LABOUR has won the new Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare constituency at the general election with Reform UK coming in second.
Gerald Jones of Labour has been elected as the MP for the newly formed constituency following the general election on Thursday, July 4 winning more than 15,700 votes.
Reform UK finished in second place with more than 8.300 votes with Plaid Cymru finishing in third with 4,768.
The turnout was 47.43% or 35,215 out of a total electorate (people who could vote) of 76,189.
After the win, Mr Jones said he’s been out and about across the constituency for a number of months now saying: “And I think all of our communities have similar issues they’re facing but there’s a unique identity in Merthyr Tydfil as there is in Aberdare.
“My job, what I will look to do, is see how we can bring all of our communities together and share experiences and just be out there, be working across the communities to support wherever I can.
“Whether that’s individuals with issues, problems they need solving or community groups, working with colleagues in the Senedd in local government to actually make a real tangible difference for communities here in Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare.”
On the national picture, he said: “It’s really exciting. It feels really exciting. I think the Labour Party have put up a manifesto that is deliverable, it’s fully costed and I think within that there are measures that can make a real difference.
“Stabilising the economy is key so we can use more money then to invest in our public services but I think as a starting point, looking at the non doms and the tax loopholes to invest in the NHS and the windfall tax to bring bills down for families.”
Results:
- Anthony Cole (Workers Party): 531
- Bob Davenport (Communist Party of Britain): 212
- Lorenzo De Gregori (Independent): 375
- David Peter Griffin (Green Party): 1,231
- Amanda Jenner (Conservatives): 2,687
- Gerald Jones (Labour): 15,791
- Jade Smith (Lib Dem): 1,276
- Gareth Thomas (Reform UK): 8,344
- Francis Daniel Whitefoot (Plaid Cymru): 4,768
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare is a new constituency for this election following boundary changes and includes 79.7% of the old Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency and 58.1% of the old Cynon Valley constituency.
It includes areas such as Rhigos, Cyfartha, Aberaman South, Treharris, Merthyr Vale and Dowlais as well as Gurnos, Park and Penydarren.
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney was last held by Gerald Jones who is the Labour candidate for the new seat and the Cynon Valley seat was held by Beth Winter, also of Labour.
There was some controversy when Gerald Jones was selected ahead of Beth Winter to contest the new seat which led to a row within the party over the process.
Gerald Jones is 53 and has been the MP for the former Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney constituency since 2015 having spent 20 years as a county & community councillor beforehand.
He spent almost 20 years volunteering for a range of local community projects and working in the charity sector identifying funding opportunities for marginalised and deprived areas and working with volunteers to build stronger communities.
He was born and raised in the village of Phillipstown in New Tredegar, in the Upper Rhymney Valley and by the age of 14, he was drawn into community action by the the miners’ strike.
