1999 National Assembly for Wales election

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The 1999 National Assembly for Wales election was held on Thursday 6 May 1999 to elect 60 members to the Senedd, at the time called the National Assembly for Wales (Welsh Parliament; Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru). It was the first devolved general election held in Wales after the successful 1997 Welsh devolution referendum. The election was held alongside the Scottish Parliament election (also the first of its kind) and English local elections.

1999 National Assembly for Wales election
6 May 1999
2003 →
All 60 seats to the National Assembly for Wales
31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout46.3%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Alun Michael Dafydd Wigley
Party Labour Plaid Cymru
Leader's seat Mid & West Wales Caernarfon
Seats won 28 17
FPTP Vote 384,671 290,572
Percentage 37.6% 28.4%
List Vote 361,657 312,048
Percentage 35.4% 30.5%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Rod Richards Michael German
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat North Wales South Wales East
Seats won 9 6
FPTP Vote 162,133 137,857
Percentage 15.8% 13.5%
List Vote 168,206 128,008
Percentage 16.5% 12.5%
First Secretary after election

Alun Michael
Labour

Although Welsh Labour were the biggest party, they did not gain enough seats to form a majority government and instead entered into coalition with the Liberal Democrats. The election was marked by the historically high level of support for Plaid Cymru, who won their highest share of the vote in any Wales-wide election and remains their highest number of seats in a Senedd election to date. The party won considerable support in traditionally safe Labour areas such as the South Wales Valleys, winning Rhondda and Islwyn and narrowly failing to win a number of other seats.

The overall turnout of voters was 46.3%. This would remain the highest ever turnout for a devolved election in Wales until the 2021 Senedd election, which saw 46.6 of voters cast their ballot.

Election results

  • Overall turnout: 46.3%
1999 Welsh Assembly election
Parties Additional member system Total seats
Constituency Region
Votes % +/− Seats +/− Votes % +/− Seats +/− Total +/− %
Labour 384,671 37.6 N/A 27 N/A 361,657 35.4 N/A 1 N/A 28 N/A 46.7
Plaid Cymru 290,572 28.4 N/A 9 N/A 312,048 30.5 N/A 8 N/A 17 N/A 28.3
Conservative 162,133 15.8 N/A 1 N/A 168,206 16.5 N/A 8 N/A 9 N/A 15.0
Liberal Democrats 137,857 13.5 N/A 3 N/A 128,008 12.5 N/A 3 N/A 6 N/A 10.0
Green 1,002 0.1 N/A 0 N/A 25,858 2.5 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0
Socialist Labour - - - - - 10,720 1.0 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0
Natural Law - - - - - 3,861 0.4 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0
United Socialist 3,967 0.4 N/A 0 N/A 3,590 0.4 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0
Communist 609 0.1 N/A 0 N/A 1,366 0.1 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0
Independent 30,554 3.0 N/A 0 N/A - - - - - 0 N/A 0
Independent Labour 4,134 0.4 N/A 0 N/A - - - - - 0 N/A 0
Others 7,736 0.8 N/A 0 N/A 4,673 0.5 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0
  Total 1,023,225 40   1,019,987   20 60  

Votes summary

Popular vote
Labour
 
 35.40%
Plaid Cymru
 
 30.50%
Conservative
 
 16.50%
Liberal Democrats
 
 12.50%
Green
 
 2.50%
Socialist Labour
 
 1.00%
Others
 
 1.60%
Parliament seats
Labour
 
 46.67%
Plaid Cymru
 
 28.33%
Conservative
 
 15.00%
Liberal Democrats
 
 10.00%

Constituency and regional summary

Mid and West Wales

1999 National Assembly for Wales election: Mid and West Wales
Constituency Elected member Result
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Rhodri Glyn Thomas Plaid Cymru win
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Christine Gwyther Labour win
Ceredigion Elin Jones Plaid Cymru win
Llanelli Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru win
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy Dafydd Elis-Thomas Plaid Cymru win
Montgomeryshire Mick Bates Liberal Democrats win
Preseli Pembrokeshire Richard Edwards Labour win
Brecon and Radnorshire Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrats win
1999 National Assembly for Wales election: Mid and West Wales
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Plaid Cymru Cynog Dafis 1 N/A 84,554 38.55% N/A
Labour Alun Michael 1 N/A 53,842 24.55% N/A
Conservative Nick Bourne
Edward Glyn Davies 		2 N/A 36,622 16.70% N/A
Liberal Democrats 0 N/A 31,683 14.44% N/A
Green 0 N/A 7,718 3.52% N/A
Socialist Labour 0 N/A 3,019 1.38% N/A
Independent 0 N/A 1,214 0.55% N/A
Natural Law 0 N/A 705 0.32% N/A

