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> United Kingdom > Wales > Wales
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Established | June 09, 1983 |
Disbanded | Still Active |
Contributor | RP |
Last Modified | RBH December 04, 2019 04:16pm |
Description |
Once the most marginal seat in Britain, this constituency had been in long-term Conservative control at Westminster until Labour took it at a by-election in 1989. Labour lost it again at the 1992 general election when the Tories won it by only 19 votes. But by 1997, and faced with a national landslide, Labour's John Smith took it back. In every poll in the constituency since, Labour's share of the vote has slipped. The Vale of Glamorgan could prove to be a close contest this time, particularly as the Conservative challenger Alun Cairns has a high profile in Wales as an Assembly Member. He needs a swing of 5.2 per cent to take the seat. Labour's Jane Hutt won Vale of Glamorgan at the first assembly. She immediately became health minister, and held the position until January 2005. She has had a troubled couple of years coming under fire from opposition AMs over waiting lists. She remains in the Cabinet as business minister. One of the constituency's biggest employers is the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) at St Athan where 1,600 people have jobs. The government announced in December 2004 that they may sell off the agency as it is no longer required to be retained by the MoD. The Vale is also home to the growing Cardiff International Airport near Rhoose. The assembly government has proposed a twice daily service between North and South Wales and has introduced passenger services on the Vale of Glamorgan railway and a dedicated airport bus link.
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