A traditionally safe Labour seat, represented for 33 years by George Thomas (who became Speaker in 1976 and was re-elected without party affiliation in 1979). It has returned a Conservative only once, in the Tories' landslide year of 1983, when Stefan Terlezki became the MP.
Labour regained the seat at the next general election in 1987, when Rhodri Morgan was elected. After the creation of the Welsh Assembly Government, Morgan stepped down from his Westminster seat in 2001 to serve as leader of Welsh Labour and First Minister for Wales. Kevin Brennan retained the seat for Labour on Morgan's retirement from Westminster politics and has remained the MP ever since.
Boundariesedit
Map of current boundaries
1950–1974: The County Borough of Cardiff wards of Canton, Ely, Grangetown, Llandaff, and Riverside.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Cardiff wards of Canton, Ely, Llandaff, Grangetown, Plasmawr, and Riverside.
1983–2010: The City of Cardiff wards of Caerau, Canton, Ely, Fairwater, Grangetown, Llandaff, Radyr and St Fagans, and Riverside.
2010–present: The Cardiff electoral divisions of Caerau, Canton, Creigiau and St Fagans, Ely, Fairwater, Grangetown, Llandaff, Pentyrch, Radyr, and Riverside.
Cardiff West is entirely within the boundaries of the city of Cardiff, taking up the northwestern quarter of the borough at the boundaries of the boroughs of Rhondda Cynon Taf and Vale of Glamorgan. Population areas within the constituency include Riverside, Pontcanna, St Fagans and Ely. There are some Conservative-voting areas in the north of the seat such as Creigiau and St Fagans, Pentyrch and Radyr, but the bulk of the seat comprises districts towards the centre of Cardiff such as Caerau, Canton, Ely and Riverside which are very strongly Labour.
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^2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales(PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
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^"Politics Resources". Election 1979. Politics Resources. 3 May 1979. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"BBC NEWS>VOTE 2001>Results and Constituencies>Cardiff West". Vote 2001. BBC News. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"BBC NEWS > Cardiff West". Vote 2001. BBC News. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Cardiff West parliamentary constituency - Election 2005" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.