1970 Carmarthenshire County Council election

An election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held on 9 April 1970.^[1] It was preceded by the 1967 election and was the last election prior to the reorganization of local government in Wales. Carmarthenshire County Council was merged with Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire to form the new county of Dyfed and the first elections to the new authority were held in 1973.

Overview of the result

59 councillors were elected. The final elections to the council before dissolution saw the Independents retain control of the authority. The Plaid Cymru advance which was apparent in 1967 was halted and most candidates made little impact.

Boundary changes

There were no boundary changes at this election.

Unopposed returns

As in 1967, these were fewer in number than at most post-war elections.

Contested elections

Contests took place in the majority of wards, and Labour lost some further ground in the Llanelli area while at the same time winning back some seats lost three years previously. Labour also won two seats in Carmarthen town for the first time.

Ward results

Abergwili

Abergwili 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.H. Edwards*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Ammanford No.1

Ammanford No.1 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Haydn Lewis*	924
Plaid Cymru	J.D. Davies	466
Labour hold		Swing

Ammanford No.2

Ammanford No.2 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Myrddin Evans*	1,407
Independent	M.G. Jenkins	324
Labour hold		Swing

Berwick

Berwick 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	John Raglan Thomas	1,058
Independent	D.W. Davies	436
Labour hold		Swing

Burry Port East

Burry Port East 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	D.C. Thomas*	615
Plaid Cymru	Leslie Thomas	210
Labour	Labor Dennis**	230
Independent hold		Swing

Burry Port West

Burry Port West 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Eirwen Jones Parry	460
Labour	A.T. Wilkins*	450
Plaid Cymru	G.T.G. Samuel	207
Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Caio

Caio 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Trevor Wynne Davies*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Carmarthen Division 1

Carmarthen Division 1 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. Idwal Jones*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Carmarthen Division 2

Carmarthen Division 2 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Ellis J. Powell	488
Independent	R.B. Evans	365
Plaid Cymru	J. Williams	283
Independent	Mrs V.M. Chapman	80
Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Carmarthen Division 3

Carmarthen Division 3 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	W.R. Nicholl	584
Independent	T.J. Hurley	383
Labour	G.B. Evans	137
Independent hold		Swing

Cenarth

Cenarth 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	G.E. Howell	711
Independent	L.G. Roberts	319
Independent hold		Swing

Cilycwm

Cilycwm 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	James James*	297
Independent	W.D.R. Davies	284
Independent hold		Swing

Conwil

Conwil 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J.L. James	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cwmamman

Cwmamman 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Walters*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Felinfoel

Felinfoel 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Arthur Cledwyn Francis*	1,310
Plaid Cymru	Mrs M.M. Cook	360
Labour hold		Swing

Hengoed

Hengoed 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.J. Stone**	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Kidwelly

Kidwelly 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Plaid Cymru	D. Leslie .W. Morris*	755
Labour	W.H.D. Jones	683
Plaid Cymru hold		Swing

Laugharne

Laugharne 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	D.M. Jenkins	654
Independent	Rev V.H. Jones*	583
Independent hold		Swing

Llanarthney

Llanarthney 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Ratepayers	T. Austin Griffiths*	1,745
Labour	Ryan Jones	845
Others hold		Swing

Llanboidy

Llanboidy 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	C.D. Evans*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandebie North

Llandebie North 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	William Morris*	991
Plaid Cymru	D.O. Davies	678
Independent	T.J. Thomas	184
Labour hold		Swing

Llandebie South

Llandebie South 1967
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Idris Evans*	1,243
Plaid Cymru	Andrew Williams	798
Labour hold		Swing

Llandilo Rural

Llandilo Rural 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.A. James*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandilo Urban

Llandilo Urban 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Elfryn Thomas	530
Independent	D.T. Jones	441
Labour hold		Swing

Llandovery

Llandovery 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	D.T. Davies*	536
Independent	David Hamilton Evans	473
Independent hold		Swing

