General election 2024: Find out more about the candidates standing in Cardiff South and Penarth

The traditionally Labour seat of Cardiff South and Penarth is being contested by six candidates. We sent them all questionnaires to give you a better idea of who they are and their political aspirations.

As part of the redesign of Welsh constituencies, around a third of the existing Cardiff South and Penarth constituency, a safe Labour seat, is changing this election. The boundaries of all but one Welsh seat have changed ahead of the 2024 election, only Ynys Mon (the island of Anglesey) remains untouched, all others have seen changes which could impact the results on election night.

You can read the background to the changes here. Instead of 40 constituencies, there are now 32 in Wales and the idea behind it is to make all Westminster constituencies the same size.

Using figures from electoral calculus, we can see that this new constituency will include 67.5% of the former Cardiff South and Penarth along with 21.8% of Cardiff Central and 8.3% of the Vale of Glamorgan added.

READ MORE: What is my general election 2024 constituency - as 90% of areas hit by boundary changes

READ MORE: Who are the candidates where I live in the general election 2024

The election is taking place on Thursday, July 4 and 32 MPs will be elected to represent Wales.

Where does the constituency cover?

It includes areas like Dinas Powys, Llandough, Stanwell, Butetown and Splott.

You can also find your constituency by entering your postcode here:

What happened in the general election in 2019

Who is standing?

• Stephen Doughty (Labour)

• Simon Andrew Llewellyn (Reform UK)
  

• Sharifah Rahman (Independent, formerly Plaid Cymru candidate)

• Anthony David Slaughter (Green Party)

• Ellis Smith (Conservatives)

• Alex Wilson (Lib Dem)

The candidates

All candidates were all asked to answer the same questions, the responses received are all below:

Stephen Doughty - Labour

I’m 44, and brought up in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan and have lived in many places locally. I’ve had the honour to serve Cardiff South and Penarth for nearly 12 years since I was first elected, and hope to continue to do so on the new boundaries. Most recently I am serving as Labour’s Shadow Minister for Europe, North America and the Overseas Territories. I worked for a number of humanitarian organisations on health, education, human rights, conflict and climate change, and in the last Labour Government before being elected, and have done many other jobs. In the past I have also served as an Army Reservist and Cub/Scout Leader. In my spare time, as well as supporting the Bluebirds, I love singing, walking, swimming and travel.

Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP

Labour’s guarantee to under-25s of a job, education, training or self-employment requires a range of policies and legislation - but is absolutely crucial to give hope to our younger generations and ensure we make use of all talents. And in a diverse community like Cardiff South and Penarth it’s crucial we also ensure chances to thrive and succeed are available equally. There should be no limits on the ambitions of our next generation.

What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?

How we seize both the urgency and opportunities of green transition and tackling climate change over the coming crucial decade. Labour’s bold plans for green investment and unlocking Wales’ green energy potential especially in renewables and our plans for GB Energy offer new hope and are absolutely crucial.

Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?

Churchill saved the country in our darkest hour, but since 1945, I would have to say Attlee - who brought new hope to the country after the death and destruction of World War II and helped lay the foundations of our modern society, including the NHS and key global organisations including the UN and NATO. Of course I also have a soft spot for my constituency predecessor Jim Callaghan, and worked closely with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Alex Wilson - Lib Dem

My name is Alex Wilson, I am 61 and live in Penarth with my wife Nikki, son Maxwell and Rufus the cat. From a working class background I spent most of my working life in the passenger lift industry, first as an engineer and then in sales management.

I’m a huge believer in the importance of community; I run Red Herring Community Theatre, I’m a member of Penarth Operatic and Dramatic Society, Chairman of Glamorgan Drama League, I coach under 10’s football at Sully FC and am a school governor at Evenlode Primary School.

As a member of the local Lib Dem team I have been central to campaigning on key local issues including raising a petition to successfully keep the Kymin and its grounds for public use, and strongly opposing the proposal to build 576 houses on contaminated land at Cosmeston Farm.

Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP

Proportional Representation. Our current electoral system of first-past-the-post robs millions of voters of a voice. It allows huge swathes of the country to be ignored and silenced by a political system that is supposed to represent them.

Lib Dems have been fighting for a better voting system for decades; one fitting a modern democracy and one that would prevent the current chaos we’re seeing in Downing Street.

Proportional Representation means making seats won match votes cast. It would mean fewer ‘safe seats’ and as a result politicians would have to work together, better serving the people. It is widely used across the world to great effect – so why not here?

What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?

Health. High quality healthcare, free at the point of use, is essential for people to live the lives they choose, and a thriving economy needs a healthy population.

Labour have run The NHS in Wales into the ground. We have the longest waiting times in Britain, missed targets and poor outcomes.

The Lib Dems would give everyone the right to see their GP within 24 hours for urgent care or a maximum of seven days for non-urgent matters. We would reform NHS dentistry and invest in prevention so fewer people get ill. We would recruit, train and retain more doctors and nurses in order to reduce waiting times.

We would invest in social care to free up hospital beds currently blocked by patients ready to leave but lacking the domestic support to do so.

We would put mental health on the same footing as physical health to address the silent epidemic that has massive repercussions, particularly amongst the young.

Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?

The one Prime Minister that is often overlooked because of his predecessor is Clement Attlee. Sweeping to power immediately after the war he set about rebuilding a ruined economy and building a better Britain.

His government created the welfare state, nationalised a series of key industries and public utilities, gave us our national parks, implemented wide-ranging social reforms and of course the formation of the NHS.