2016 National Assembly for Wales election


The 2016 National Assembly for Wales election was held on Thursday 5 May 2016, to elect members of the National Assembly for Wales, later known as the Senedd. It was the fifth election for the assembly, the third election taken under the rules of the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the first since the Wales Act 2014.
The governing Labour Party's share of the vote fell by over 7% and 29 Labour AMs were elected, one fewer than in 2011 and two short of an overall majority. Plaid Cymru became the Assembly's second largest party and the official opposition to the Welsh Government with 12 seats, one more than before. 11 Conservative AMs were elected, three fewer than in 2011. Although they did not win a single constituency, the UK Independence Party had seven members elected through the regional lists vote. The Liberal Democrats had only one AM returned, down from five.
The election was held on the same day as elections for the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Mayor and Assembly of London and in numerous local authorities in England. The by-election for the Westminster seat of Ogmore was also held on the same day. This election and elections to the other devolved chambers were delayed by a year from 2015 to 2016 as a result of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.

Electoral method

In general elections for the National Assembly for Wales, each voter has two votes in a mixed member system. The first vote is for a candidate to become the Assembly Member for the voter's constituency, elected by the first past the post system. The second vote is for a regional closed party list of candidates. Additional member seats are allocated from the lists by the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account in the allocation. The overall result is approximately proportional.
Previously it was not allowed to stand in both a constituency and a regional list, but this rule was abolished by the Wales Act 2014. The Act also introduced a ban on dual mandates with the House of Commons: an Assembly Member is no longer allowed also to be an MP.
British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens living in Wales aged 18 or over on election day were entitled to vote.

Retiring AMs

The following, previously incumbent AMs, did not run for re-election:

Constituency nominations

NB: AMs in office before the election are bolded. Winners are highlighted with party colours.
ConstituencyConservativeLabourLib DemPlaid CymruGreenUKIPOthers
AberavonDavid JenkinsDavid ReesHelen Ceri ClarkeBethan JenkinsJonathan TierGlenda Davies
AberconwyJanet Finch-SaundersMike PriestleySarah Lesiter-BurgessTrystan LewisPetra Haig
Alyn and DeesideMike GibbsCarl SargeantPete WilliamsJacqueline HurstMartin BennewithMichelle Brown
ArfonMartin PeetSion JonesSarah Lloyd WilliamsSiân Gwenllian
Blaenau GwentTracey WestAlun DaviesBrendan D'CruzNigel CopnerKevin Boucher
Brecon and RadnorshireGary PriceAlex ThomasKirsty WilliamsFreddy GreavesGrenville HamThomas Turton
BridgendGeorge JabbourCarwyn JonesJonathan PrattJames RadcliffeCharlotte BarlowCaroline Jones
CaerphillyJane PrattHefin DavidAladdin AyeshLindsay WhittleAndrew CreakSam Gould
Cardiff CentralJoel WilliamsJenny RathboneEluned ParrottGlyn WiseAmelia WomackMohammed-Sarul IslamJane Croad
Cardiff NorthJayne CowanJulie MorganJohn DixonElin Walker JonesChris von RuhlandHaydn RushworthFiona Burt
Cardiff South and PenarthBen GreyVaughan GethingNigel HowellsDr Dafydd Trystan DaviesAnthony SlaughterHugh Moelwyn-Hughes
Cardiff WestSean DriscollMark DrakefordCadan ap TomosNeil McEvoyHannah PudnerGareth BennettElliot Freedman Lee Woolls
Carmarthen East and DinefwrMatthew PaulSteve JeacockWilliam PowellAdam PriceFreya AmsburyNeil Hamilton
Carmarthen West and South PembrokeshireAngela BurnsMarc TierneyAlistair CameronSimon ThomasVal BradleyAllan BrookesChris Overton
CeredigionDr Felix AubelIwan Wyn JonesElizabeth EvansElin JonesBrian WilliamsGethin James
Clwyd SouthSimon BaynesKen SkatesAled RobertsMabon ap GwynforDuncan ReesMandy Jones
Clwyd WestDarren MillarJo ThomasVictor BabuLlyr Huws GruffyddJulian MahyDavid Edwards
Cynon ValleyLyn HudsonVikki HowellsMichael WallaceCerith GriffithsJohn MatthewsLiz Wilks
DelynHuw WilliamsHannah BlythynTom RippethPaul RowlinsonNigel Williams
Dwyfor MeirionnyddNeil FairlambIan MacIntyreStephen ChurchmanLord Elis-ThomasAlice Hooker-StroudFrank WykesLouise Hughes
GowerLyndon JonesRebecca EvansSheila Kingston-JonesHarri RobertsAbi Cherry-HamerColin Beckett
IslwynPaul WilliamsRhianon PassmoreMatthew KidnerLyn AckermanKaty BeddoeJoe Smyth
LlanelliStefan RyszewskiLee WatersGemma-Jane BowkerHelen Mary JonesGuy Martin SmithKenneth Denver-Rees Siân Caiach
Merthyr Tydfil and RhymneyElizabeth SimonDawn BowdenBob GriffinBrian ThomasJulie ColbranDavid Rowlands
MonmouthNick RamsayCatherine FookesVeronica GermanJonathan ClarkChris WereTim PriceDebby Blakebrough, Stephen Morris
MontgomeryshireRussell GeorgeMartyn SingletonJane DoddsAled Morgan HughesRichard ChalonerDes Parkinson
NeathPeter Crocker-JaquesJeremy MilesFrank LittleAlun LlewelynLisa RapadoRichard PritchardStephen Hunt
Newport EastMunawar MughalJohn GriffithsPaul HallidayTony SalkeldPeter VarleyJames Peterson
Newport WestMatthew EvansJayne BryantLiz NewtonSimon CoopeyPippa BartolottiMichael FordGruff Meredith
Bill Fearnley-Whittingstall
OgmoreJamie WallisHuw Irranca-DaviesAnita DaviesTim ThomasLaurence BrophyHazel Kendall
PontypriddJoel JamesMick AntoniwMike PowellChad RickardKen BarkerEdwin Allen
Preseli PembrokeshirePaul DaviesDan LodgeBob KilmisterJohn OsmondFrances BryantHoward Lillyman
RhonddaMaria HillLeighton AndrewsRhys TaylorLeanne WoodPat MatthewsStephen Clee
Swansea EastSadie VidalMichael HedgesCharlene WebsterDic JonesTony YoungClifford Johnson
Swansea WestCraig LawtonJulie JamesChris HolleyDavid LloydGareth TuckerRosie IrwinBrian Johnson
TorfaenCllr Graham SmithLynne NeagleAlison WillottMatthew Woolfall-JonesSteven JenkinsSusan Boucher
Vale of ClwydSam RowlandsAnn JonesGwyn WilliamsMair RowlandsPaul Davies-Cooke
Vale of GlamorganRoss EnglandJane HuttDenis CampbellIan JohnsonAlison HadenLawrence Andrews
WrexhamAndrew AtkinsonLesley GriffithsBeryl BlackmoreCarrie HarperAlan ButterworthJeanette Bassford-Barton
Ynys MônClay TheakstonJulia DobsonMark RosenthalRhun ap IorwerthGerry WolffSimon WallDaniel Meredith Ap Eifion Jones