Lab held for 5 consecutive elections.
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Torsten Bell
Labour PartyTorsten Bell is the Labour MP for Swansea West, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. He currently holds the Government posts of Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury), and Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions).
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Sign up freeCoverage of Swansea West has been mixed for Torsten across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Struggling state pensioners handed £43.60 monthly extra from April” — EXPRESS
“DWP confirms triple lock pension will continue with April increase” — Cambridge News Online
A safe Lab seat, won with 41% of the vote in 2024. Centred on Swansea. Population 109,974. Recorded crime is 42% above the national average. Median income £26K (below average).
Police issue update on 48-hour crackdown in Swansea city centre
WalesOnline · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£25,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£30,600
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
2,420
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
38
0 primary, 0 secondary, 38 other
Total Income Tax▼
£157m
from 42,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,350
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£3,730
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 city, 1 village, rural areas — 105,161 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
31 councillors across 10 wards · Last elections: Apr 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Labour Party | David Phillips | May 2022 |
| Labour Party | Fiona Margaret Gordon | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Hannah Frederika Lawson | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Patience Nansat Bentu | May 2022 | |
| Cwmbwrla | Liberal Democrats | Chris Holley | May 2022 |
| Liberal Democrats | Lewis Graham Thomas | May 2022 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Malcolm Black | May 2022 | |
| Landore | Labour Party | Beverley Hopkins | May 2022 |
| Labour Party | Mike White | May 2022 | |
| Morriston | Labour Party | Andrea Sharon Lewis | May 2022 |
| Labour Party | Ceri Evans | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Rob Stewart | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Robert Francis-Davies | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Yvonne Veronica Jardine | May 2022 | |
| Mynyddbach | Labour Party | Jess Pritchard | May 2022 |
| Labour Party | Mike Lewis | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Sam Pritchard | May 2022 | |
| Penderry | Labour Party | Mair Baker | Apr 2023 |
| Sketty | Liberal Democrats | Cheryl Philpott | May 2022 |
| Liberal Democrats | James McGettrick | May 2022 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Locke | May 2022 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Mike Day | May 2022 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Nicola Joan Furlong | May 2022 | |
| Townhill | Labour Party | Cyril Anderson | May 2022 |
| Labour Party | David Henry Hopkins | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Lesley Walton | May 2022 | |
| Uplands | Uplands | Allan Jeffery | May 2022 |
| Uplands | Peter May | May 2022 | |
| Uplands | Sandra Ann Joy | May 2022 | |
| Uplands | Stuart James Hemsley Rice | May 2022 | |
| Waterfront | Liberal Democrats | Sam Bennett | May 2022 |
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 | 14,761 | 41.4% | |
| Ref | 6,246 | 17.5% | |
| LD | 4,367 | 12.3% | |
| PC | 4,105 | 11.5% | |
| Con | 3,536 | 9.9% | |
| Green | 2,305 | 6.5% | |
| Ind | 337 | 0.9% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 18,493 | 51.6% |
| Con | 10,377 | 29.0% | |
| LD | 2,993 | 8.3% | |
| PC | 1,984 | 5.5% | |
| Ind | 1,983 | 5.5% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 22,278 | 59.8% |
| Con | 11,680 | 31.3% | |
| PC | 1,529 | 4.1% | |
| LD | 1,269 | 3.4% | |
| Green | 434 | 1.2% | |
| Ind | 92 | 0.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 14,967 | 42.6% |
| Con | 7,931 | 22.6% | |
| Ind | 4,744 | 13.5% | |
| LD | 3,178 | 9.0% | |
| PC | 2,266 | 6.5% | |
| Green | 1,784 | 5.1% | |
| Ind | 159 | 0.5% | |
| Ind | 78 | 0.2% | |
| Ind | 49 | 0.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Lab | 12,335 | 34.7% |
| LD | 11,831 | 33.2% | |
| Con | 7,407 | 20.8% | |
| PC | 1,437 | 4.0% | |
| Ind | 910 | 2.6% | |
| Ind | 716 | 2.0% | |
| Green | 404 | 1.1% | |
| Ind | 374 | 1.1% | |
| Ind | 179 | 0.5% |
Torsten Bell 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.
12 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
South Wales Police have issued an update on a 48-hour dispersal order in Swansea city centre targeting youth violence and anti-social behaviour. Officers conducted high-visibility patrols resulting in two arrests, seizure of an illegal e-bike, and removal of individuals from the area, with enforcement continuing to protect public safety.
Swansea city centre traders report months of anti-social behaviour involving youth gangs, alcohol abuse, and intimidation affecting their businesses. South Wales Police has implemented a 48-hour Section 35 dispersal order covering the city centre, with business owners calling for increased police presence, stricter enforcement, and better community safety measures.
Student midwives graduating from Welsh universities, including Swansea University, have been told by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) that there are insufficient NHS jobs available despite being promised employment when they enrolled. The affected students, who have completed unpaid NHS placements and taken on student loans, are angry and devastated at the delayed and reduced job prospects.
A Swansea resident, Osama Ahmad, successfully overturned a £70 parking fine after winning an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, arguing that road markings in St Mary's Square were so faded as to be 'virtually invisible.' The case highlights concerns about Swansea Council's enforcement practices and the maintenance of parking restriction signage in the city.
A support worker from the Swansea area, Chloe Short, has been struck off the Social Care Wales register after being convicted of sexual activity with a vulnerable 15-year-old boy she was employed to help. The case, heard at Swansea Crown Court, involved inappropriate sexual contact and messaging, and has raised serious concerns about safeguarding in the care sector.
