. It is currently a two-member electoral ward for the purposes of elections to Carmarthenshire County Council and a seven-member electoral ward for elections to Carmarthen Town Council.

From 1973 until 1996 it was a single-member ward for the purposes of elections to Dyfed County Council and a four-member ward for elections to Carmarthen District Council.

From 1937 until 1973 it was a single-member ward for the purposes of elections to the previous Carmarthenshire County Council.

Current Representation

Since 2017 the ward has been represented by Labour councillor Ken Lloyd and Plaid Cymru councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths. Labour captured one of the two seats from Plaid Cymru at the 2017 election.

Carmarthen Town North 2017

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kenneth Wigley Lloyd	805
	Plaid Cymru	Peter Hughes Griffiths*	765
	Plaid Cymru	Gareth Owen Jones*	581
	Independent	Les Clark	489
Turnout
	Labour gain from Plaid Cymru		Swing
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing

Carmarthenshire County Council from 1995

In 1995, Ken Maynard, a Labour member of Dyfed County Council since 1985 and David Merriman, an Independent member of Carmarthen District Council since 1976 were elected as the ward's first representatives on the new Carmarthenshire County Council.[2]

Carmarthen Town North 1995

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kenneth Bryan Maynard+	1,431
	Independent	David Howell Merriman*	1,117
	Labour	Douglas Edmund Ynyr Richards Rose	849
	Conservative	Jane Ann Jones	279
	Labour win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)

In 1999, both sitting members were re-elected but were closely challenged by Plaid Cymru candidate Llyr Huws Griffiths.

Carmarthen Town North 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kenneth Bryan Maynard*	1,014
	Independent	David Howell Merriman*	979
	Plaid Cymru	Llyr Hughes Griffiths	965
	Labour	Richard Evans	658
	Labour hold		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing

At the 2004 election, Ken Maynard, a county councillor since 1985 stood down and David Merriman, a district and county councillor since 1976 sought (unsuccessfully) to be elected for the neighbouring Carmarthen Town West ward. Both seats were captured for the first time by Plaid Cymru.

Carmarthen Town North 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Peter Hughes Griffiths	767
	Plaid Cymru	Jeffrey Thomas	584
	Labour	Michael Stewart Elias	562
	Labour	Richard Evans	491
	Independent	Jeremy John	360
	Independent	Kevin Davies	214
	Plaid Cymru gain from Labour		Swing
	Plaid Cymru gain from Independent		Swing

Plaid Cymru held both seats in 2008 Carmarthenshire County Council election, with Gareth O. Jones replacing Jeff Thomas who stood down.

Carmarthen Town North 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Peter Hughes Griffiths*	1,058
	Plaid Cymru	Gareth Owen Jones	740
	Labour	Douglas Edmund Ynyr Richards Rose	462
	Independent	David Neil Lewis	461
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing

Plaid Cymru held both seats in 2012 with the sitting members again returned.

Carmarthen Town North 2012

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Peter Hughes Griffiths*	824
	Plaid Cymru	Gareth Owen Jones*	657
	Independent	Michael Stewart Elias	501
	Labour	Douglas Edmund Ynyr Richards Rose	480
	Independent	Paschal Haughey	201
Turnout				38.8
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing

References

1. "Carmarthen Town North Ward: Electoral Division Profile" (PDF). Carmarthenshire County Council. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
2. "Election Special". South Wales Evening Post. 5 May 1995.