Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Montgomeryshire.
A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.
Steve Witherden
Labour PartySteve Witherden is the Labour MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
MPs voted on a 'reasoned amendment' at the Second Reading of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill — a procedural move by the opposition to block the bill from progressing, signalling rejection of the government's proposed welfare reforms. The bill seeks to make changes to Universal Credit and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) eligibility and assessments.
MPs voted on whether to give the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill a Second Reading, allowing it to progress through Parliament. This bill proposes significant changes to the welfare system, including reforms to how disability benefits (PIP) are assessed and restrictions on who qualifies for the health-related component of Universal Credit.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr has been mixed for Steve across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“'As much as the United States would wish otherwise, Cuba is not alone'” — Morning Star
“Welsh attraction facing as 'short-term funding gap'” — Daily Post
Won by Lab in its first election in 2024 by 8.8%. Covers Newtown (Powys), Rhosllannerchrugog and Acrefair and Cefn-mawr. Population 104,259, notably older (median age 47 vs 41 nationally). Median income £25K (below average).
Tragedy as body found in search for boy who 'vanished in lake' near Welsh castle
Somerset Live · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£25,000
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£30,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
5,140
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
70
0 primary, 0 secondary, 70 other
Total Income Tax▼
£174m
from 46,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,230
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£3,770
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
1 large town, 4 towns, 14 villages, rural areas — 97,791 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
43 councillors across 40 wards · Last elections: Jun 2024
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrefair North | Labour Party | Paul Blackwell | May 2022 |
| Banwy Llanfihangel Llanwddyn | Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | Bryn Davies | May 2022 |
| Berriew Castle Caereinion | Conservative and Unionist Party | Adrian Jones | May 2022 |
| Caersws | Conservative and Unionist Party | Les George | May 2022 |
| Cefn East | Labour Party | Derek Wright | May 2022 |
| Cefn West | Labour Party | Stella Matthews | May 2022 |
| Chirk North | Labour Party | Frank Hemmings | May 2022 |
| Chirk South | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Terry Evans | May 2017 |
| Churchstoke | Liberal Democrats | Danny Bebb | May 2022 |
| Dolforwyn | Conservative and Unionist Party | Gareth Michael Pugh | May 2022 |
| Esclusham | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Mark Pritchard | May 2017 |
| Forden Montgomery | Green Party of England and Wales | Jeremy Brignell-Thorp | May 2022 |
| Glantwymyn | Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | Elwyn Vaughan | May 2017 |
| Guilsfield | Conservative and Unionist Party | Ian Harrison | May 2022 |
| Kerry | Conservative and Unionist Party | Benjamin Breeze | May 2022 |
| Llanbrynmair | Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | Gary Mitchell | May 2022 |
| Llandrinio | Conservative and Unionist Party | Lucy Margaret Roberts | May 2022 |
| Llandysilio | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Evan Arwel Jones | May 2022 |
| Llanfair Caereinion Llanerfyl | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Gareth Jones | May 2022 |
| Llanfyllin | Conservative and Unionist Party | Peter Lewis | May 2022 |
| Llangyniew Meifod | Conservative and Unionist Party | Jonathan Wilkinson | May 2022 |
| Llanidloes | Liberal Democrats | Gareth Morgan | May 2022 |
| Liberal Democrats | Glyn Preston | May 2022 | |
| Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnantllansilin | Conservative and Unionist Party | Aled Davies | May 2017 |
| Llansantffraid | Conservative and Unionist Party | Robert Gwynfor Thomas | May 2017 |
| Machynlleth | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Mike Williams | May 2022 |
| Newtown Central South | Liberal Democrats | David Selby | May 2022 |
| Liberal Democrats | Kelly Healy | May 2022 | |
| Newtown East | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Joy Jones | May 2017 |
| Newtown North | Liberal Democrats | Adam Dale Kennerley | May 2022 |
| Newtown West | Conservative and Unionist Party | Peter Arthur Lewington | May 2022 |
| Pant Johnstown | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | David Anthony Bithell | May 2022 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Steve Joe Jones | May 2022 | |
| Penycae | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | John Conrad Phillips | May 2022 |
| Penycae Ruabon South | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Alison Tynan | May 2022 |
| Ponciau | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Paul Howard Pemberton | May 2022 |
| Rhiwcynon | Conservative and Unionist Party | John Yeomans | Jun 2024 |
| Rhos | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Fred Eddie Roberts | May 2022 |
| Ruabon | Labour Party | Dana Davies | May 2022 |
| Trelystan Trewern | Conservative and Unionist Party | Amanda Jenner | May 2022 |
| Welshpool Castle | Liberal Democrats | Richard Church | May 2022 |
| Welshpool Gungrog | Liberal Democrats | Carol Robinson | May 2022 |
| Welshpool Llanerchyddol | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Graham Charles Breeze | May 2017 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 12,709 | 29.4% | |
| Ref | 8,894 | 20.6% | |
Won 2019 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 7,775 | 18.0% |
| LD | 6,470 | 15.0% | |
| PC | 5,667 | 13.1% | |
| Green | 1,744 | 4.0% |
Steve Witherden has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
14 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A 17-year-old boy went missing in the grounds of Chirk Castle in north Wales on April 7, and a body has been discovered during the search operation. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and the family has been notified.
