Latest headlines
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Labour win 29 seats - but fall short of a majority
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UKIP wins its first seats in the Assembly
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Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood ousts Labour in Rhondda
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- see party vote share by constituency across Wales
Scoreboard
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Net percentage change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Party
LAB Welsh Labour |
Candidates Rhianon Passmore | Votes 10,050 | 45.0% | Net percentage change in seats −12.9 |
|
Party
UKIP UKIP Wales |
Candidates Joe Smyth | Votes 4,944 | 22.2% | Net percentage change in seats +22.2 |
|
Party
PC Plaid Cymru |
Candidates Lyn Ackerman | Votes 4,349 | 19.5% | Net percentage change in seats −2.2 |
|
Party
CON Welsh Conservative |
Candidates Paul Williams | Votes 1,775 | 8.0% | Net percentage change in seats −4.0 |
|
Party
LD Welsh Liberal Democrat |
Candidates Matthew Kidner | Votes 597 | 2.7% | Net percentage change in seats −0.4 |
|
Party
GRN Wales Green Party |
Candidates Katy Beddoe | Votes 594 | 2.7% | Net percentage change in seats +2.7 |
|
Change compared with 2011 |
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Turnout and Majority
Welsh Labour Majority
5,106Turnout
40.8%Constituency Profile
Situated in the Gwent Valleys, Islwyn is a former coal-mining area.
There is also a strong rugby tradition built on clubs such as Newbridge and Cross Keys. The band Manic Street Preachers was formed at a school in Blackwood in 1986. At 2.1%, the percentage of Islwyn's population born outside the UK is the joint lowest in Wales. The percentage of Islwyn residents claiming out-of-work benefits (14%) is higher than the Welsh average (12%). Plaid Cymru caused a major upset when the party won the traditionally safe Labour seat in the first Assembly election. Labour has won the seat in subsequent Assembly polls and will be defending a majority of 7,589 votes in 2016.
In 2011, Labour's Gwyn Price, who is standing down, polled 57.9% of the vote, ahead of Plaid Cymru on 21.7%, Conservatives on 11.9%, the BNP on 5.3%, and the Liberal Democrats on 3.1%.