With the General Election less than two weeks away, the South Wales Argus is taking a look at each of the constituencies in Gwent. THOMAS MOODY looked at Torfaen.
TORFAEN is a Labour stronghold, with the party having won every single election since the constituency was founded in 1983.
The constituency runs from Cwmbran in the south, encompassing Pontypool, Abersychan and Blaenavon, bordering Ebbw Vale at its northernmost point.
The borough has a population of 93,049, of which 18,973 – or 4.9 per cent - are aged 65 or over. Cwmbran is the largest town in the area and the sixth largest urban area in the whole of Wales, with about 48,500 residents, despite only being established in 1949 as a new town.
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The town’s sports stadium was also home to international athletics events in the 1970s and 80s, with sporting giants including Colin Jackson having trained there regularly. The area is also notable for the Cwmbran Shopping Centre, which for years was the premier shopping destination in Gwent, only recently being rivalled by Newport’s Friars Walk. In total, the borough is home to 2,330 businesses.
(The Cwmbran Centre)
Pontypool is also one of the earliest industrial town in Wales and reportedly dates back as far as the 15th century. Among notable landmarks within Torfaen are the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, as well as the town of Blaenavon itself, which is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site for its strong industrial history.
(The Pontypool Indoor Market is home to just some of Torfaen's 2,330 businesses.)
Torfaen’s unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent lower than the national average of 4.1 per cent.
The average weekly pay is about £4 lower than the national average of £580, with the average weekly pay in Torfaen being £576.10.
House prices are more than £85,000 cheaper than the national average (£234,000), listed at £148,093.
Nick Thomas-Symonds was elected as the area’s Labour MP for the first time in 2015, but has been faced with defending his seat twice in just four years.
Despite being a new candidate, his majority in 2015 was only 0.2 per cent lower than his predecessor Paul Murphy, who had held the seat for Labour since 1987 and himself succeeded Labour’s Leo Abse, who was the first MP elected to the constituency when it was created in 1983.
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In the last election, Mr Thomas-Symonds received 57.6 per cent of the vote - 12.9 per cent higher than in the 2015 election.
Candidates for the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the Brexit Party are also running this year in Torfaen.
As with every other area in Gwent apart from Monmouth, Torfaen voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum, with 60 per cent of voters in the area backing Brexit.
Lynne Neagle, also Labour, represents the area in the Senedd.
AT A GLANCE: TORFAEN:
- Population: 93,049
- Number of those aged 65 or older: 18,973
- Median weekly pay: £576.10 (UK median £580)
- Average house price: £148,093 (UK average £234,000)
- Unemployment: 3.4 per cent (UK average 4.1 per cent)
- Number of businesses: 2,330
YOUR CANDIDATES:
- Morgan Bowler-Brown (Plaid Cymru)
- Andrew Heygate-Browne (Green Party)
- Graham Smith (Conservatives)
- David Thomas (Brexit Party)
- Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour)
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