# Bedwellty (UK Parliament constituency)

Bedwellty was a county constituency in Monmouthshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
It was then largely replaced by the new Islwyn constituency.

## Boundaries

On its creation in 1918 the constituency consisted of the urban districts of Bedwas and Machen, Bedwellty, Mynyddislwyn and Risca and the civil parish of Rogerstone in St Mellons Rural District. These areas had previously been divided between the West Monmouthshire and South Monmouthshire constituencies.
The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 removed Rogerstone into the constituency of Monmouth from 1950. Although there were substantial changes in local government boundaries in 1974, those of the constituency were not altered prior to its abolition in 1983.
The constituency was abolished by the Parliamentary Constituencies (Wales) Order 1983, which redistributed Commons seats and aligned boundaries with wards of the districts created by the Local Government Act 1972.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Sir Charles Edwards | Labour |
| | 1950 | Harold Finch | Labour |
| | 1970 | Neil Kinnock | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished: see Islwyn | constituency abolished: see Islwyn |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | 11,730 | 53.56 | |
| C | Liberal | William Henry Williams | 10,170 | 46.44 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,560 | 7.12 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,900 | 70.79 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 30,938 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | 17,270 | 63.02 | +9.46 |
| | Unionist | C.E. Bagram | 10,132 | 36.98 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,138 | 26.04 | +18.92 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,402 | 81.21 | +10.42 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,741 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.46 | |
General election 1923: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | 17,564 | 67.55 | +4.53 |
| | Liberal | William Henry Williams | 8,436 | 32.45 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,128 | 35.10 | +9.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,000 | 74.18 | −7.03 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,051 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.53 | |
General election 1924: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,909 | | |
General election 1929: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | 26,021 | 78.95 | N/A |
| | Unionist | Hubert Geoffrey Griffith | 6,936 | 21.05 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,085 | 57.90 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,957 | 74.86 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,023 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,432 | | |
General election 1935: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,328 | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Edwards | 30,480 | 82.11 | N/A |
| | Conservative | H Lewis Tett | 6,641 | 17.89 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,839 | 64.22 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,121 | 77.80 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,716 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Finch | 31,329 | 83.38 | +1.27 |
| | Conservative | RC Pitman | 6,247 | 16.62 | −1.27 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,082 | 66.76 | +2.54 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,576 | 85.49 | +7.69 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,954 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.27 | |
General election 1951: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Finch | 31,582 | 83.28 | −0.10 |
| | Conservative | John Smith | 6,339 | 16.72 | +0.10 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,243 | 66.56 | −0.20 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,921 | 85.37 | −0.12 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,417 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.10 | |
General election 1955: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Finch | 30,104 | 82.44 | −0.84 |
| | Conservative | James Scott-Hopkins | 6,412 | 17.56 | +0.84 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,692 | 64.88 | −1.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,516 | 81.59 | −3.78 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,753 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.84 | |
General election 1959: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Finch | 30,697 | 81.83 | −0.61 |
| | Conservative | Charles James Cox | 6,817 | 18.17 | +0.61 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,880 | 63.66 | −1.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,514 | 83.57 | +1.98 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,890 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.61 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Finch | 29,425 | 83.51 | +1.68 |
| | Conservative | Charles James Cox | 5,810 | 16.49 | −1.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,615 | 67.02 | +3.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,235 | 79.11 | −4.46 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,538 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.68 | |
General election 1966: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Finch | 29,723 | 86.25 | +2.74 |
| | Conservative | Nigel Williams | 4,739 | 13.75 | −2.74 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,984 | 72.50 | +5.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,462 | 76.68 | −2.43 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,944 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.74 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Kinnock | 28,078 | 74.6 | −11.6 |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 5,799 | 15.4 | +1.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Charles M. Davey | 3,780 | 10.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,279 | 59.2 | −13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,657 | 76.6 | −0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,157 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.7 | |
General election February 1974: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Kinnock | 26,664 | 67.06 | −7.50 |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 5,027 | 12.64 | −2.76 |
| | Liberal | R Morgan | 5,020 | 12.63 | New |
| | Plaid Cymru | A Moore | 3,048 | 7.67 | −2.37 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,637 | 54.42 | −4.74 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,759 | 79.90 | +3.29 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,758 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.37 | |
General election October 1974: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Kinnock | 27,418 | 70.88 | +3.82 |
| | Conservative | Peter Brooke | 4,556 | 11.78 | −0.86 |
| | Liberal | RG Morgan | 3,621 | 9.36 | −3.27 |
| | Plaid Cymru | D Mogford | 3,086 | 7.98 | +0.31 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,862 | 59.10 | +4.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,681 | 77.08 | −2.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,183 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.82 | |
General election 1979: Bedwellty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Kinnock | 28,794 | 71.35 | +0.47 |
| | Conservative | Robert Walter | 8,358 | 20.71 | +8.93 |
| | Plaid Cymru | T Richards | 2,648 | 6.56 | −1.42 |
| | Ecology | PM Rout | 556 | 1.38 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,436 | 50.64 | −8.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,356 | 79.59 | +2.51 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,708 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.00 | |