# 1997 United Kingdom general election in Wales

These are the results of the 1997 United Kingdom general election in Wales. The election was held on 1 May 1997 and all 40 seats in Wales were contested. The Labour Party won a landslide majority of Welsh MPs, gaining seven seats for a total of 34 out of 40. The Liberal Democrats gained one seat, whilst Plaid Cymru retained their four MPs.
The Conservatives lost all of their Welsh MPs, leaving them without representation in Wales for the first time since the 1906 general election. They would not gain another MP until the 2005 general election.

## Results

Below is a table summarising the results of the 1997 general election in Wales.
| Party | Party | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Party | Party | Total | Gains | Losses | Net +/- | % seats | Total votes | % votes | Change |
| | Labour | 34 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 85.0 | 885,935 | 54.7 | 5.2 |
| | Conservative | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | — | 317,127 | 19.6 | 9.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 | 200,020 | 12.4 | 0.1 |
| | Plaid Cymru | 4 | 0 | 0 | | 10.0 | 161,030 | 10.0 | 1.1 |
| | Referendum | 0 | 0 | 0 | | — | 38,245 | 2.4 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | | — | 6,203 | 0.4 | New |
| | Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | | — | 4,633 | 0.3 | New |
| | Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | — | 2,258 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | | — | 1,718 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| | Other parties | 0 | 0 | 0 | | — | 3,087 | 0.2 | N/A |

## Results by constituency

The following is the results by constituency by Senedd electoral region:

### Mid and West Wales

Mid and West Wales elected 8 Members of Parliament.
| Constituency | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Constituency | Labour | Labour | Conservative | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Liberal Democrat | Plaid Cymru | Plaid Cymru | Referendum | Referendum | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Brecon and Radnorshire | | Christopher Mann 11,424 (26.6%) | | Jonathan Evans 12,419 (29.0%) | | Richard Livsey 17,516 (40.8%) | | Steven Cornelius 622 (1.5%) | | Elizabeth Phillips 900 (2.1%) | | | Jonathan Evans |
| Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | | Alan Williams 17,907 (42.9%) | | Edmund Hayward 5,022 (12.0%) | | Juliana Hughes 3,150 (7.5%) | | Rhodri Glyn Thomas 14,457 (34.6%) | | Ian Humphreys-Evans 1,196 (2.9%) | | | Alan Williams‡ (Carmarthen) |
| Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | | Nick Ainger 20,956 (49.1%) | | Owen Williams 11,335 (26.6%) | | Keith Evans 3,516 (8.2%) | | Roy Llewellyn 5,402 (12.7%) | | Joy Poirrier 1,432 (3.4%) | | | Nick Ainger‡ (Pembrokeshire) |
| Ceredigion | | Robert (Hag) Harris 9,767 (24.3%) | | Felix Aubel 5,983 (14.9%) | | Dai Davies 6,616 (16.5%) | | Cynog Dafis 16,728 (41.6%) | | John Leaney 1,092 (2.7%) | | | Cynog Dafis‡ (Ceredigion and Pembroke North) |
| Llanelli | | Denzil Davies 23,851 (57.9%) | | Andrew Hayes 5,003 (12.1%) | | Nick Burree 3,788 (9.2%) | | Marc Phillips 7,812 (19.0%) | | | | John Willock (SLP) 757 (1.8%) | Denzil Davies |
| Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | | Hefin E. Rees 5,660 (23.0%) | | Jeremy Quin 3,922 (16.0%) | | Robina L. Feeley 1,719 (7.0%) | | Elfyn Llwyd 12,465 (50.7%) | | Phillip H. Hodge 809 (3.3%) | | | Elfyn Llwyd |
| Montgomeryshire | | Angharad Davies 6,109 (19.1%) | | Glyn Davies 8,344 (26.1%) | | Lembit Öpik 14,647 (45.9%) | | Helen Mary Jones 1,608 (5.0%) | | John Bufton 879 (2.8%) | | Susan Walker (Green) 338 (1.1%) | Alex Carlile† |
| Preseli Pembrokeshire | | Jackie Lawrence 20,477 (48.3%) | | Robert Buckland 11,741 (27.7%) | | Jeffrey Clarke 5,527 (13.0%) | | Alun Jones 2,683 (6.3%) | | David Berry 1,574 (3.7%) | | Molly Scott Cato (Green) 401 (0.9%) | Nick Ainger‡ (Pembrokeshire) |

### North Wales

North Wales elected 9 Members of Parliament.
| Constituency | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Constituency | Labour | Labour | Conservative | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Liberal Democrat | Plaid Cymru | Plaid Cymru | Referendum | Referendum | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Alyn and Deeside | | Barry Jones 25,955 (61.9%) | | Timothy P. Roberts 9,552 (22.8%) | | Eleanor Burnham 4,076 (9.7%) | | Siw Hills 738 (1.8%) | | Malcolm J. D. Jones 1,627 (3.9%) | | | Barry Jones |
| Caernarfon | | Eifion Wyn Williams 10,167 (29.5%) | | Elwyn Williams 4,230 (12.3%) | | Mary Macqueen 1,686 (4.9%) | | Dafydd Wigley 17,616 (51.0%) | | Clive Collins 811 (2.4%) | | | Dafydd Wigley |
| Conwy | | Betty Williams 14,561 (35.0%) | | David Jones 10,085 (24.3%) | | Roger Roberts 12,965 (31.2%) | | Rhodri Davies 2,844 (6.8%) | | Allan Barham 760 (1.8%) | | Richard Bradley (Ind.) 250 (0.6%) David Hughes (NLP) 95 (0.2%) | Wyn Roberts† |
| Clwyd South | | Martyn Jones 22,901 (58.1%) | | Boris Johnson 9,091 (23.1%) | | Andrew Chadwick 3,684 (9.4%) | | Gareth Williams 2,500 (6.3%) | | Alex Lewis 1,207 (3.1%) | | | Martyn Jones‡ (Clwyd South West) |
| Clwyd West | | Gareth Thomas 14,918 (37.1%) | | Rod Richards 13,070 (32.5%) | | Gwyn Williams 5,151 (12.8%) | | Eryl W. Williams 5,421 (12.8%) | | Heather Bennett-Collins 1,114 (2.8%) | | David K. Neal (Conservatory) 583 (1.3%) | Rod Richards‡ (Clwyd North West) |
| Delyn | | David Hanson 23,300 (57.2%) | | Karen Lumley 10,607 (26.0%) | | David Lloyd 4,160 (10.2%) | | Ashley J. Drake 1,558 (3.8%) | | Elizabeth H. Soutter 1,117 (2.7%) | | | David Hanson |
| Vale of Clwyd | | Chris Ruane 20,617 (52.7%) | | David Edwards 11,662 (29.8%) | | Daniel Munford 3,425 (8.8%) | | Gwyneth Kensler 2,301 (5.9%) | | Simon Vickers 834 (2.1%) | | Scott Cooke (UKIP) 293 (0.7%) | New constituency |
| Wrexham | | John Marek 20,450 (56.1%) | | Stuart Andrew 8,688 (23.9%) | | Andrew Thomas 4,833 (13.3%) | | Kevin Plant 1,170 (3.2%) | | John Cronk 1,195 (3.3%) | | Nicholas Low (NLP) 86 (0.2%) | John Marek |
| Ynys Môn | | Owen Edwards 13,275 (33.2%) | | Gwilym Owen 8,569 (21.5%) | | Deric Burnham 1,537 (3.8%) | | Ieuan Wyn Jones 15,756 (39.5%) | | Hugh Gray-Morris 793 (2.0%) | | | Ieuan Wyn Jones |

