1.
County borough
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County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, in the Republic of Ireland they remain in existence but have been renamed cities under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2001. The Local Government Act 1994 re-introduced the term for certain areas in Wales. Scotland did not have county boroughs but instead counties of cities and these were abolished on 16 May 1975. All four Scottish cities of the time — Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, there was an additional category of large burgh in the Scottish system, which were responsible for all services apart from police, education and fire. Some cities and towns were already independent counties corporate, and most were to become county boroughs, the Local Government Act 1888 as eventually passed required a population of over 50,000 except in the case of existing counties corporate. This resulted in 61 county boroughs in England and two in Wales, several exceptions were allowed, mainly for historic towns, Bath, Dudley and Oxford were all under the 50,000 limit in the 1901 census. Various new county boroughs were constituted in the decades as more boroughs reached the 50,000 minimum. The granting of county status was the subject of much disagreement between the large municipal boroughs and the county councils. County boroughs to be constituted in this era were a bag, including some towns that would continue to expand such as Bournemouth. Other towns such as Burton upon Trent and Dewsbury were not to increase in population much past 50,000, the threshold was raised to 100,000 by the Local Government Act 1958. The viability of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil came into question in the 1930s. Due to a decline in the industries of the town, by 1932 more than half the male population was unemployed. At the same time the population of the borough was lower than when it had created in 1908. A royal commission was appointed in May 1935 to investigate whether the status of Merthyr Tydfil as a county borough should be continued. In the event county borough status was retained by the town, after the Second World War the creation of new county boroughs in England and Wales was effectively suspended, pending a local government review. The policy in the paper also ruled out the creation of new county boroughs in Middlesex owing to its special problems, the Local Government Boundary Commission was appointed on 26 October 1945, under the chairmanship of Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve, delivering its report in 1947. The report envisaged the creation of 47 two-tiered new counties,21 one-tiered new counties and 63 new county boroughs, although the Commissions did not complete their work before being dissolved, a handful of new county boroughs were constituted between 1964 and 1968
2.
Pontypool
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Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It is situated on the Afon Lwyd river in the county borough of Torfaen, situated on the eastern edge of the South Wales coalfields, Pontypool grew around industries including iron and steel production, coal mining and the growth of the railways. A rather artistic manufacturing industry also flourished here alongside heavy industry was Japanning. Pontypool has a history as one of the earliest industrial towns in Wales. The Afon Lwyd valley, in which Pontypool is situated, provided an abundance of resources for the manufacturing of iron, including coal, iron ore, charcoal and waterpower. The wider technological developments of the Tudor period, such as the utilisation of blast furnaces to produce iron, allowed for the greater exploitation of the mineral resources of south Wales. A blast furnace was in use at Monkswood, near Pontypool, an ironworks was established in what later became Pontypool Park in c. Furthermore, he secured the rights to extract coal and iron-ore on Lord Abergavenny’s Hills in, the Hanburys were also active at Cwmlickey, Lower Race and Blaendare during the seventeenth century as the demand for coal was met. Tinplate was being produced at Pontypool from c,1706, with an important tin mill in operation at Pontymoile during the early eighteenth century. During the 1660s, Thomas Allgood of Northamptonshire, was appointed manager of the Pontypool Ironworks, Allgood developed the Pontypool ‘japanning’ process, whereby metal plate could be treated in a way that generated a lacquered and decorative finish. There was a demand for these artistic, luxury products and Allgood’s sons, Edward and Thomas, established a japanworks in Pontypool. The brothers produced a range of products, including decorative bread baskets, tea trays, dishes and other items, following the death of Edward Allgood in 1761 there was a family quarrel between his two sons and a rival japanning factory was established in Usk. Both the Pontypool and Usk concerns had ceased production by the early 1820s, from the mid to late eighteenth century, as the industrial revolution took hold, there was a massive expansion in the economic development of south Wales. Iron-making flourished in emerging towns and settlements, notably at Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar, by the early nineteenth century, south Wales was the most important centre of iron production in the world. Whilst Pontypool was not as competitive as some of the larger towns, it retained a niche in the metallurgical market. The twentieth century witnessed a decline in the industries of south Wales. The growth of Pontypool accompanied the development of industry, originally a dispersed, rural settlement, the first centres of growth took place in the hamlets of Trosnant and Pontymoile. However, as the focus of industry and investment became increasingly centred on Pontypool, Pontypool was little village within old Trevethin parish in the ancient hundred of Abergavenny of the County of Monmouth
3.
