Politics in Cardiff
Encyclopedia
Cardiff
is represented politically on a number of local, regional, national and international levels.
.
The constituencies and their representatives in the House of Commons since the 2010 election have been:
Famous politicians who have represented Cardiff constituencies include James Callaghan
, a former Prime Minister
who held his constituency seat for over forty years, and George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy
, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1976 and 1983.
elections, which elects four representatives. The current MEPS
are:
The National Assembly for Wales
has been based in Cardiff Bay
since its formation in 1999. The building which is now known as the Senedd
(Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate) was opened on 1 March 2006, by The Queen
. The executive and civil servants of the Welsh Assembly Government
are based in Cardiff's Cathays Park
while the Assembly Members, the Assembly Parliamentary Service and Ministerial support staff are based in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff elects four constituency Assembly Members (AMs) to the Assembly, with the individual constituencies for the Assembly being the same as for the UK Parliament. All of the city's residents have an extra vote for the South Wales Central region which increases proportionality to the Assembly. The most recent Welsh Assembly elections were held on 3 May 2007.
As with the United Kingdom Partliment, Cardiff is split into four constituencies:
The South Wales Central Assembly Region elects four Assembly Members to serve the area covered by Cardiff, Rhondda-Cynon-Taf
and the Vale of Glamorgan
local authority areas. These are currently:
Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Cardiff has been governed by The City and County Council of Cardiff
, which is based at County Hall
in Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay. Voters elect 75 councillors every four years, with the next elections due to be held in 2012.
Since the 2004 local elections, no individual political party has held a majority on Cardiff County Council. The Liberal Democrats have 35 councillors, the Conservatives
have 17, Labour have 13, Plaid Cymru
have 7 and three councillors sit as Independents. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Rodney Berman
, is from the Liberal Democrats.
The Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru have formed a partnership administration to run the council.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
is represented politically on a number of local, regional, national and international levels.
Political representation
Cardiff is presently split into four parliamentary constituencies which form the electoral basis for elections to the United Kingdom Parliament and the National Assembly for WalesNational Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
.
The constituencies and their representatives in the House of Commons since the 2010 election have been:
- Cardiff CentralCardiff Central (UK Parliament constituency)Cardiff Central is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
: Jenny WillottJenny WillottJennifer Nancy Willott is a British politician and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Cardiff Central since the 2005 general election. She is the first woman and the first Liberal Democrat to represent her seat....
(Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
) - Cardiff NorthCardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)Cardiff North is aborough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
: Jonathan Evans (ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) - Cardiff South and Penarth: Alun MichaelAlun MichaelAlun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
(Labour) - Cardiff WestCardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)Cardiff West is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
: Kevin BrennanKevin Brennan (politician)Kevin Denis Brennan is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West since 2001, and was a Minister of State at both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families before the 2010 general election...
(Labour)
Famous politicians who have represented Cardiff constituencies include James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
, a former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
who held his constituency seat for over forty years, and George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy
George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy
Thomas George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy PC was a British Labour Party politician and Speaker of the House of Commons. Born in Port Talbot, Wales, he initially worked as a teacher in both London and Cardiff...
, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1976 and 1983.
European Parliament
Cardiff is part of the Wales constituency in European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
elections, which elects four representatives. The current MEPS
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
are:
- Jill EvansJillian EvansJillian Evans is Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales and First Vice President of The Greens–European Free Alliance group - the fourth largest in the European Parliament...
(European Greens–European Free AllianceEuropean Greens–European Free AllianceThe Greens European Free Alliance is one of the parliamentary groups in the European Parliament....
/ Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
) - Kay SwinburneKay SwinburneJacqueline Kay Swinburne is a Welsh politician. She is a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for Wales.-Background:...
(politician)|Jonathan Evans]] (European People's Party–European DemocratsEuropean People's Party–European DemocratsThe Group of the European People's Party , abbreviated to EPP Group, is a centre-right political group of the European Parliament...
