# Cardiff Central (Senedd constituency)

Cardiff Central (Welsh: Canol Caerdydd) is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales Central electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

## History

From 1999, Cardiff Central was a safe seat for the Liberal Democrats. However the seat was lost to Labour in 2011 with a huge 14.7% swing. In 2016 this was the Liberal Democrats target seat with their candidate Eluned Parrott a current regional AM for South Wales Central. The result actually saw a very slight increase in Labour's majority in a very disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats. The seat remained one of the most marginal in the Assembly until the 2021 Senedd election, where Labour increased their majority substantially.
Furthermore, in 2016 two former Big Brother participants were the candidates for Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives.

## Boundaries

The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Cardiff Central Westminster constituency. It is entirely within the preserved county of South Glamorgan.
The other seven constituencies of the region are Cardiff North, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cardiff West, Cynon Valley, Pontypridd, Rhondda and Vale of Glamorgan.

## Voting

In general elections for the Senedd, each voter has two votes. The first vote may be used to vote for a candidate to become the Member of the Senedd for the voter's constituency, elected by the first past the post system. The second vote may be used to vote for a regional closed party list of candidates. Additional member seats are allocated from the lists by the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account in the allocation.

## Assembly members and Members of the Senedd

| Election | Election | Member | Portrait | Party |
| | 1999 | Jenny Randerson | | Liberal Democrat |
| | 2011 | Jenny Rathbone | | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

2021 Senedd election: Cardiff Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jenny Rathbone | 13,100 | 45.9 | +7.5 | 11,272 | 39.5 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rodney Berman | 5,460 | 19.1 | -16.2 | 4,522 | 15.9 | -12.3 |
| | Conservative | Calum Davies | 3,788 | 13.3 | +4.4 | 4,047 | 14.2 | +4.0 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Wiliam Rees | 3,470 | 12.2 | +4.7 | 4,633 | 16.3 | +5.4 |
| | Green | Ceri Davies | 1,552 | 5.4 | +1.0 | 2,258 | 7.9 | +2.0 |
| | Abolish | Munawar Mughal | 440 | 1.5 | New | 643 | 2.3 | -0.6 |
| | Propel | Dilan Nazari | 268 | 0.9 | New | 296 | 1.0 | New |
| | Freedom Alliance | Thomas Franklin | 156 | 0.5 | New | | | |
| | Reform UK | Julian Bosley | 151 | 0.5 | New | 173 | 0.6 | New |
| | Socialist (GB) | Brian Johnson | 82 | 0.3 | New | | | |
| | Gwlad | Alford Thomas | 65 | 0.2 | New | 80 | 0.3 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 200 | 0.7 | -5.2 |
| | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | 135 | 0.5 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 97 | 0.3 | -0.1 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 87 | 0.3 | +0.1 |
| | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | 33 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | 32 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,640 | 26.8 | +23.7 | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,532 | 44.5 | -1.1 | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Swing | | | | |
| Notes |||||||||

### Elections in the 2010s

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Cardiff Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jenny Rathbone | 10,016 | 38.4 | +0.5 | 8,595 | 33.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eluned Parrott | 9,199 | 35.3 | -2.4 | 7,337 | 28.2 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Joel Williams | 2,317 | 8.9 | -6.2 | 2,642 | 10.2 | -5.9 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Glyn Wise | 1,951 | 7.5 | +0.3 | 2,831 | 10.9 | +3.6 |
| | UKIP | Mohammed Islam | 1,223 | 4.7 | New | 1,526 | 5.9 | +2.6 |
| | Green | Amelia Womack | 1,150 | 4.4 | New | 1,536 | 5.9 | -3.2 |
| | Independent | Jane Croad | 212 | 0.8 | New |
| | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | 750 | 2.9 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 437 | 1.7 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 118 | 0.5 | -0.3 |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 107 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | Freedom to Choose / Vapers in Power | 42 | 0.2 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 40 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | 24 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 817 | 3.1 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,068 | 45.6 | +7.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Cardiff Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jenny Rathbone | 8,954 | 37.9 | +16.0 | 7,778 | 32.8 | +11.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Howells | 8,916 | 37.7 | -13.5 | 6,130 | 25.9 | -11.1 |
| | Conservative | Matt Smith | 3,559 | 15.1 | +1.1 | 3,820 | 16.1 | +0.6 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Chris Williams | 1,690 | 7.2 | -1.1 | 1,738 | 7.3 | -1.9 |
| | Independent | Mathab Khan | 509 | 2.2 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 2,163 | 9.1 | +3.6 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 789 | 3.3 | -0.1 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 337 | 1.4 | +0.6 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 330 | 1.4 | -1.5 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 236 | 1.0 | -0.1 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 178 | 0.8 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 125 | 0.5 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 83 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,628 | 38.0 | +2.0 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +14.7 | |
Regional ballots rejected at the count: 208