Cwmbran
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Cwmbran is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and county borough of Monmouth, Cwmbran was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbran is twinned with Bruchsal in Germany and Carbonne in France, comprising the villages of Old Cwmbran, Pontnewydd, Upper Cwmbran, Croesyceiliog, Llantarnam and Llanyrafon, its population had grown to 48,535 by 2011. This makes it the sixth largest urban area in Wales, around 1179, Hywel, Lord of Caerleon gave a gift of money and land to found the Cistercian Abbey at Llantarnam. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII the Abbey was closed and was bought by a succession of wealthy landowners, by the 18th century the Abbey had passed into the ownership of the Blewitt family, who were to become key figures in the early industrialisation of Cwmbran. Brick making, lime kilns, iron ore mining, quarrying, in 1833 the Ordnance Survey map of Monmouthshire shows Cwmbran as a farm situated in the area now known as Upper Cwmbran, in the valley named Cwm Brân. Cwmbran now covers approximately 3,000 acres and has a population of around 50,000, the Cistercian Way also passes through Llantarnam, Old Cwmbran, Greenmeadow and Thornhill, Cwmbran before reaching the ancient chapel of Llanderfel on Mynydd Maen, and then onwards to Twmbarlwm. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Cwmbran was the site of industrial development. This industry drove the creation of the Monmouthshire Canal, the Newport and Pontypool Railway, very little of this industrial heritage remains today, though many of todays light industrial or retail estates were created on the sites. Following the passing of the 1946 New Towns Act, ministries, for Wales, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government proposed Church Village and Cwmbran. The Church Village proposal was vetoed by the Ministry of Power as new housing there would have interfered with plans for the expansion of coalmining in the area, however, the name of the town derives from the Welsh Cwm Brân, meaning valley of the river Brân. This was the name of a village located in the valley, Brân means crow, which could be allusion to the dark waters of the river, or may have been the personal name of someone associated with the area. Sitting as it does at the corner of the South Wales Coalfield, it has an aspect to its western and northern edges. The Afon Llwyd forms the river valley, although the most significant water course is probably the remains of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. To the east of Cwmbran the land is hilly, forming part of the Usk valley. The longest established employer in Cwmbran is biscuit maker Burtons Foods, as of 2005, the Cwmbran plant produces over 400 million Wagon Wheels a year. Contour Aerospace opened a new factory in Cwmbran in 2000, built in the late 1950s the New Town Centre hosts a main bus station, supermarkets, small commercial units and a cinema. Over a period of 30 years the centre was extended and refurbished several times
4.
Labour Party (UK)
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The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Labour later served in the coalition from 1940 to 1945. Labour was also in government from 1964 to 1970 under Harold Wilson and from 1974 to 1979, first under Wilson and then James Callaghan. The Labour Party was last in government from 1997 to 2010 under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, beginning with a majority of 179. Having won 232 seats in the 2015 general election, the party is the Official Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the party also organises in Northern Ireland, but does not contest elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Labour Party is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Progressive Alliance. In September 2015, Jeremy Corbyn was elected Leader of the Labour Party, the first Lib–Lab candidate to stand was George Odger in the Southwark by-election of 1870. In addition, several small socialist groups had formed around this time, among these were the Independent Labour Party, the intellectual and largely middle-class Fabian Society, the Marxist Social Democratic Federation and the Scottish Labour Party. In the 1895 general election, the Independent Labour Party put up 28 candidates, Keir Hardie, the leader of the party, believed that to obtain success in parliamentary elections, it would be necessary to join with other left-wing groups. Hardies roots as a lay preacher contributed to an ethos in the party led to the comment by 1950s General Secretary Morgan Phillips that Socialism in Britain owed more to Methodism than Marx. The motion was passed at all stages by the TUC, the meeting was attended by a broad spectrum of working-class and left-wing organisations—trades unions represented about one third of the membership of the TUC delegates. This created an association called the Labour Representation Committee, meant to coordinate attempts to support MPs sponsored by trade unions and it had no single leader, and in the absence of one, the Independent Labour Party nominee Ramsay MacDonald was elected as Secretary. He had the task of keeping the various strands of opinions in the LRC united. The October 1900 Khaki election came too soon for the new party to campaign effectively, only 15 candidatures were sponsored, but two were successful, Keir Hardie in Merthyr Tydfil and Richard Bell in Derby. Support for the LRC was boosted by the 1901 Taff Vale Case, the judgement effectively made strikes illegal since employers could recoup the cost of lost business from the unions. In their first meeting after the election the groups Members of Parliament decided to adopt the name The Labour Party formally, the Fabian Society provided much of the intellectual stimulus for the party. One of the first acts of the new Liberal Government was to reverse the Taff Vale judgement, the Peoples History Museum in Manchester holds the minutes of the first Labour Party meeting in 1906 and has them on display in the Main Galleries. Also within the museum is the Labour History Archive and Study Centre, the governing Liberals were unwilling to repeal this judicial decision with primary legislation
5.
