# Torfaen (UK Parliament constituency)

Torfaen is a constituency in Wales represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Nick Thomas-Symonds, a member of the Labour Party who also serves as the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office under the government of Keir Starmer. It was established for the 1983 general election.
The constituency was to retain its name and gain wards, as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales for the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

## Boundaries

The area is traditionally a Labour Party stronghold with a majority of around 9,000. The community of New Inn is the only strong Conservative area. It voted Labour even amidst the huge Conservative majorities of 1983 and 1987. However, 2019 saw the lowest Labour majority in Torfaen in the seat's history, of only 3,742 votes, in part due to 60.8% of voters choosing the Leave vote in the 2016 EU membership referendum. In the 2024 United Kingdom general election Labour increased their majority to 7,322 votes.
The area covers the new town of Cwmbran, Pontypool, and its surrounding districts and stretches as far north as Blaenavon.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Leo Abse | Labour |
| 1987 | Paul Murphy | Labour |
| 2015 | Nick Thomas-Symonds | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nick Thomas-Symonds | 15,176 | 42.5 | −0.2 |
| | Reform UK | Ian Williams | 7,854 | 22.0 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative | Nathan Edmunds | 5,737 | 16.1 | −17.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Matthew Jones | 2,571 | 7.2 | +3.6 |
| | Green | Philip Davies | 1,705 | 4.8 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brendan Roberts | 1,644 | 4.6 | −0.4 |
| | Independent | Lee Dunning | 881 | 2.5 | N/A |
| | Heritage | Nikki Brooke | 137 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,322 | 20.5 | +10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,705 | 49.9 | −10.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,738 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −4.5 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nick Thomas-Symonds | 15,546 | 41.8 | −15.8 |
| | Conservative | Graham Smith | 11,804 | 31.8 | +0.8 |
| | Brexit Party | David Thomas | 5,742 | 15.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Miller | 1,831 | 4.9 | +2.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Morgan Bowler-Brown | 1,441 | 3.9 | −1.5 |
| | Green | Andrew Heygate-Browne | 812 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 126 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,742 | 10.0 | −16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,176 | 60.2 | −2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,743 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −8.3 | |
Of the 126 rejected ballots:
* 100 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
* 26 voted for more than one candidate.
General election 2017: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nick Thomas-Symonds | 22,134 | 57.6 | +13.0 |
| | Conservative | Graham Smith | 11,894 | 31.0 | +7.9 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Jeff Rees | 2,059 | 5.4 | −0.3 |
| | UKIP | Ian Williams | 1,490 | 3.9 | −15.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Best | 852 | 2.2 | −1.2 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 62 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,240 | 26.6 | +5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,494 | 62.2 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,839 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
Of the 62 rejected ballots:
* 39 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
* 23 voted for more than one candidate.
General election 2015: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nick Thomas-Symonds | 16,938 | 44.6 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Graham Smith | 8,769 | 23.1 | +3.1 |
| | UKIP | Ken Beswick | 7,203 | 19.0 | +16.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Boydd Hackley-Green | 2,169 | 5.7 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Willott | 1,271 | 3.4 | −13.2 |
| | Green | Matt Cooke | 746 | 2.0 | +0.8 |
| | Socialist Labour | John Cox | 697 | 1.8 | N/A |
| | Communist | Mark Griffiths | 144 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 68 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,169 | 21.5 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,937 | 61.3 | −0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,896 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.6 | |
Of the 68 rejected ballots:
* 47 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
* 21 voted for more than one candidate.
General election 2010: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Murphy | 16,847 | 44.8 | −12.1 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan H. Burns | 7,541 | 20.0 | +4.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David P. Morgan | 6,264 | 16.6 | +0.8 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Rhys G. ab Elis | 2,005 | 5.3 | −0.9 |
| | BNP | Jennifer Noble | 1,657 | 4.4 | N/A |
| | Independent | Fred Wildgust | 1,419 | 3.8 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Gareth Dunn | 862 | 2.3 | −0.9 |
| | Independent | Richard Turner-Thomas | 607 | 1.6 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Owen Clarke | 438 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 46 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,306 | 24.8 | −16.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,640 | 61.5 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,183 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −8.2 | |
Of the 46 rejected ballots:
* 26 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
* 19 voted for more than one candidate.
* 1 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Murphy | 20,472 | 56.9 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Nick Ramsay | 5,681 | 15.8 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Veronica Watkins | 5,678 | 15.8 | +4.6 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Aneurin Preece | 2,242 | 6.2 | −1.5 |
| | UKIP | David Rowlands | 1,145 | 3.2 | +1.3 |
| | Independent | Richard Turner-Thomas | 761 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,791 | 41.1 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,979 | 59.3 | +1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 60,665 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.5 | |
General election 2001: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Murphy | 21,883 | 62.1 | −7.0 |
| | Conservative | Jason Evans | 5,603 | 15.9 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Masters | 3,936 | 11.2 | −0.9 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Stephen Smith | 2,720 | 7.7 | +5.3 |
| | UKIP | Brenda Vipass | 657 | 1.9 | N/A |
| | Socialist Alliance | Stephen Bell | 443 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,280 | 46.2 | −10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,242 | 57.7 | −14.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,115 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −5.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Murphy | 29,863 | 69.1 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | Neil Parish | 5,327 | 12.3 | −8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Gray | 5,249 | 12.1 | −1.0 |
| | Referendum | Deborah Holler | 1,245 | 2.9 | N/A |
| | Plaid Cymru | Robert Gough | 1,042 | 2.4 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Roger Coghill | 519 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,536 | 56.8 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,245 | 71.7 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 60,343 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
General election 1992: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Murphy | 30,352 | 64.1 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | Mark Watkins | 9,598 | 20.3 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Hewson | 6,178 | 13.1 | −6.8 |
| | Plaid Cymru (Green) | John Cox | 1,210 | 2.6 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,754 | 43.8 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,338 | 77.5 | +1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,104 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Murphy | 26,577 | 58.7 | +11.4 |
| | Liberal | Graham Blackburn | 9,027 | 19.9 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative | Robert Gordon | 8,632 | 19.1 | −3.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Jill Evans | 577 | 1.2 | −0.9 |
| | Green | Melvin John Witherden | 450 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,550 | 38.8 | +19.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,263 | 75.6 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,896 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.9 | |
General election 1983: Torfaen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leo Abse | 20,678 | 47.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Graham Blackburn | 12,393 | 28.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Peter Martin | 9,751 | 22.3 | N/A |
| | Plaid Cymru | Phyllis Cox | 896 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,285 | 19.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,718 | 74.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,739 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |