In recent elections Rhondda returned to the Labour fold following a dramatic and uncharacteristic wobble in the first assembly and local council elections. Labour suffered many shocks in 1999; none were greater than in Rhondda, where Plaid gained the seat regarded as one of Labour's very safest. On the same day, Plaid Cymru also gained control of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council from Labour. Much of the damage done to Labour was in the Rhondda part of the council area. But in 2001, despite many predicting a similar shock at Westminster, Labour held on to the seat which had been theirs in Parliament since 1910. Although the coal mines which gained the Rhondda world renown at the turn of the century have now closed, the area retains the character of a mining community. The Rhondda now suffers relatively high levels of unemployment and has one of the highest number of people suffering from a long-term illness in the country.