Llandyssilio

Llandyssilio 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Daniel Clodwyn Thomas*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanedy

Llanedy 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T.E. Williams*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanegwad

Llanegwad 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.T. Price*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 1

Llanelly Division 1 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Harry J. Richards*	879
Labour	H. Morris	584
Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 2

Llanelly Division 2 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Brinley Owen*	697
Plaid Cymru	W.H. Davies	223
Labour hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 3

Llanelly Division 3 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Eric Griffiths	444
Plaid Cymru	Mrs P.D. Bevan	114
Labour hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 4

Llanelly Division 4 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	A.C.H. Robertson*	630
Labour	A.C. Hemment	379
Plaid Cymru	P. Davies	145
Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 5

Llanelly Division 5 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Grismond J. Williams	260
Independent	Gwilym Gibby*	238
Plaid Cymru	E.E. Jones	63
Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Llanelly Division 6

Llanelly Division 6 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	William J. Davies*	358
Plaid Cymru	M.J. Evans	159
Labour gain from Independent Labour		Swing

Llanelly Division 7

Llanelly Division 7 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R.A. James*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 8

Llanelly Division 8 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	George M. McConkey*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 9

Llanelly Division 9 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S.I. Thomas**	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanfihangel Aberbythych

Llanfihangel Aberbythych 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Ivor James Evans*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	William Harry*	546
Plaid Cymru	Gerallt Jones	301
Independent hold		Swing

Llangadog

Llangadog 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.T. Williams*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangeler

Llangeler 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.T. Enoch*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llangendeirne

Llangendeirne 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Evans*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llangennech

Llangennech 1964
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	M.J. Thomas	538
Independent	T.G. Lewis	456
Plaid Cymru	Hywel Teifi Edwards	438
Labour hold		Swing

Llangunnor

Llangunnor 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Arthur J. Harries*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanon

Llanon 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	David William James*	1,389
Plaid Cymru	E.D. Evans	615
Labour hold		Swing

Llansawel

Llansawel 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D. Idris Davies*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanstephan

Llanstephan 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R.H.F. John*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanybyther

Llanybyther 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Evans*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Myddfai

Myddfai 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E.G. Morgan*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Pembrey

Pembrey 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	G.P. Evans	1,212
Plaid Cymru	Mrs J. Lewis	329
Labour gain from Plaid Cymru		Swing

Pontyberem

Pontyberem 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Howard Jones*	1,414
Independent	T.M. Morris	769
Democrat	T. Ieuan Edwards	346
Labour hold		Swing

Quarter Bach

Quarter Bach 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Josiah Jones**	1,468
Plaid Cymru	Elfyn Talfan Davies	494
Labour hold		Swing

Rhydcymerau

Rhydcymerau 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.M. Thomas*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

St Clears

St Clears 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Rev H.D. Griffiths*	876
Independent	W.E.V.J. Davies	709
Independent hold		Swing

St Ishmaels

St Ishmaels 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E.T. Davies	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Trelech

Trelech 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	T.S. Davies	536
Independent	Mrs A.M. Thomas	285
Independent hold		Swing

Trimsaran

Trimsaran 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Samuel T. Hughes*	932
Plaid Cymru	M. Davies	262
Labour hold		Swing

Westfa

Westfa 1970
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	W.J. Franklyn Thomas*	571
Plaid Cymru	Brinley Thomas	295
Labour hold		Swing

Whitland

Whitland 1970
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	H.G. James*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Election of aldermen

In addition to the 59 councillors the council consisted of 19 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the elections, the majority of the aldermanic seats were taken by Labour.

Retiring aldermen

A number of retiring councillors stood down to allow retiring aldermen to be returned unopposed.

References

^ "County Council Elections". Carmarthen Journal. 15 April 1970.

[CJ_15-4-70_CarmsRes-1] "County Council Elections". Carmarthen Journal. 15 April 1970.

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