Swansea West (UK Parliament constituency)

Swansea West (Gorllewin Abertawe) is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and is currently represented by Torsten Bell of Labour, who was first elected in the constituency in 2024.

Alan Williams represented the seat for the Labour Party from 1964 until his retirement in 2010; from 2005 until his retirement he was the Father of the House (meaning longest-serving MP currently sitting).

In the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the constituencies boundaries were altered. The Senedd constituency of the same name currently has the constituency's borders as they existed before 2024.

Boundaries
The constituency comprises the electoral wards of Sketty, Castle, Killay South, Killay North, Dunvant, Uplands, Townhill, Cockett and Mayals.

1918–1949: The County Borough of Swansea wards of Alexandra, Bryn Melyn, Castle, Ffynone, St Helen's, and Victoria.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Swansea wards of Brynmelyn, Cockett, Ffynone, Oystermouth and Brynau, St Helen's, Sketty, Victoria, and Waunarlwydd.

1955–1983: The County Borough of Swansea wards of Brynmelin, Fforestfach, Ffynone, Mumbles, St Helen's, Sketty, Townhill, and Victoria.

Elections in the 2020s
On 31 May Labour announced the selection of Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, as their candidate in the constituency. They were accused of "parachuting" their favoured candidate, against the wishes of local party members. Bell had no connection to Swansea or Wales. The previous MP, Geraint Davies, had been barred from standing because he was subject to an investigation.

Elections in the 2010s
Of the 137 rejected ballots:
 * 117 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
 * 20 voted for more than one candidate.

In June 2023 Davies was administratively suspended from the Labour Party after allegations were made of unwanted sexual attention on younger women. Davies continued to sit as an independent MP. 12 months later he still had not been given an opportunity by the party to answer the accusations. Because he was still suspended, he was unable to stand in the 2024 general election.

Of the 116 rejected ballots:
 * 33 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.
 * 83 voted for more than one candidate.

1 Geraint Davies is a Labour and Co-operative member but he was nominated as Welsh Labour.

Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939–40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
 * Liberal National: Lewis Jones
 * Labour: Percy Morris