/ Conservative) - Derek VaughanDerek VaughanDerek Vaughan was elected as Labour Party Member of the European Parliament for Wales in the 2009 European Parliament election.-Biography:Vaughan was born in Aberfan and studied politics and history at Swansea University. He has served as a full time trades union official, and is a member of the...
(Party of European SocialistsParty of European SocialistsThe Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
/ Labour) - John BuftonJohn BuftonJohn Bufton , is a UKIP Member of the European Parliament for Wales.-Early life:He was educated at Elan Village Primary School and Llandrindod Wells High School, and joined the family haulage business before embarking on a career managing a residential care home for the elderly with the local...
(Party of Freedom & Democracy / UKIP)
National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
has been based in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
since its formation in 1999. The building which is now known as the Senedd
Senedd
The Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was £69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
(Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate) was opened on 1 March 2006, by The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. The executive and civil servants of the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
are based in Cardiff's Cathays Park
Cathays Park
In addition to the large lawn in front of the City Hall, Cathays Park includes three formal gardens. All of the spaces are within conservation areas and many of the surrounding buildings are listed. The open spaces are very important to the image of the city. Several important buildings overlook...
while the Assembly Members, the Assembly Parliamentary Service and Ministerial support staff are based in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff elects four constituency Assembly Members (AMs) to the Assembly, with the individual constituencies for the Assembly being the same as for the UK Parliament. All of the city's residents have an extra vote for the South Wales Central region which increases proportionality to the Assembly. The most recent Welsh Assembly elections were held on 3 May 2007.
As with the United Kingdom Partliment, Cardiff is split into four constituencies:
- Cardiff CentralCardiff Central (Assembly constituency)Cardiff Central is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
: Jenny Randerson (Liberal Democrat) - Cardiff NorthCardiff North (Assembly constituency)Cardiff North is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
: Jonathan MorganJonathan Morgan (Welsh politician)Jonathan Morgan, is a Welsh Conservative politician, who served as a Conservative AM for South Wales Central from 1999–2007 and AM for Cardiff North from 2007-2011...
(ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) - Cardiff South and PenarthCardiff South and Penarth (Assembly constituency)Cardiff South and Penarth is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post electoral system...
: Lorraine BarrettLorraine BarrettLorraine Barrett is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff South and Penarth and an Assembly Commissioner since 2007...
(Labour) - Cardiff WestCardiff West (Assembly constituency)Cardiff West is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
: Rhodri MorganRhodri MorganHywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
(Labour)
The South Wales Central Assembly Region elects four Assembly Members to serve the area covered by Cardiff, Rhondda-Cynon-Taf
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taf, or RCT, is a county borough in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. It consists of 3 valleys: the Rhondda Valley, Cynon Valley and Taff-Ely Valley...
and the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
local authority areas. These are currently:
- David Melding (Conservative)
- Andrew R. T. Davies (Conservative)
- Leanne WoodLeanne WoodLeanne Wood AM , is a Welsh politician, born in the Rhondda, Wales, who has represented the South Wales Central region for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 2003. Wood is known as a republican and socialist....
(Plaid Cymru) - Christopher Franks (Plaid Cymru)
Local government
Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Cardiff has been governed by The City and County Council of Cardiff
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
, which is based at County Hall
County Hall, Cardiff
The County Hall is the head office of Cardiff Council , located beside the disused Bute East Dock in the Atlantic Wharf area of Butetown, Cardiff.-Design and construction:...
in Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay. Voters elect 75 councillors every four years, with the next elections due to be held in 2012.
Since the 2004 local elections, no individual political party has held a majority on Cardiff County Council. The Liberal Democrats have 35 councillors, the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
have 17, Labour have 13, Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
have 7 and three councillors sit as Independents. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Rodney Berman
Rodney Berman
Rodney Berman, a Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Plasnewydd ward, is leader of Cardiff Council .A Glaswegian by birth, Rodney studied at the University of Glasgow where he helped run Glasgow University Liberal Democrats before moving to Wales to study towards a PhD.He has stood for election to...
, is from the Liberal Democrats.
The Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru have formed a partnership administration to run the council.