With the General Election less than two weeks away, the Argus is taking a look at each of the constituencies in Gwent. ANDY RUTHERFORD looks at Newport East.

SINCE its formation in 1983 - from the old Newport constituency - Newport East has remained in the hands of the Labour Party, though majorities have differed considerably down the years.

Roy Hughes, who had held the old Monmouth seat for Labour after first standing in the General Election of 1966, won a majority of 2,630 in finishing ahead of Conservative Roy Thomason in 1983, and increased that to almost 10,000 by the General Election of 1992.

He stood down in time for former Conservative minister Alan Howarth - who had defected to Labour in 1995 - to retain the seat for his new party in 1997, increasing the majority to more than 13,500 despite the ultimately unsuccessful attentions of former National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill, who stood for the Socialist Labour Party.

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Mr Howarth was successful again in 2001 before standing down ahead of the 2005 General Election, in which Jessica Morden took up the Labour candidacy.

The Liberal Democrats came with 1,650 votes of wining the seat in 2010, but Ms Morden's main challenger at the last two General Elections has once again been the Conservative Party. Her majority in 2017 was 8,003.

South Wales Argus:

Former Newport East MP Roy Hughes (left) with Newport West counterpart Paul Flynn, at Westminster in 1989

At the European Union referendum in June 2016, Newport as a whole voted to leave, with 56 per cent of those who voted in the city - more than 41,000 people - in favour of breaking ties with the EU.

Although official breakdowns of voting patterns by constituency are not available, anecdotally a slightly higher percentage of people in Newport East voted to leave the EU than in Newport West.

Geographically, Newport East takes in the eastern part of the city of Newport and stretches out east across the Gwent Levels, to Caldicot. Among the communities it includes are St Julians, Beechwood, Somerton, Alway, Parc Seymour, Llandevaud, Penhow and Llanmartin.

Unemployment in Newport East is slightly lower than in Newport West, but remains above the national average, while average weekly pay is also below the national average, and lower than that for Newport West.

Average house prices are also significantly lower than the national average.

At a glance

  • Population: 81,901
  • Number of these aged 65 or older: 13,832 (16.9 per cent)
  • Electorate (number eligible to vote): 56,115
  • Unemployment: 5.2 per cent (UK average 4.0 per cent)
  • Average weekly pay: £530 (UK average £580)
  • Average house price: £165,054 (UK average £235,000)
  • Number of people on disability benefits: 4,030
  • Number of businesses: 1,960

Your candidates

  • Mark Brown (Conservative)
  • Mike Hamilton (Liberal Democrat)
  • Jessica Morden (Labour)
  • Julie Price (Brexit Party)
  • Peter Varley (Green)
  • Cameron Wixcey (Plaid Cymru)