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1973 West Glamorgan County Council election

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The first election to West Glamorgan County Council was held in April 1973.[1] It was followed by the 1977 election.

The new authority came into effect from 1 April 1974 following the division of the former Glamorgan County Council into three new authorities.

Candidates

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A feature of the election was that the new authority replaced both the existing Glamorgan County Council and the Swansea County Borough Council. In addition, the number of borough and district councils within the new county was reduced to four, namely Swansea City Council, Afan Borough Council, Lliw Valley Borough Council and Neath Borough Council. In many cases members of the former authorities found themselves competing for a reduced number of seats.

The Labour Party fielded candidates in every ward. A significant proportion of seats were contested by the Conservative Party and Plaid Cymru with fewer candidates fielded by the Liberal Party.

In the Port Talbot area, Lord Heycock was returned unopposed but other Labour candidates faced opposition from Ratepayers and Tenant Association candidates. At Cwmavon, Alderman Mel John, serving mayor of the borough, contested the seat as a Progressive Labour candidate having failed to gain the official nomination.[2]

Outcome

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Labour won a decisive victory, winning support across the new county.

In the Neath area, Labour won eleven of the thirteen seats. The only successful candidates from other parties were Martin Thomas (Independent) at Coedffranc, who served on the former Glamorgan County Council and Huw Evans (Plaid Cymru), at Dulais Higher and Crynant. Evans was the prospective Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidate for the Neath constituency.[3]

Labour also won most of the seats in the Port Talbot area but suffered some defeats at the hands of Ratepayer candidates. At Cwmavon, a sitting member of Glamorgan County Council was defeated by Mel John, who had failed to win the party nomination.

Results

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o indicates sitting councillor on Glamorgan County Council or Swansea City Council prior to 1973 election

A indicates sitting alderman on Glamorgan County Council or Swansea City Council prior to 1973 election

Ward Results

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Aberavon East and West (three seats)

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Aberavon East and West 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Warren 3,374
Labour Colin Crowley 2,906
Labour Cyril Lewiso 2,889
Residents Laurie Stanton 2,371
Residents Jim Roberts 2,280
Turnout 48.3
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Aberavon North (one seat)

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Aberavon North 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Heatley 1,829
Ratepayers Reg Raikes 1,584
Turnout 53.5
Labour win (new seat)

Aberavon South (one seat)

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Aberavon South 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Idwal Hopkin 1,319
Ratepayers Hilda Cuss 733
Turnout 52.8
Labour win (new seat)

Brynmelyn (two seats)

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Brynmelyn 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Adams Unopposed
Labour R. Dowdle Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Castle (two seats)

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Castle 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Ludham Unopposed
Labour E. Knill Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Cwmafan (one seat)

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Cwmafan 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Mel John 1,548
Labour Leslie Richardso 1,026
Turnout 67.9
Progressive win (new seat)

Fforest Fach (two seats)

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Fforest Fach 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Victor Cyril Alexander 2,471
Labour D. Bevan 2,297
Conservative David Mercer 1,249
Conservative R. Hinds 1,185
Turnout 38.9
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Ffynone (two seats)

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Ffynone 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Valerio 1,732
Conservative T. Thomas 1,715
Labour P. McCallum 889
Turnout 38.2
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Glyncorrwg (two seats)

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Glyncorrwg 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Daniels Unopposed
Labour G. Davies Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Gower No.1 (one seat)

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Gower No.1 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal B. Keal Unopposed
Liberal win (new seat)

Gower No.2 (one seat)

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Gower No.2 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Lord 1,644
Ratepayers D. Thomas 1,121
Turnout 60.5
Labour win (new seat)

Gower No.3 (one seat)

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Gower No.3 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal G. Beynon 1,682
Labour V. Watters 642
Turnout 47.4
Liberal win (new seat)

Landore (two seats)

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Landore 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Cox Unopposed
Labour S. John Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Llansamlet (two seats)

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Llansamlet 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Lloyd-Jones 3,009
Labour L. Penhaligan 2,623
Plaid Cymru John Ball 1,232
Communist E. Bevan 366
Turnout 41.2
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Llwchwr No.1 (one seat)

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Llwchwr No.1 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Jones 1,597
Independent Cled Morgan 1,184
Turnout 62.3
Labour win (new seat)

Llwchwr No.2 (two seats)

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Llwchwr No.2 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Davies 2,782
Labour J. Jones 2,270
Liberal C. Thomas 1,702
Independent Labour M. Thomas 1,574
Turnout 69.8
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Llwchwr No.3 (two seats)

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Llwchwr No.3 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Thomas 2,495
Labour D. Turner 2,222
Liberal H. Griffiths 1,514
Conservative N. Williams 1,457
Turnout 73.0
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Margam Central (one seat)

