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
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
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
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
Aberavon East and West (three seats)
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)
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)
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)
Brynmelyn 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | J. Adams | Unopposed |
| Labour | R. Dowdle | Unopposed |
| Labour win (new seat) |
| Labour win (new seat) |
Castle (two seats)
Castle 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | B. Ludham | Unopposed |
| Labour | E. Knill | Unopposed |
| Labour win (new seat) |
| Labour win (new seat) |
Cwmafan (one seat)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Gower No.1 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | B. Keal | Unopposed |
| Liberal win (new seat) |
Gower No.2 (one seat)
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)
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)
Landore 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Cox | Unopposed |
| Labour | S. John | Unopposed |
| Labour win (new seat) |
| Labour win (new seat) |
Llansamlet (two seats)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Margam Central 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Llewellyn Heycocko | Unopposed |
| Labour win (new seat) |
Margam North (one seat)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
- ^ "West Glamorgan County Council Election Results 1973-1993" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Electors Must Vote Now". Port Talbot Guardian. 13 April 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Labour Sweep to Success, Plaid Gain Support". Neath Guardian. 20 April 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
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