Member of Parliament
Morgan was selected by Cardiff North Labour Party as their candidate for the 1992 general election. She stood against Gwilym Jones in the constituency, historically a Conservative stronghold. She achieved a 38.9% share of the vote to Jones' 45.1%, cutting his majority to 2,969.
Morgan was selected to stand for the seat once again in the 1997 election, though this time she through an all-women shortlist. She took the seat with 24,460 votes — a 50.4% share and a majority of 8,126 on a marginally lower turnout than in 1992. She became the first woman to represent a Cardiff constituency and, at the time of her election, was one of only four women MPs from Wales. Morgan made her maiden speech in Parliament on 22 May 1997 in the debate on the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Bill, designed to pave the way for devolution. She subsequently joined the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, on which she served until 2005.
Morgan was re-elected at the 2001 general election with a reduced majority of 6,165 and on a substantially reduced turnout (in common with the rest of the country). At the 2005 election, her seat became the most marginal in Wales as her Conservative challenger reduced her majority to 1,146.
Commentators ascribed her victory to a strong personal vote, decisive in a campaign dominated by issues such as the Iraq war, criticism of Tony Blair and a leap in council tax caused by periodic revaluation of property values. Upon her re-election, she was appointed to the Constitutional Affairs and Public Administration Select Committees. Between 16 December 2009 and 12 March 2010, she steered the Sunbeds (Regulation) Bill (a private members' bill) through the House of Commons. The bill has now passed to the House of Lords for consideration.
In the 2010 election, Morgan polled 17,666 votes to the Conservative candidate (Jonathan Evans)'s 17,860 votes, losing by only 194 votes.
Read more about this topic: Julie Morgan
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