Ynys Môn by-election

Plaid Cymru retain Ynys Môn with an increased majority In the by-election for the Ynys Môn National Assembly for Wales constituency, held on 1 August 2013, Rhun ap Iorwerth was elected for Plaid Cymru with 12,601 votes, a majority of 9,166 (42.3%) over the Labour candidate Tal Michael, who came second with 3,435 votes. This means that Plaid Cymru retain the Ynys Môn constituency with a much increased majority, tripling the 2,937 majority they secured in the 2011 Assembly Election. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Ieuan Wyn Jones, the previous AM for Ynys Môn, on 18 June 2013. Under section 10 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, once a constituency seat such as Ynys Môn becomes vacant, a by-election must be held within three months. This was the third by-election since the National Assembly for Wales was established, following the previous ones held in Swansea East in 2001 and Blaenau Gwent in 2006. Turnout in the Ynys Môn by-election was 42.4%, which was lower than the 52.1% turnout in Blaenau Gwent in 2006, where a by-election was held for the Westminster seat held on the same day as the Assembly by-election, but higher than the 22.6% turnout seen in Swansea East. Plaid Cymru gathered 58.2% of the vote in the by-election, well ahead of Labour and UKIP, who polled 15.9% and 14.3% of the vote respectively. There was a 13.6% swing from Labour to Plaid Cymru in comparison with the 2011 Assembly Election. Figure 1: Number of votes and share of the vote won by each political party in the Ynys Môn by-election Source: Isle of Anglesey County Council, National Assembly for Wales Election - Thursday, 1st August, 2013 Of the parties who stood for Ynys Môn in the 2011 Assembly Election, Plaid Cymru increased their share of the vote from 41.4% to 58.2%. This was an increase of 16.8 percentage points, and the highest share of the vote Plaid Cymru has received for any Assembly election on Ynys Môn. The other three parties who stood at the 2011 Assembly Election: Labour; the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, all saw their share of the vote decrease. UKIP and Socialist Labour did not field candidates in the 2011 election. Figure 2: Percentage point change in each party’s share of the vote on Ynys Môn between the 2011 Assembly election and the by-election Sources: Isle of Anglesey County Council, National Assembly for Wales Election - Thursday, 1st August, 2013 and National Assembly for Wales, Election Results for Ynys Môn Note: UKIP and Socialist Labour did not field candidates in the 2011 Assembly Election in Ynys Môn; therefore they are represented in lighter colours in this graph. Plaid Cymru retaining Ynys Môn means that the number of seats held by each party in the Assembly is the same as previously, with Labour holding 30 seats, the Conservatives 14, Plaid Cymru 11 and the Liberal Democrats 5. For more information, contact Gareth Thomas via GarethDavid.Thomas@wales.gov.uk / 02920 898917