1970 United Kingdom general election in Wales

1970 United Kingdom general election in Wales Wales parliamentary no 1966 United Kingdom general election in Wales 1966 List of MPs elected in the 1966 United Kingdom general election February 1974 United Kingdom general election in Wales February 1974 List of MPs elected in the 1970 United Kingdom general election All 36 Welsh seats to the House of Commons List of MPs elected in the February 1974 United Kingdom general election 18 June 1970 77.4% (1.6 pp) Aankomst Premier Wilson en Minister Brown op vliegvel Ypenburg, v.l.n.r. Ministe, Bestanddeelnr 920-1137 (crop).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Harold Wilson 14 February 1963 Labour Party (UK) Huyton 32 seats, 60.7% 27 5 781,941 51.6% 9.1 pp Golda Meir and Edward Heath cropped (cropped).jpg 140 120 160 0 0 Edward Heath 28 July 1965 Conservative Party (UK) Bexley 3 seats, 27.9% 7 4 419,884 27.7% 0.2 pp Liberal Party (UK) Jeremy Thorpe 18 January 1967 Liberal Party (UK) North Devon 1 seat, 6.3% 1 103,747 6.8% 0.5 pp Gwynfor Evans.jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Gwynfor Evans 1 August 1945 Plaid Cymru Ran in Carmarthen (defeated) 0 seats, 4.3% 0 171,374 11.5% 7.2 pp On Thursday 18 June 1970, the 1970 United Kingdom general election was held in Wales, to elect all 635 members of the House of Commons, with 36 constituencies being in Wales.British parliamentary election results, 1950-1970 F.W.S. Craig Political Reference Publications 0900178027 1971British Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 43 2006 This was the first general election in which people could vote from the age of eighteen years, after passage of the Representation of the People Act the previous year,British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 173 0333197348 1976 and the first UK general election in which party affiliations of candidates were put on the ballot papers.Parliament of the United Kingdom Use Of Political Descriptions In Nomination Papers And Ballot Papers At Parliamentary Elections https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1968/dec/10/use-of-political-descriptions-in House of Commons 10 December 1968 Harry Gourlay Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means The closing of the polls was also extended from 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm.British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 173 0333197348 1976 Candidates Below is a table summarising the candidates of the 1970 general election in Wales.https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7529/CBP-7529.pdf UK Election Statistics: 1918-2023, A Century of Elections Cracknell Richard Uberoi Elise Burton Matthew 9 August 2023 House of Commons Library 23 8 August 2026British Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 35 2006https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/general-elections/35 UK General Elections Results 1832-2019 12 August 2026Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections 1885-1974 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 1349023485 79 1975 Affiliation CandidatesLabour Party 36 Conservative and Unionist Party 36Plaid Cymru 36Liberal Party 19Communist Party of Great Britain 8Independent Labour 1Candidate S. O. Davies stood in Merthyr Tydfil.Democratic Party 1Leader Desmond Donnelly stood in Pembrokeshire.National Front 1Candidate George W. Parsons stood in Cardiff South East.Total 138 Analysis The election saw the Labour Party win the most votes and seats in Wales. Although Plaid Cymru had received its largest vote share in the party's history at this election when compared with previous elections, the party failed to obtain any seats in Wales. The party's leader Gwynfor Evans did not retain his seat in Caerfyrddin,Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections 1885-1974 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 1349023485 79 1975 which he had initially won from Labour in the 1966 Carmarthen by-election. The seat was won by Gwynoro Jones, thereby retaining it for Labour when compared to 1966.British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 61 0333197348 1976 Although Labour retained being the largest party in Wales by seats, it lost Cardiff North, Conwy, Monmouth and Pembrokeshire to the Conservative Party. Nicholas Edwards, who was elected in Pembrokeshire at this election, would go on to serve as Secretary of State for Wales during the first two terms of the Thatcher government. Future leader of the Labour Party Neil Kinnock also entered Parliament in this election in the constituency of Bedwellty. Labour also lost Merthyr Tydfil to S. O. Davies. After being de-selected by the Labour Party to contest the seat in the 1970 general election, Davies stood and won as an independent. Davies, however, would pass away in 1972, leading to Labour retaking the seat in the 1972 Merthyr Tydfil by-election.British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 63 0333197348 1976 The Liberal Party retained its seat of Montgomeryshire. The MP was Emlyn Hooson. Results Below is a table summarising the results of the 1970 general election in Wales. +Partyhttps://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7529/CBP-7529.pdf UK Election Statistics: 1918-2023, A Century of Elections Cracknell Richard Uberoi Elise Burton Matthew 9 August 2023 House of Commons Library 22-23 8 August 2026British Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 43 2006SeatsAggregate Votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%) Labour Party (UK) 27 0 5 5 75.0 781,941 51.6 9.1 Conservative Party (UK) 7 4 0 4 19.4 419,884 27.7 0.2 Plaid Cymru 0 0 0 — 175,016 11.5 7.2 Liberal Party (UK) 1 0 0 2.8 103,747 6.8 0.5 Independent Labour 1After being de-selected by the Labour Party to contest the seat, S. O. Davies won as an independent in Merthyr Tydfil. colspan=2 Did not stand in 1966 1 2.8 16,701 0.4   Democratic 0 colspan=3 New — 11,824 0.8 New Communist Party of Great Britain 0 0 0 — 6,459 0.4 0.5 National Front (UK) 0 colspan=3 New — 982 0.1 New Total 36 0 100.0 1,516,554 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 1,958,778 77.4https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7529/CBP-7529.pdf UK Election Statistics: 1918-2023, A Century of Elections Cracknell Richard Uberoi Elise Burton Matthew 9 August 2023 House of Commons Library 29 8 August 2026 1.6 Popular vote #ddd 600px 410px Labour Labour Party (UK) 51.6 Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 27.7 Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru 11.5 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 6.8 Other #777777 2.4 Parliament seats #ddd 600px 410px Labour Labour Party (UK) 75.0 Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 19.4 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 2.8 Other #777777 2.8 See also 1970 United Kingdom general election in England 1970 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1970 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland List of MPs for constituencies in Wales (1970–February 1974) Notes References Politics Wales United Kingdom Category:1970 in Wales Category:1970s elections in Wales 1970 #Wales