Rhondda East (UK Parliament constituency)

Rhondda East was a parliamentary constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1974. Along with Rhondda West it was formed by dividing the old Rhondda constituency.

Rhondda East
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Created fromRhondda and South Glamorganshire
Replaced byRhondda

History

Rhondda East was for a time a heartland of the Communist Party of Great Britain, who formed the main opposition on the council. For a time, Annie Powell was the only Communist mayor in Britain. Harry Pollitt, General Secretary of the CPGB, narrowly failed to win the seat in 1945.

Boundaries

1918–1949: The Urban District of Rhondda seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth wards, and part of the sixth.

1950–1974: The Urban District of Rhondda seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh wards, and part of the sixth.[1]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1918 David Watts-Morgan Labour
1933 by-election William Mainwaring Labour
1959 Elfed Davies Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Rhondda

Election results

Elections in the 1910s
1918 general election: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Watts-Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors
Labour hold

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Watts-Morgan 17,146 55.0 N/A
National Liberal Frederick William Heale 14,025 45.0 New
Majority 3,121 10.0 N/A
Turnout 31,171 80.9 N/A
Labour hold Swing
General election 1923: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Watts-Morgan 21,338 71.9 +16.9
Unionist Alfred John Orchard 8,346 28.1 New
Majority 12,992 43.8 +33.8
Turnout 29,684 74.6 −6.3
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1924: Westminster St George's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Watts-Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors
Labour hold Swing
General election 1929: Rhondda East[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Watts Morgan 19,010 50.2 N/A
Liberal Richard David Chalke 10,269 27.0 New
Communist Arthur Horner 5,789 15.2 New
Unionist John Francis Powell 2,901 7.6 New
Majority 8,741 23.2 N/A
Turnout 37,969 84.7 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Watts-Morgan 22,086 68.1 +17.9
Communist Arthur Horner 10,359 31.9 +16.7
Majority 11,727 36.2 +13.0
Turnout 32,445 73.7 -11.0
Labour hold Swing
1933 Rhondda East by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Mainwaring 14,127 42.6 −25.5
Communist Arthur Horner 11,228 33.8 +1.9
Liberal William Thomas 7,851 23.6 New
Majority 2,899 8.8 -27.4
Turnout 33,206 74.9 +1.2
Labour hold Swing
General election 1935: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Mainwaring 22,088 61.8 −6.3
Communist Harry Pollitt 13,655 38.2 +6.3
Majority 8,433 23.6 -12.6
Turnout 35,743 80.8 +6.1
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Mainwaring 16,733 48.4 −13.4
Communist Harry Pollitt 15,761 45.5 +7.3
Plaid Cymru James Kitchener Davies 2,123 6.1 New
Majority 972 2.9 −20.7
Turnout 34,617 82.8 +2.0
Labour hold Swing −10.3

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Mainwaring 26,645 75.9 +26.5
Communist Harry Pollitt 4,463 12.7 −32.8
Conservative George Nicholls 2,634 7.5 New
Plaid Cymru David Davies 1,357 3.9 −2.2
Majority 22,182 63.2 +60.3
Turnout 35,099 87.5 +4.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Mainwaring 27,958 81.2 +5.3
Conservative Oliver Stutchbury 3,522 10.3 +2.8
Communist Idris Cox 2,948 8.6 −4.1
Majority 24,436 70.9 +7.7
Turnout 34,428 85.5 −2.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Mainwaring 21,859 72.6 −8.6
Communist Annie Powell 4,544 15.1 +6.5
Conservative Herbert R Rowlands 3,711 12.3 +2.0
Majority 17,315 57.5 −13.4
Turnout 30,114 85.5 0.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elfed Davies 20,565 65.2 −7.4
Communist Annie Powell 4,580 14.5 −0.6
Conservative David Peace 3,629 11.5 −0.8
Plaid Cymru Noel Williams 2,776 8.8 New
Majority 15,985 50.7 −6.8
Turnout 31,550 83.2 −2.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elfed Davies 20,510 71.2 +6.0
Communist Annie Powell 3,385 11.8 −2.7
Conservative David Purnell 2,548 8.9 −2.6
Plaid Cymru Glyn P James 2,361 8.2 −0.6
Majority 17,125 59.4 +8.7
Turnout 28,804 79.5 −3.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elfed Davies 21,567 77.4 +2.2
Communist Annie Powell 2,349 8.4 −3.4
Plaid Cymru Glyn Pryce James 2,088 7.5 −0.7
Conservative William Kenneth R. Ricketts 1,857 6.7 −2.2
Majority 19,218 69.0 +9.6
Turnout 27,861 78.5 −1.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Rhondda East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elfed Davies 19,602 68.7 −8.7
Plaid Cymru Glyn Pryce James 6,931 24.3 +16.8
Conservative Richard C. Mullett 1,359 4.8 −1.9
Communist Arthur Jones 659 2.3 −6.1
Majority 12,671 44.4 −24.6
Turnout 28,551 77.4 −1.1
Labour hold Swing

See also

References
  1. Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  2. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

Sources
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