### South Central Wales

South Central Wales elected 8 Members of Parliament.
| Constituency | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Constituency | Labour | Labour | Conservative | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Liberal Democrat | Plaid Cymru | Plaid Cymru | Referendum | Referendum | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Cardiff Central | | Jon Owen Jones 18,464 (43.7%) | | David Melding 8,470 (20.0%) | | Jenny Randerson 10,541 (24.9%) | | Wayne Vernon 1,504 (3.6%) | | Nick Lloyd 760 (1.8%) | | Terence Burns (SLP) 2,230 (5.3%) Craig James (OMRLP) 204 (0.5%) Anthony Hobbs (NLP) 80 (0.2%) | Jon Owen Jones |
| Cardiff North | | Julie Morgan 24,460 (50.4%) | | Gwilym Jones 16,334 (33.7%) | | Robyn Rowland 5,294 (10.9%) | | Colin Palfrey 1,201 (2.5%) | | Edward J. Litchfield 1,199 (2.5%) | | | Gwilym Jones |
| Cardiff South and Penarth | | Alun Michael 22,647 (53.4%) | | Caroline E. Roberts 8,786 (20.7%) | | Simon J. Wakefield 3,964 (9.3%) | | David B. L. Haswell 1,356 (3.2%) | | Phillip S. E. Morgan 1,211 (2.9%) | | John Foreman (New Labour) 3,942 (9.3%) Mike K. Shepherd (Socialist Alternative) 344 (0.8%) Barbara Caves (NLP) 170 (0.4%) | Alun Michael |
| Cardiff West | | Rhodri Morgan 24,297 (60.3%) | | Simon Hoare 8,669 (21.5%) | | Jacqui Gasson 4,366 (10.8%) | | Gwenllian Carr 1,949 (4.8%) | | Trefor Johns 996 (2.5%) | | | Rhodri Morgan |
| Cynon Valley | | Ann Clwyd 23,307 (69.7%) | | Andrew Smith 2,260 (6.8%) | | Huw Price 3,459 (10.3%) | | Alun Davies 3,552 (10.6%) | | Gwyn John 844 (2.5%) | | | Ann Clwyd |
| Pontypridd | | Kim Howells 29,290 (63.9%) | | Jonathan M. Cowen 5,910 (12.9%) | | Nigel Howells 6,161 (13.4%) | | Owain Llewelyn 2,977 (6.5%) | | John Wood 874 (1.9%) | | Peter Skelly (SLP) 380 (0.8%) Robert Griffiths (Communist) 178 (0.4%) Anthony G. Moore (NLP) 85 (0.2%) | Kim Howells |
| Rhondda | | Allan Rogers 30,381 (74.5%) | | Steven Whiting 1,551 (3.8%) | | Rodney Berman 2,307 (5.7%) | | Leanne Wood 5,450 (13.4%) | | Stephen Gardiner 658 (1.6%) | | Kevin Jakeway (Green) 460 (1.1%) | Allan Rogers |
| Vale of Glamorgan | | John Smith 29,054 (53.9%) | | Walter Sweeney 18,522 (34.4%) | | Suzanne Campbell 4,945 (9.2%) | | Melanie Corp 1,393 (2.6%) | | | | | Walter Sweeney |

