Bridgend (UK Parliament constituency)

Bridgend () is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Chris Elmore of the Labour Party.

The constituency retained its name but had its boundaries altered as part of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies carried out by the Boundary Commission for Wales for the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

1983–1997: The Borough of Ogwr wards numbers 1, 2, 12 to 16, 18, and 20 to 23.

1997–2010: The Borough of Ogwr wards of Brackla, Cefn Cribwr, Coity Higher, Cornelly, Coychurch Lower, Laleston, Morfa, Newcastle, Newcastle Higher, Oldcastle, Porthcawl East, Porthcawl West, Pyle, and St Bride's Major.2010–2024: The Bridgend County Borough electoral divisions of Brackla; Bryntirion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr; Cefn Glas; Coity; Cornelly; Coychurch Lower; Litchard; Llangewydd and Brynhyfryd; Morfa; Newcastle; Newton; Nottage; Oldcastle; Pendre; Pen-y-fai; Porthcawl East Central; Porthcawl West Central; Pyle; and Rest Bay.

2024–present: Under the 2023 review, the constituency was defined as being composed of the following wards of the County Borough of Bridgend, as they existed on 1 December 2020:

Aberkenfig; Brackla; Bryncethin; Bryncoch; Bryntirion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr; Cefn Cribwr; Cefn Glas; Coity; Coychurch Lower; Felindre; Hendre; Litchard; Llangewydd and Brynhyfryd; Morfa; Newcastle; Newton; Nottage; Oldcastle; Pendre; Penprysg; Pen-y-fai; Porthcawl East Central; Porthcawl West Central; Rest Bay; Sarn; Ynysawdre.

As a result of the review, the seat was expanded into parts of the abolished constituency of Ogmore, including the communities of Aberkenfig, St Bride's Minor, Ynysawdre and Pencoed. This was partly offset by the transfer of Cornelly and Pyle to the new constituency of Aberafan Maesteg.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2022, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the County Borough of Bridgend from the 2024 general election:

Aberkenfig; Brackla East and Coychurch Lower; Brackla East Central; Brackla West; Brackla West Central; Bridgend Central; Bryntyrion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr; Cefn Glas; Coity Higher; Newton; Nottage; Oldcastle; Pencoed and Penprysg; Pen-y-Fai; Porthcawl East Central; Porthcawl West Central; Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr (part); Rest Bay; and St Bride's Minor and Ynysawdre.

Constituency profile

The seat covers Bridgend itself and some of the south Wales coast to the west including the seaside resort of Porthcawl. Levels of wealth and education are around average for the UK.

History

;Summary of results

The 2015 result gave the seat the 19th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. The Bridgend constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Ogmore and Aberavon. To date, it has mostly voted for candidates from the Labour Party at general elections. The exceptions have been the Conservatives winning the seat at the 1983 "landslide" election, and in 2019. An absolute Labour majority occurred in Bridgend in three successive elections: 1992, 1997, and 2001, as well as in 2017.

;Other opposition parties

Since 2001, inclusive, two non-Labour, non-Conservative candidates at each election have kept their deposits, winning greater than or equal to 5% of the vote.

;Turnout

Turnout has ranged between a high of 80.5%, in 1992, and a low of 59.2% in 2005.