Merthyr Tydfil

Merhyr Tydfil stretches over two valleys in South Wales and covers the traditional mining heart of the area. It reaches from the Brecon Beacons in the north down to the town of Treharris in the south. The town of Merthyr Tydfil itself is now an administrative, commercial, shopping and service centre for the area, two modern trunk roads cross at the town. This is a relatively poor region with low levels of Welsh speaking. Unemployment stands at 10.6% compared to a national average of 8.5%, and 7.5% of the population is Welsh speaking compared with 18.7% of the population of the whole of Wales.

This is an old Labour stronghold, Labour holds 30 of the 33 seats on the council. The boundaries of the council are almost the same as those of the parliamentary constituency of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, though the Rhymney area in the west of the constituency is now run by Caerphilly unitary council. The constituency was ranked as Labour's fourth safest seat in the 1997 election, and Ted Rowlands held the seat with a majority of 27, 086.

Results of 1979 referendum:

		Yes		No		Turnout
All Wales		20%		80%		58.3%
Mid Glamorgan		20%		80%		58.5%

Beaufort Research/Western Mail poll published on 2 July 1997:

		Agree		Disagree		Don't know
All Wales		43%		29%		28%
Valleys		45%		28%		27%