Nationality Welsh Party UK Independence Party | Political party UK Independence Party | |
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Profiles | ||
David J. Rowlands is a Welsh politician who has been a UK Independence Party (UKIP) Member of the National Assembly for Wales for South Wales East region since the National Assembly for Wales election, 2016.
Born in the Welsh mining town of Argoed, he was educated at Ponllanfraith Grammar School obtaining A Levels in Economics and Geography before studying for a degree in business studies.
Summary
David Rowlands, along with 6 fellow UKIP region AMs became the first ever UKIP representatives to gain a seat in the National Assembly for Wales since it began in 1999.
He was the first UKIP candidate to stand for the Welsh Assembly for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney. His campaign team canvased the constituency, building on their vote from the general election campaign, gaining 4,277 votes and coming second to Welsh Labour's Dawn Bowden.
After gaining enough votes in the regional ballots of the 2016 Wales Assembly election, Rowlands was elected as a Assembly Member for the South Wales East.
Being the third UKIP candidate for the Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney's parliamentary constituency, taking over from Gwyn Parry in 2005 and Adam Brown in 2010, David saw the greatest success for UKIP in a general election campaign for the constituency. The votes cast for UKIP grew from 699 in 2005 and 872 in 2010 to 6,106 in 2015; creating a 15.9% increase in the total vote share.