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Margam Central 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Llewellyn Heycocko Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)

Margam North (one seat)

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Margam North 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Wilf Mitchello 781
Ratepayers Clyde Penhale 682
Turnout 60.0
Labour win (new seat)

Margam West (one seat)

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Margam West 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ratepayers Edward Miles 1,482
Labour Cled Phillips 1,011
Turnout 59.2
Ratepayers win (new seat)

Morriston (two seats)

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Morriston 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Evans 1,996
Labour S. Havard 1,977
Ratepayers C. Hadley 1,810
Ratepayers J. Howes 1,295
Turnout 35.8
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Mumbles (two seats)

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Mumbles 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative A. Chilcot 3,180
Conservative M. Jones 3,072
Labour L. Neale 1,757
Turnout 38.2
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Neath No.1, South and Briton Ferry (four seats)

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Neath No.1, South and Briton Ferry 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Phillipso 4,159
Labour Fred Kingdom 4,137
Labour Dillwyn David 4,013
Labour Len Burtono 3,891
Communist Gordon Jenkins 1,683
Communist Walter Ferriss 1,378
Communist Bill Pritchard 1,019
Communist E. Strangeword 689
Turnout 48.3
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Neath No.2, North, Pontrhydyfen and Tonmawr (two seats)

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Neath No.2, North, Pontrhydyfen and Tonmawr 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Cecil Evans 2,669
Labour Lillian Jones 2,261
Independent Jack Leitzo 1,541
Independent Gerald Hemming 1,533
Turnout 53.7
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Neath Rural (six seats)

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Neath Rural 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roy Jones 2,905
Independent Martin Thomaso 2,534
Labour Norman Thomas 2,385
Labour Tom Thomas 2,131
Plaid Cymru Huw Evans 1,919
Plaid Cymru O. Roberts 1,629
Labour Wilfred Jones 1,575
Labour Clifford G. Jones 1,499
Independent T. Rees 1,346
Labour Richard Davies 1,300
Independent L. Adams 1,191
Communist Glaslyn Morgan 734
Plaid Cymru T. Evans 346
Turnout 67.3
Labour win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Plaid Cymru win (new seat)
Plaid Cymru win (new seat)

Neath Rural No.5 (one seat)

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Neath Rural No.5 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Hullo 1,470
Independent R. Rees 1,277
Plaid Cymru G. Dawe 273
Turnout 63.2
Labour win (new seat)

Penderry (three seats)

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Penderry 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Allison 3,152
Labour T. Jones 3,090
Labour G. Thomas 3,032
Plaid Cymru D. Reynon 972
Communist W. Jones 584
Communist B. Lewis 424
Communist H. Barrow 280
Turnout 29.4
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Pontardawe No.1 (one seat)

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Pontardawe No.1 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J. Williams 1,151 62.1
Labour G. Williams 703 37.9
Turnout 56.1
Independent win (new seat)

Pontardawe No.2 (two seats)

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Pontardawe No.2 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Maunder 2,694
Independent M. Rees 1,948
Labour C. Jones 1,836
Plaid Cymru M. Mulcahy 1,507
Independent R. Jones 1,037
Turnout 78.9
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Pontardawe No.3 (three seats)

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Pontardawe No.3 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Lake 4,702
Labour W. Rees 4,615
Labour B. Richards 4,464
Plaid Cymru R. Davies 3,305
Turnout 65.4
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

St Helens (two seats)

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St Helens 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Dilley 1,741
Conservative M. Hinds 1,545
Labour D. Davies 1,067
Turnout 49.1
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Sketty (two seats)

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Sketty 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Vaughan 5,270
Conservative S. Perry 4,819
Conservative R. Massey-Shaw 4,477
Labour J. Dalton 2,372
Turnout 47.2
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

St Johns (two seats)

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St Johns 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A, Morris Unopposed
Labour H. Tabram Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

St Thomas (two seats)

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St Thamas 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Hare Unopposed
Labour I. Morgan Unopposed
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Townhill (two seats)

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Townhill 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Wignall 1,848
Labour T. Evans 1,748
Conservative C. McPherson 429
Turnout 34.4
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Victoria (two seats)

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Victoria 1973
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ratepayers D. Jenkins 1,390
Ratepayers S. Jenkins 1,132
Labour A. Taylor 1,051
Labour R. Lloyd 852
Conservative T. Morgan 477
Conservative E. Burrington 329
Turnout 57.5
Ratepayers win (new seat)
Ratepayers win (new seat)

References

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  1. ^ "West Glamorgan County Council Election Results 1973-1993" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Electors Must Vote Now". Port Talbot Guardian. 13 April 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Labour Sweep to Success, Plaid Gain Support". Neath Guardian. 20 April 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 5 October 2022.