The seat covers Bridgend itself and some of the south Wales coast to the west including the seaside resort of Porthcawl. Levels of wealth and education are around average for the UK.[4]
Boundaries
1983–1997: The Borough of Ogwr wards numbers 1, 2, 12 to 16, 18, and 20 to 23.
1997–2010: The Borough of Ogwr wards of Brackla, Cefn Cribwr, Coity Higher, Cornelly, Coychurch Lower, Laleston, Morfa, Newcastle, Newcastle Higher, Oldcastle, Porthcawl East, Porthcawl West, Pyle, and St Bride's Major.
2010–2024: The Bridgend County Borough electoral divisions of Brackla; Bryntirion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr; Cefn Glas; Coity; Cornelly; Coychurch Lower; Litchard; Llangewydd and Brynhyfryd; Morfa; Newcastle; Newton; Nottage; Oldcastle; Pendre; Pen-y-fai; Porthcawl East Central; Porthcawl West Central; Pyle; and Rest Bay.
2024–present: The Bridgend County Borough electoral divisions of Aberkenfig; Brackla East and Coychurch Lower; Brackla East Central; Brackla West; Brackla West Central; Bridgend Central; Bryntyrion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr; Cefn Glas; Coity Higher; Newton; Nottage; Oldcastle; Pencoed and Penprysg; Pen-y-Fai; Porthcawl East Central; Porthcawl West Central; Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr; Rest Bay; and St Bride's Minor and Ynysawdre.
History
Summary of results
The 2015 result gave the seat the 19th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[5] The Bridgend constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Ogmore and Aberavon. To date, it has mostly voted for candidates from the Labour Party at general elections. The exceptions have been the Conservatives winning the seat at the 1983 "landslide" election, and in 2019. An absolute Labour majority occurred in Bridgend in three successive elections: 1992, 1997, and 2001, as well as in 2017.
Other opposition parties
Since 2001, inclusive, two non-Labour, non-Conservative candidates at each election have kept their deposits, winning greater than or equal to 5% of the vote.
Turnout
Turnout has ranged between a high of 80.5%, in 1992, and a low of 59.2% in 2005.