### Elections in the 2000s

Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Cardiff Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenny Randerson | 11,462 | 51.2 | -3.4 | 8,281 | 37.0 | -4.0 |
| | Labour | Sue Lent | 4,897 | 21.9 | +2.0 | 4,845 | 21.6 | -2.1 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Murphy | 3,137 | 14.0 | +2.5 | 3,476 | 15.5 | +2.6 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Thomas Whitfield | 1,855 | 8.3 | -0.3 | 2,051 | 9.2 | -1.0 |
| | UKIP | Frank Hughes | 1,046 | 4.7 | New | 769 | 3.4 | ±0.0 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 1,238 | 5.5 | +0.9 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 651 | 2.9 | New |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 246 | 1.1 | New |
| | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | 198 | 0.9 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 169 | 0.8 | -0.6 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 110 | 0.5 | +0.3 |
| | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | 154 | 0.7 | New |
| | Socialist Alternative (UK) | Socialist Alternative (UK) | Socialist Alternative (UK) | Socialist Alternative (UK) | Socialist Alternative (UK) | 123 | 0.5 | New |
| | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | 74 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,565 | 29.3 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,397 | 36.0 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Cardiff Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenny Randerson | 11,256 | 54.6 | +12.3 | 8,434 | 41.0 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Geoff M. Mungham | 4,100 | 19.9 | -10.1 | 4,866 | 23.7 | -4.6 |
| | Conservative | Craig S. Piper | 2,378 | 11.5 | -0.2 | 2,656 | 12.9 | ±0.0 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Owen John Thomas | 1,795 | 8.6 | -6.1 | 2,099 | 10.2 | -6.4 |
| | Independent | Raja G. Raiz | 541 | 2.6 | New |
| | Independent | Captain Beany | 212 | 0.8 | New |
| | Independent | Madeleine E. Jeremy | 239 | 1.2 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 940 | 4.6 | +1.1 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 694 | 3.4 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 279 | 1.4 | Unknown |
| | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | 226 | 1.1 | New |
| | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | 198 | 0.5 | New |
| | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | 168 | 0.8 | New |
| | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | 56 | 0.3 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 45 | 0.2 | Unknown |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,156 | 34.7 | +22.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,052 | 33.7 | −11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
2003 Electorate: 62,470 Regional ballots rejected: 285

### Elections in the 1990s

Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Cardiff Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenny Randerson | 10,937 | 42.3 | N/A | 9,116 | 35.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | Mark Drakeford | 7,769 | 30.0 | N/A | 7,343 | 28.3 | N/A |
| | Plaid Cymru | Owen John Thomas | 3,795 | 14.7 | N/A | 4,307 | 16.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Stephen Jones | 3,034 | 11.7 | N/A | 3,348 | 12.9 | N/A |
| | Socialist Alliance | Julian Goss | 338 | 1.3 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 911 | 3.5 | |
| | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | 331 | 1.3 | |
| | Other List Parties | Other List Parties | Other List Parties | Other List Parties | Other List Parties | 554 | 2.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,168 | 12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,873 | 44.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
1999 Electorate: 57,700