A Newtown-based businessman and other rural property owners are struggling with Welsh Government's 2023 '182 days tax' rule for holiday lets, which requires properties to be let for at least 182 days annually or face council tax premiums up to 400%. The article details how this policy is threatening rural businesses and agricultural diversification, with the Welsh Government announcing minor amendments from April 2025 that operators say remain inadequate.
A major search operation is underway for a missing 17-year-old who disappeared after entering a lake near Chirk Castle in North Wales. Emergency services including police, fire, and ambulances are involved in an ongoing search effort.
A 17-year-old boy went missing after getting into difficulty in water at Chirk Castle in Wrexham, North Wales, triggering a major emergency response involving Air Ambulance, rescue teams, and police. The incident remains ongoing with specialist search and rescue teams continuing their efforts to locate the teenager.
Emergency services are conducting a search and rescue operation at Chirk Castle following reports that a 17-year-old male entered water on the castle grounds yesterday afternoon and has not been located. Specialist search and rescue teams are actively engaged in the operation while police ask the public to avoid the area.
Cambrian Training Company, based in Welshpool, has topped Wales's national apprenticeship success tables with an 81% framework success rate, significantly exceeding the national average of 78%. The company operates across Wales including in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, delivering apprenticeships in challenging sectors like hospitality and food manufacturing.
Holiday let owners near Newtown in Powys are facing severe financial hardship due to Welsh government legislation requiring properties to be let for 182 days annually or face council tax premiums up to 75%. Paul Martin and Liz Molyneux describe the rules as ruinous to their businesses, with Martin threatening to dismantle his cottages rather than pay escalating bills, while the Welsh government and Powys Council defend the measures as necessary to address housing shortages.
The Llangollen Canal Walk raised £20,000 for Hope House Children's Hospices, with hundreds of participants walking a 10-mile route featuring the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The event demonstrates strong community support for a vital local children's hospice service that relies on public fundraising for 80% of its £10 million annual budget.
Cambrian Training Company, based in Welshpool, has topped Wales's national apprenticeships success tables with an 81% framework success rate, significantly outperforming the national average of 78%. The company operates across Wales supporting learners and employers in challenging sectors including hospitality and food and drink manufacturing.
The article highlights how Agrisgôp, a management development programme, has helped farming families in the Welshpool area of mid Wales tackle farm succession planning and inheritance tax (IHT) issues. Two groups were formed—one for parents planning succession and one for the next generation—with support from professionals in tax, finance, legal, and land valuation services.
A former employee of a now-closed Welshpool tea room won an employment tribunal case against The Bay Tree Vintage Tea Rooms, securing over £12,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal, breach of contract, and unauthorised wage deductions. The tribunal found the redundancy was handled unlawfully, with the business failing to attend the hearing or respond to claims.
Welshpool-based Invertek Drives, a King's Award-winning manufacturer of variable frequency drive technology, reported strong financial growth in 2025 with sales rising to £72.8m and operating profit reaching £9.95m. The company, which employs around 397 people, is highly export-focused with 93% of revenue from international markets and remains optimistic about continued growth in 2026.
Plans for Glyndŵr National Park in north-east Wales, which would cover parts of Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, are advancing to a public inquiry after local councils formally opposed the proposal. The inquiry delays the final decision beyond the May Senedd election, leaving the outcome uncertain and dependent on the next Welsh government. The proposal faces significant local opposition from farmers and councils concerned about planning restrictions, house prices, and service delivery, though environmental and tourism advocates support the designation.
A chef from Wrexham has won the Culinary Arts title at Skills Competition Wales, with recognition also given to apprentices from the Cambrian Training Company, which is based in Welshpool within the Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr constituency. The story highlights the success of local vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities in the hospitality sector across Mid-Wales.
Steve Witherden, MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, has led an early day motion signed by over 100 MPs opposing Donald Trump's oil blockade on Cuba, which they describe as 'collective punishment' of civilians. The motion calls on the UK government to reject the blockade, oppose US extraterritorial sanctions, and provide humanitarian aid to Cuba.
The Llangollen Canal Walk fundraising event raised over £20,000 for Hope House Children's Hospices, a charity supporting children with life-threatening conditions in the region. The 10-mile walk from Trevor Basin over Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to Chirk demonstrated strong community engagement and charitable giving.
Quartix Technologies, a vehicle tracking systems company based in Newtown, Powys, reported exceptionally strong financial results for 2025 with 12% revenue growth to £35.7m and 34% pre-tax profit increase to £8.7m. The company's positive outlook for 2026 represents good news for the local economy in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr.
A promotional article highlighting open gardens in Powys during the Easter weekend, organized under the National Garden Scheme to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Several specific gardens in the region, including Oak Cottage in Welshpool and Llangedwyn Hall near Oswestry, are featured with opening times and details.
The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) near Machynlleth is facing a short-term funding gap but remains confident about its long-term prospects, with a £13.1m investment from Mid Wales Growth for its Cynefin development project on track. MP Steve Witherden recently praised CAT's work in a Westminster Hall debate, highlighting its critical role in addressing the UK's STEM skills shortage and its importance to Montgomeryshire.
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