Cardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)

Cardiff North () is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Anna McMorrin of the Labour Party.

The constituency retained its name and gained one ward, as part of the 2023 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

1950–1974: The County Borough of Cardiff wards of Cathays, Central, Gabalfa, Penylan and Plasnewydd.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Cardiff wards of Cathays, Central, Penylan, and Plasnewydd.

1983–2010: The City of Cardiff wards of Gabalfa, Heath, Lisvane and St Mellons, Llandaff North, Llanishen, Rhiwbina, and Whitchurch and Tongwynlais.

2010–2024: The Cardiff electoral divisions of Gabalfa, Heath, Lisvane<sup>1</sup>, Llandaff North, Llanishen, Pontprennau and Old St Mellons, Rhiwbina, and Whitchurch and Tongwynlais.

2024–present: As above with the addition of the Rhondda Cynon Taf ward of Taff's Well, transferred from Pontypridd.

<sup>1</sup> renamed Lisvane and Thornhill with effect from May 2022.

Cardiff City Centre was in this constituency from its creation in 1950 until 1983.

History

This seat is the residential quarter of Wales's capital, over half of northern Cardiff consists of owner-occupied housing, with a higher number of a middle class population than other sections. Historically it mainly elected Conservative MPs.

In recent years Labour has overturned the nominal majority more recently, turning the seat into a national target swing-constituency. The seat was relative to others a marginal seat from 2001 to 2017 as well as a swing seat as its winner's majority did not exceed 8% and it changed political allegiance twice during that period. By 2004, the Conservatives held a majority of councillors within the constituency (13, against 5 Liberal Democrats, 3 independents and 0 Labour), but in the following 2005 general election Welsh Labour's Julie Morgan retained the seat but with a reduced majority.

Morgan stood again for Labour in 2010, whilst the Conservatives chose Jonathan Evans MEP, who had previously been the MP for Brecon and Radnor. Evans won by 194 votes.

In 2015, Labour attempted to take the seat back but new candidate, Craig Williams, took it with a majority of 2,137.

Labour retook the seat in 2017 on a 6.1% swing, producing a majority of 4,174; this was the first time in the seat's history it had voted for a Labour candidate in an election they did not win and the first time it elected an MP who is not a member of the largest party in the House of Commons since October 1974. In 2019, the seat bucked the trend by swinging to Labour despite their heavy defeat nationally, and a further swing in 2024 after their victory in the General Election led to a majority of over 11,000, the largest any party has had in the constituency's history.