An election to the Neath Rural District Council in West Glamorgan, Wales was held on 1 April 1946. It was preceded by the 1937 election, as no elections had been held in 1940 and 1943 due to the Second World War, and followed by the 1949 election.[1]
Overview of the results
Having won control of the authority for the first time in 1934, Labour consolidated their position by winning a number of additional seats across the area with the Independent group, which previously controlled the authority, reduced to only six members.[1]
Candidates
Labour, who had maintained a majority of seats on the Council since 1934, nominated almost a full slate of candidates; seven of whom were returned unpposed.[2]
A smaller number of Independent candidates stood than in previous years, although their number was boosted by Mary Elizabeth Davies, originally a Labour councillor at Coedffranc who had been elected as Independent Labour in 1937. She now stood as a non-party candidate. British Legion candidates contested both Coedffranc and Resolven. There were also a number of Communist candidates, including Alun Thomas who had recently taken the Coedffranc county council seat from Labour.
Outcome
The outcome of the election saw a mixed picture as Labour gained seats from the Independents, but the chairman of the Council Council, John James, was defeated at Onllwyn by a Communist candidate. Alun Thomas successfully defended his seat at Dyffryn Clydach, where Labour took the second seat an Independent. At Seven Sisters, Labour also gained a seat from the Independents, although Communist candidate Evan Lewis came within 64 votes of defeating the veteran Labour councillor, George Jones.[1]
A notable feature was the success of British Legion candidates at Coedffranc and Resolven. Significantly, the result at Coedffranc echoed a precedent in 1919 when an ex-serviceman was elected in the same ward.
Ward Results
Baglan Higher (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Jones* | Unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Blaengwrach (one seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Albert Vowles* | Unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Blaenrhonddan (three seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J.T. Evans* | 1,188 | |||
Independent | Daniel Jones | 892 | |||
Labour | Albert Mansel Davies | 877 | |||
Labour | William James Down | 846 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Clyne (one seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas G. Allen | Unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Coedffranc (five seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Legion | George Frost | 2,069 | |||
Independent | Mary Elizabeth Davies* | 1,925 | |||
Independent | Amy Jones* | 1,877 | |||
Labour | Thomas Rees | 1,440 | |||
Labour | William Davies* | 1,334 | |||
Labour | David Jenkins* | 1,269 | |||
Labour | D. Thomas | 943 | |||
Trade Unionist | H. Benyon | 806 | |||
Labour | H. Jones | 783 | |||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Independent gain from Independent Labour | Swing | ||||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Dyffryn Clydach (two seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Communist | Alun C. Thomas* | 672 | |||
Labour | Gwyn Davies | 497 | |||
British Legion | Henry Phillips | 430 | |||
Independent | David Williams* | 247 | |||
Communist hold | Swing | ||||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John James* | 505 | |||
Independent | Daniel C. Williams | 354 | |||
Majority | 151 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Communist | William John Davies | 670 | |||
Labour | John James* | 540 | |||
Majority | 130 | ||||
Communist gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward (two seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edith Jones | 815 | |||
Labour | George Jones* | 707 | |||
Communist | Evan Lewis | 643 | |||
Independent | William Morris | 434 | |||
Independent | W.P. Harries* | 226 | |||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Dulais Lower (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J.S. George* | Unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Michaelstone Higher (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Labour | David Davies | 279 | |||
Labour | Patrick Boyle* | 250 | |||
Communist | David H. Griffiths | 116 | |||
Majority | 29 | ||||
Independent Labour gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Neath Higher (three seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Blodwen May Jones* | 946 | |||
Independent | Richard Arthur | 935 | |||
Labour | Joseph James Lunn* | 668 | |||
Labour | Lewis Cynlais Adams | 594 | |||
Independent | David Arthur* | 535 | |||
Independent | William Morgan Davies | 497 | |||
Independent | Ralph Vincent Morgan | 474 | |||
Independent | Aubrey Jenkins | 438 | |||
Independent | Clifford Harrett Harries | 387 | |||
Communist | Evan G. Williams | 330 | |||
Independent Labour | T. Challacombe | 266 | |||
Independent | William Henry Morris | 126 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Independent gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Neath Lower (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Samuel Burnard* | Unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edward John Ateyo* | Unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Resolven, Resolven Ward (two seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Richard Geary* | 930 | |||
British Legion | T. Roberts | 610 | |||
Labour | Richard V. Morgan | 585 | |||
Independent | Benjamin Jones | 430 | |||
Independent | Griffith J. Thomas | 240 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Resolven, Rhigos Ward (two seats)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Rees Morgan Smith* | 509 | |||
Labour | Iorwerth Williams | 301 | |||
Labour | Richard George Norman* | 226 | |||
Independent | Henry Walters | 209 | |||
Independent | William David Evans | 196 | |||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Resolven, Tonna Ward (one seat)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gethin Thomas* | 622 | |||
Independent | Rev D.J. Walters | 401 | |||
Majority | 221 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
References
- 1 2 3 "R.D.C. Election Surprises. Seven Old Members Defeated". Neath Guardian. 5 April 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ↑ "Neath Rural Election. Many Candidates Nominated". Neath Guardian. 22 March 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 15 December 2022.