### South East Wales

South East Wales elected 8 Members of Parliament.
| Constituency | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Constituency | Labour | Labour | Conservative | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Liberal Democrat | Plaid Cymru | Plaid Cymru | Referendum | Referendum | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Blaenau Gwent | | Llew Smith 31,493 (79.5%) | | Margrit A. Williams 2,607 (6.6%) | | Geraldine Layton 3,458 (8.7%) | | Jim B. Criddle 2,072 (5.2%) | | | | | Llew Smith |
| Caerphilly | | Ron Davies 30,697 (67.3%) | | Rhodri Harris 4,858 (10.7%) | | Tony D. Ferguson 3,724 (8.2%) | | Lindsay Whittle 4,383 (9.7%) | | Mark E. Morgan 1,337 (3.0%) | | Catherine Williams (PLA) 270 (0.6%) | Ron Davies |
| Islwyn | | Don Touhig 26,995 (74.2%) | | David Walters 2,864 (7.9%) | | Christopher Worker 3,064 (8.4%) | | Darren Jones 2,272 (6.2%) | | Susan Monaghan 1,209 (3.3%) | | | Don Touhig |
| Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | | Ted Rowlands 30,012 (76.7%) | | Jonathan Morgan 2,508 (6.4%) | | Duncan Anstey 2,926 (7.5%) | | Alun Cox 2,344 (6.0%) | | Ronald Hutchings 660 (1.7%) | | Alan Cowdell (Ind. Lab.) 691 (1.8%) | Ted Rowlands |
| Monmouth | | Huw Edwards 23,404 (47.7%) | | Roger Evans 19,226 (39.2%) | | Mark Williams 4,689 (9.6%) | | Alan Cotton 516 (1.1%) | | Timothy Warry 1,190 (2.4%) | | | Roger Evans |
| Newport East | | Alan Howarth 21,481 (57.7%) | | David Evans 7,958 (21.4%) | | Alistair Cameron 3,880 (10.4%) | | Christopher Holland 721 (1.9%) | | Edward Chaney-Davis 1,267 (3.4%) | | Arthur Scargill (SLP) 1,951 (5.2%) | Roy Hughes† |
| Newport West | | Paul Flynn 24,331 (60.5%) | | Peter Clarke 9,794 (24.4%) | | Stanley Wilson 3,907 (9.7%) | | Huw Jackson 648 (1.6%) | | Andrew Thompsett 1,199 (3.0%) | | Hugh Hughes (UKIP) 323 (0.3%) | Paul Flynn |
| Torfaen | | Paul Murphy 29,863 (69.1%) | | Neil Parish 5,327 (12.3%) | | Jean Gray 5,249 (12.1%) | | Robert Gough 1,042 (2.4%) | | Deborah Holler 1,245 (2.9%) | | Roger Coghill (Green) 519 (1.2%) | Paul Murphy |

### South West Wales

South West Wales elected 7 Members of Parliament.
| Constituency | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Constituency | Labour | Labour | Conservative | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Liberal Democrat | Plaid Cymru | Plaid Cymru | Referendum | Referendum | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Aberavon | | John Morris 25,650 (71.3%) | | Peter Harper 2,835 (7.9%) | | Ronald McConville 4,079 (11.3%) | | Philip Cockwell 2,088 (5.8%) | | Peter David 970 (2.7%) | | Captain Beany (Independent) 341 (1.0%) | John Morris |
| Bridgend | | Win Griffiths 25,115 (58.1%) | | David Davies 9,867 (22.8%) | | Andrew Mckinlay 4,968 (11.5%) | | Dennis R. Watkins 1,649 (3.8%) | | Tudor Greaves 1,662 (3.8%) | | | Win Griffiths |
| Gower | | Martin Caton 23,313 (53.8%) | | Alun Cairns 10,306 (23.8%) | | Howard W. Evans 5,624 (13.0%) | | D Elwyn Williams 2,226 (5.1%) | | Richard D. Lewis 1,745 (4.0%) | | Anthony G. Popham (Independent) 122 (0.3%) | Gareth Wardell† |
| Neath | | Peter Hain 30,324 (73.5%) | | David M. Evans 3,583 (8.7%) | | Frank H. Little 2,597 (6.3%) | | Trefor Jones 3,344 (8.1%) | | Peter A. Morris 975 (2.4%) | | Howard Marks (Legalise Cannabis Party) 420 (1.0%) | Peter Hain |
| Ogmore | | Ray Powell 28,163 (74.0%) | | David A. Unwin 3,716 (9.8%) | | Kirsty Williams 3,510 (9.2%) | | John D. Rogers 2,679 (7.0%) | | | | | Ray Powell |
| Swansea East | | Donald Anderson 29,151 (75.4%) | | Catherine Dibble 3,582 (9.3%) | | Elwyn Jones 3,440 (8.9%) | | Michelle Pooley 1,308 (2.3%) | | Catherine Maggs 904 (2.3%) | | Ronnie Job (Socialist Alternative) 289 (0.8%) | Donald Anderson |
| Swansea West | | Alan Williams 22,748 (56.2%) | | Andrew Baker 8,289 (20.5%) | | John Newbury 5,872 (14.5%) | | Dai Lloyd 2,675 (6.6%) | | | | David Proctor (SLP) 885 (2.2%) | Alan Williams |