Multiple deliberate wildfires were set near Weobley Castle in Llanrhidian on the Gower peninsula, with crews from Swansea West Fire Station responding to extinguish approximately five hectares of burnt land. The fires occurred on Bank Holiday Monday and are being treated as arson incidents by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Police have warned protesters at Kilvey Hill in St Thomas that they will take action against anyone breaking the law during ongoing demonstrations against a controversial skyline development approved by Swansea Council. The New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises project includes a gondola lift, sky swing, zipline, and luge tracks, with preparatory work underway despite community opposition over safety and environmental concerns.
Dr Peter Griffiths, the founding medical director of Ty Olwen Hospice in Swansea (opened 1981), has passed away. The article celebrates his pioneering work in establishing palliative care services in the region and his lasting impact on end-of-life care for thousands of patients and families.
An article discussing South Wales' semiconductor cluster and the need to develop talent pipelines to meet a global workforce shortage of 300,000 people. It highlights the region's achievements in building a world-class ecosystem and calls for coordinated efforts between education providers, government, and industry to scale training capacity over the next decade.
New paramedic graduates in Wales, including those trained at Swansea University, are being advised to seek employment abroad or in other services as the Welsh Ambulance Service cannot afford to hire newly qualified paramedics this year. The service cites difficult financial and operational constraints, despite offering NHS bursaries for training that leads to no guaranteed employment.
Swansea Council proposes an 11-meter high ropes climbing frame in Port Eynon's overflow car park, with strong community opposition citing visual impact, landscape concerns, and loss of essential parking during peak periods. The Port Eynon Community Council's survey shows 95% of respondents oppose the development, citing environmental and operational grounds.
A cocaine dealer and his upstream supplier were sentenced to three years in prison at Swansea Crown Court for supplying Class A drugs in Neath town centre. The case highlights the drug problem affecting local communities, with the judge noting that Neath, like many towns, faces a 'profound problem' with drugs.
Swansea council's planning committee approved a major new 1,100-space distribution centre at Penllergaer Business Park near the M4, requiring the developer to contribute £1.3m for road improvements and mitigation measures. The decision was contentious due to concerns about traffic impact on junction 47, though highways officers ultimately supported it after receiving modelling data.
A damning account of NS&I's systemic failures, particularly its mishandling of £476 million across 37,000 bereavement claims, leaving grieving families unable to access their deceased relatives' savings. Pensions Minister Torsten Bell revealed the failures to MPs, and the article details broader operational deficiencies including outdated technology and a troubled £3 billion system upgrade.
NS&I announced two Premium Bonds £1million jackpot winners for April 2026 and urged customers to check accounts Thursday. The article also covers Pensions Minister Torsten Bell's statement on compensation for bereaved families affected by NS&I's failure to trace account details after death, with approximately £470m and 37,500 customers impacted.
Police are appealing for information about a man suspected of involvement in a fraud case that occurred in the Gendros area of Swansea on February 26. The public is being asked to contact South Wales Police with any information.
A 40-year-old man from Mayhill, Swansea, was found dead in his mother's kitchen on St Helen's Road six weeks after her death. An inquest at Swansea Guildhall concluded he died from multiple drug toxicity and ruled his death a suicide.
DWP minister Torsten Bell has confirmed the Government will maintain the triple lock pension policy through this Parliament, delivering a 4.8 per cent increase in April that will raise the full new state pension to £241.30 weekly. The article discusses the policy's cost implications and long-term sustainability, with Bell committing to Labour's election manifesto pledge while experts warn of potential affordability challenges.
The Welsh Rugby Union chair Richard Collier-Keywood is stepping down in July, triggering a search for a new chair amid ongoing debate over whether to reduce Wales' professional rugby teams from four to three. The article explores how a new independent chair could potentially change course on the controversial plan to cut a team, with the Ospreys (based in Swansea) fighting for survival in this restructuring.
A 54-year-old man was arrested and sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for breaking into a vehicle on Walter Road in Swansea and stealing items. CCTV footage captured him returning to the scene an hour later, and police praise their swift action in bringing the offender to justice.
The Japanese Bridge at Clyne Gardens in Swansea has been closed to the public due to health and safety concerns caused by a fallen dead tree damaging the structure. Swansea Council is assessing repair options while visitors express frustration at the closure and lack of visible progress.
Ten flats are proposed for the top floor of a Princess Way building in Swansea city centre as part of ongoing efforts to increase residential population in the area. This is one of several schemes converting underused commercial space into housing, supported by business leaders who argue that more residents will revitalise the city centre economy.
The DWP has announced a 4.8% increase in Pension Credit from April 2026, raising the weekly standard minimum guarantee from £227.10 to £238, equivalent to £43.90 extra per month for eligible pensioners. Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell highlighted the government's commitment to supporting struggling pensioners and noted a DWP trial to boost uptake, particularly in the South West where take-up is lowest.
Swansea Foodbank has issued a warning about unauthorised leaflets being distributed in the Sketty area of the city, which falsely claim to represent the organisation and contain misleading health information. The foodbank emphasises these flyers are not authorised and urge residents to discard them.
The Gorseinon 10K, a popular community sporting event, returns to Swansea on April 12 with road closures planned to accommodate the race. The event raises funds for Morgan's Army and other local causes, featuring both a main 10K race and a 2km family fun run.
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