North Wales

1999 National Assembly for Wales election: North Wales
Constituency Elected member Result
Alyn and Deeside Tom Middlehurst Labour win
Caernarfon Dafydd Wigley Plaid Cymru win
Clwyd South Karen Sinclair Labour win
Clwyd West Alun Pugh Labour win
Conwy Gareth Jones Plaid Cymru win
Delyn Alison Halford Labour win
Vale of Clwyd Margaret Ann Jones Labour win
Wrexham John Marek Labour win
Ynys Môn Ieuan Wyn Jones Plaid Cymru win
1999 National Assembly for Wales election: North Wales
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Labour 0 N/A 73,673 34.19% N/A
Plaid Cymru Janet Ryder 1 N/A 69,518 32.26% N/A
Conservative Rod Richards
Peter Rogers 		2 N/A 41,700 19.35% N/A
Liberal Democrats Christine Humphreys 1 N/A 22,130 10.27% N/A
Green 0 N/A 4,667 2.17% N/A
Rhuddlan Debt Protest Campaign 0 N/A 1,353 0.63% N/A
Natural Law 0 N/A 917 0.43% N/A
Socialist Alliance 0 N/A 828 0.38% N/A
Communist 0 N/A 714 0.33% N/A

South Wales Central

1999 National Assembly for Wales election: South Wales Central
Constituency Elected member Result
Cardiff South and Penarth Lorraine Barrett Labour win
Cardiff West Rhodri Morgan Labour win
Cynon Valley Christine Chapman Labour win
Pontypridd Jane Davidson Labour win
Rhondda Geraint Rhys Davies Plaid Cymru win
Vale of Glamorgan Jane Hutt Labour win
Cardiff Central Jennifer Elizabeth Randerson Liberal Democrats win
Cardiff North Sue Essex Labour win
1999 National Assembly for Wales election: South Wales Central
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Labour 0 N/A 79,564 36.92% N/A
Plaid Cymru Pauline Jarman
Owen John Thomas 		2 N/A 58,080 26.95% N/A
Conservative Jonathan Morgan
David Melding 		2 N/A 34,944 16.22% N/A
Liberal Democrats 0 N/A 30,911 14.35% N/A
Green 0 N/A 5,336 2.48% N/A
Socialist Labour 0 N/A 2,822 1.31% N/A
Independent 0 N/A 1,524 0.71% N/A
Natural Law 0 N/A 665 0.31% N/A
Communist 0 N/A 652 0.30% N/A
Socialist Alliance 0 N/A 602 0.28% N/A
Independent 0 N/A 378 0.18% N/A

South Wales East

1999 National Assembly for Wales election: South Wales East
Constituency Elected member Result
Islwyn Brian Hancock Plaid Cymru win
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Huw Lewis Labour win
Monmouth David Thomas Charles Davies Conservative win
Blaenau Gwent Peter Law Labour win
Newport East John Griffiths Labour win
Newport West Rosemary Butler Labour win
Torfaen Lynne Neagle Labour win
Caerphilly Ron Davies Labour win
1999 National Assembly for Wales election: South Wales East
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Labour 0 N/A 83,953 41.82% N/A
Plaid Cymru Jocelyn Davies
Professor Philip James Stradling Williams 		2 N/A 49,139 24.48% N/A
Conservative William Graham 1 N/A 33,947 16.91% N/A
Liberal Democrats Michael James German 1 N/A 24,757 12.33% N/A
Socialist Labour 0 N/A 4,879 2.43% N/A
Green 0 N/A 4,055 2.02% N/A

South Wales West

1999 National Assembly for Wales election: South Wales West
Constituency Elected member Result
Aberavon Brian Gibbons Labour win
Gower Edwina Hart Labour win
Neath Gwenda Thomas Labour win
Ogmore Janice Gregory Labour win
Swansea East Val Feld Labour win
Swansea West Andrew David Davies Labour win
Bridgend Carwyn Jones Labour win
1999 National Assembly for Wales election: South Wales West
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Labour 0 N/A 70,625 42.25% N/A
Plaid Cymru Janet Marion Davies
David Rees Lloyd 		2 N/A 50,757 30.37% N/A
Conservative Alun Cairns 1 N/A 20,993 12.56% N/A
Liberal Democrats Peter Black 1 N/A 18.527 11.09% N/A
Green 0 N/A 4,082 2.44% N/A
Socialist Alliance 0 N/A 1,257 0.75% N/A
Natural Law 0 N/A 676 0.40% N/A
People's Representative Party 0 N/A 204 0.12% N/A

Opinion polls

See also

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