MPs elected in the UK general election, 2015
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The fifty-sixth Parliament of the United Kingdom is the legislature of the United Kingdom following the 2015 general election of Members of Parliament to the House of Commons. Parliament, which consists of the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons, was convened on 27 May 2015 at the Palace of Westminster by Queen Elizabeth II, the election saw each of Parliaments 650 constituencies return one MP to the House of Commons. It resulted in a Conservative majority, a loss of seats for the Liberal Democrats. UKIP won its first seat at a general election, alliance and Respect each had their representation from the last Parliament wiped out. The UUP won representation after none in the previous Parliament, below is a graphical representation of the House of Commons showing a comparison of party strengths as it was directly after the 2015 general election. This table shows the number of MPs in each party, Notes See here for a full list of changes during the fifty-sixth Parliament. In addition to the parties listed in the table above, the Co-operative Party is also represented in the House of Commons by Labour MPs sitting with the Labour Co-operative designation, the number of these MPs was twenty-four after the general election, and is currently twenty-six. The actual government majority is calculated as Conservative MPs less all other parties and this calculation excludes the Speaker, Deputy Speakers and Sinn Féin. The following table is a list of MPs elected, ordered by constituency, names of incumbents are listed where they stood for re-election, for details of defeated new candidates and the incumbent who stood down in those cases see individual constituency articles. Notes After the general election, changes can occur in the composition of the House of Commons and this happens as a result of the election of Deputy Speakers, by-elections, defections, suspensions or removal of whip. After the swearing in of MPs and the elections of the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers, the current government majority is sixteen. The net outcome of all changes over the course of the Parliament has resulted in two fewer Labour MPs, two fewer SNP MPs, one more Liberal Democrat MP and three more independent MPs. Directly after the 2015 State Opening of Parliament, the Speaker nominated Sir Roger Gale, the election of Deputy Speakers took place on 3 June 2015. Although Deputy Speakers do not resign from their parties, they cease to vote, by-elections are held for seats that become vacant. In some situations, the label under which MPs sit in the House of Commons can change, when this happens, MPs often become independents. Michelle Thomson Thomson withdrew from the SNP whip on 29 September 2015 after her business became the subject of an investigation into alleged irregularities regarding property deals. As a result, she now sits as an independent, in line with party rules, upon withdrawing from the whip, her SNP membership was suspended. As a result, she now sits as an independent, in line with party rules, upon withdrawing from the whip, her SNP membership was suspended
6.
Member of the National Assembly for Wales
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The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members. Forty are chosen to represent each individual constituency, and 20 are chosen to represent the five regions of Wales, each person in Wales is represented by five AMs – one AM for their constituency, and another four AMs covering their region. Wales five regions are, Mid and West Wales, North Wales, South Wales Central, South Wales East and this additional member system produces a form of proportional representation for each region. All AMs positions become vacant for elections held on a four-year cycle. A constituency vacancy may be filled by a by-election, an additional-member vacancy may be filled by the next available candidate on the relevant party list
7.
Lynne Neagle
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Lynne Neagle AM is a Welsh Labour & Co-operative politician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, Neagle has represented the constituency of Torfaen since the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999, Neagle was educated at Cyfarthfa High School, Merthyr Tydfil, and the University of Reading, where she read French and Italian. She is a former Voluntary Sector Carer and Careers Development Officer, Neagle was also a research assistant to Glenys Kinnock MEP. Neagle was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 as a Labour candidate to represent Torfaen, ahead of the 2011 elections she was adopted as a Labour & Co-operative candidate. Neagle is married to Huw Lewis, the Labour Assembly member for Merthyr Tydfil and they live in Penarth, with their two children. National Assembly for Wales Member profile Welsh Labour Party Website Website of the Welsh Assembly Government
8.
White people
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White people is a racial classification specifier, used for people of Europid ancestry, with the exact implications dependent on context. The contemporary usage of people or a white race as a large group of populations contrasting with black, American Indian. It is today used as a racial classifier in multiracial societies, such as North Africa, United States. The term white race or white people entered the major European languages in the later 17th century, in the context of racialized slavery, description of populations as white in reference to their skin color predates this notion and is found in Greco-Roman ethnography and other ancient sources. Scholarship on race generally distinguishes the concept from pre-modern descriptions of collective difference. In the literature of the Ancient Near East and Classical Antiquity and we know that Egyptians were not oblivious to skin color, however, because artists paid attention to it in works of art, to the extent the pigments at the time permitted. Classicist James Dee states the Greeks do not describe themselves as white people—or as anything else because they had no word in their color vocabulary for themselves. Peoples skin color did not carry meaning, what mattered is where they lived. Religious conversion was sometimes described figuratively as a change in skin color, similarly, the Rigveda uses krsna tvac black skin as a metaphor for irreligiosity. The Ancient Egyptian funerary text known as the Book of Gates distinguishes four groups in a procession and these are the Egyptians, the Levantine/Canaanite peoples or Asiatics, the Nubians and the fair-skinned Libyans. The Egyptians are depicted as a reddish brown, the Nubians as black skinned, the Semites from the Levant and Canaan as light skinned. Herodotus described the Scythian Budini as having blue eyes and bright red hair. And the Egyptians – quite like the Colchians – as melánchroes and he also gives the possibly first reference to the common Greek name of the tribes living south of Egypt, otherwise known as Nubians, which was Aithíopes. Later Xenophon described the Aethiopians as black and the Persian troops as white compared to the skin of Greek troops. These color adjectives are found in contrast to the standard set by the own group. According to historian Irene Silverblatt, Race thinking … made social categories into racial truths, Alastair Bonnett argues that white identity, as it is presently conceived, is an American project, reflecting American interpretations of race and history. According to Gregory Jay, a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Before the age of exploration, group differences were based on language, religion. … the European had always reacted a bit hysterically to the differences of skin color, in the 16th and 17th centuries, East Asian peoples were almost uniformly described as white, never as yellow
