On Thursday 18 June 1970, the 1970 United Kingdom general election was held in Wales, to elect all 635 members of the House of Commons, with 36 constituencies being in Wales.

This was the first general election in which people could vote from the age of eighteen years, after passage of the Representation of the People Act the previous year, and the first UK general election in which party affiliations of candidates were put on the ballot papers. The closing of the polls was also extended from 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Candidates

Below is a table summarising the candidates of the 1970 general election in Wales.

Affiliation CandidatesLabour Party 36Conservative Party 36Plaid Cymru 36Liberal Party 19Communist Party of Great Britain 8Independent Labour 1Democratic Party 1National Front 1Total 138

Analysis

The election saw the Labour Party win the most votes and seats in Wales.

Although Plaid Cymru had received its largest vote share in the party's history at this election when compared with previous elections, the party failed to obtain any seats in Wales. The party's leader Gwynfor Evans did not retain his seat in Caerfyrddin, which he had initially won from Labour in the 1966 Carmarthen by-election. The seat was won by Gwynoro Jones, thereby retaining it for Labour when compared to 1966.

Although Labour retained being the largest party in Wales by seats, it lost Cardiff North, Conwy, Monmouth and Pembrokeshire to the Conservative Party. Nicholas Edwards, who was elected in Pembrokeshire at this election, would go on to serve as Secretary of State for Wales during the first two terms of the Thatcher government. Future leader of the Labour Party Neil Kinnock also entered Parliament in this election in the constituency of Bedwellty.

Labour also lost Merthyr Tydfil to S. O. Davies. After being de-selected by the Labour Party to contest the seat in the 1970 general election, Davies stood and won as an independent. Davies, however, would pass away in 1972, leading to Labour retaking the seat in the 1972 Merthyr Tydfil by-election.

The Liberal Party retained its seat of Montgomeryshire. The MP was Emlyn Hooson.

Results

Below is a table summarising the results of the 1970 general election in Wales.

+PartySeatsAggregate Votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%) 27 0 5 5 75.0 781,941 51.6 9.1 7 4 0 4 19.4 419,884 27.7 0.2 0 0 0 — 175,016 11.5 7.2 1 0 0 2.8 103,747 6.8 0.5 1 colspan=2 1 2.8 16,701 0.4   Democratic 0 colspan=3 — 11,824 0.8 0 0 0 — 6,459 0.4 0.5 0 colspan=3 — 982 0.1 Total 36 0 100.0 1,516,554 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 1,958,778 77.4 1.6

See also 1970 United Kingdom general election in England 1970 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1970 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland List of MPs for constituencies in Wales (1970–February 1974)

Notes

References