Latest headlines
- Labour win 29 seats - but fall short of a majority
- UKIP wins its first seats in the Assembly
- Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood ousts Labour in Rhondda
- Mapping the election - see party vote share by constituency across Wales
Scoreboard
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Net percentage change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party LAB Welsh Labour | CandidatesRhianon Passmore | Votes10,050 | 45.0% | Net percentage change in seats−12.9 |
| Party UKIP UKIP Wales | CandidatesJoe Smyth | Votes4,944 | 22.2% | Net percentage change in seats+22.2 |
| Party PC Plaid Cymru | CandidatesLyn Ackerman | Votes4,349 | 19.5% | Net percentage change in seats−2.2 |
| Party CON Welsh Conservative | CandidatesPaul Williams | Votes1,775 | 8.0% | Net percentage change in seats−4.0 |
| Party LD Welsh Liberal Democrat | CandidatesMatthew Kidner | Votes597 | 2.7% | Net percentage change in seats−0.4 |
| Party GRN Wales Green Party | CandidatesKaty Beddoe | Votes594 | 2.7% | Net percentage change in seats+2.7 |
Change compared with 2011 | ||||
Turnout and Majority
Welsh Labour Majority
5,106Turnout
40.8%Constituency Profile
Situated in the Gwent Valleys, Islwyn is a former coal-mining area.
There is also a strong rugby tradition built on clubs such as Newbridge and Cross Keys. The band Manic Street Preachers was formed at a school in Blackwood in 1986. At 2.1%, the percentage of Islwyn's population born outside the UK is the joint lowest in Wales. The percentage of Islwyn residents claiming out-of-work benefits (14%) is higher than the Welsh average (12%). Plaid Cymru caused a major upset when the party won the traditionally safe Labour seat in the first Assembly election. Labour has won the seat in subsequent Assembly polls and will be defending a majority of 7,589 votes in 2016.
In 2011, Labour's Gwyn Price, who is standing down, polled 57.9% of the vote, ahead of Plaid Cymru on 21.7%, Conservatives on 11.9%, the BNP on 5.3%, and the Liberal Democrats on 3.1%.
