Welsh defeat devastates Labour

The valleys embrace David CameronThe valleys embrace David Cameron

Monday, 08, Jun 2009 12:21

By politics.co.uk staff

Labour lost the popular vote in Wales for the first time since the first world war, taking just 20.3 per cent of the vote.

It was the Conservatives rather than the nationalist Plaid Cymru party who emerged on top. The Tories won with 21.2 per cent, 7,000 votes ahead of Labour.

PC were up 1.1 per cent to 18.5 per cent, while Ukip came in fourth place with 12.8 per cent. The Lib Dems were pushed into fifth with 10.7 per cent.

They missed out on an MEP as a result. Kay Swinburne for the Conservatives, Derek Vaughan for Labour, Jill Evans for PC and John Bufton for Ukip were elected to the European parliament.

Labour last failed to win the most votes of any party in Wales in 1918 – and it was the Liberals who took power then, not the Tories. Their share of the vote slumped by a third, shedding 12.2 per cent on their 2004 result.

Shadow Wales secretary Cheryl Gillan told the BBC she thought the Labour party in Wales had been taken for granted "for an awfully long time".

"I hope we can show the people of Wales we really have something to offer. I'm delighted with the result tonight," she added.

Of the other parties, the Greens narrowly beat the BNP into sixth place, taking 5.6 per cent to the BNP's 5.4 per cent.

Analysis

Election 2010: The north

The Conservatives must make big breakthroughs across the north of England if they are to regain power in the 2010 general election.

Angel of the North doesn't have a vote

Election 2010: The Midlands and East Anglia

Labour must fight off advances from both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats across the middle of England.

Martin Salter is standing down in Reading

Election 2010: The south

The Conservatives are in the hunt for gains across the south of England as Liberal Democrat and Labour struggle to cling on to their seats. In the capital, at least, everything is up for grabs.

The capital is up for grabs following major boundary changes

Election 2010: Scotland, Wales and NI

The nationalist impact makes electioneering in the more electorally complex devolved nations of Britain more frantic - and much harder to predict.

Nationalist on the offensive

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