1995 Vale of Glamorgan Council election

The 1995 Vale of Glamorgan Council election was held on 4 May 1995 to the new Vale of Glamorgan Council unitary authority in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It took place on the same day as other council elections in Wales and England. These were the first elections since the re-organization of local government in Wales.

Though the Conservative Party had led the previous council, their representation was decimated at the 1995 election, with Labour winning a majority.^[1]

The next full elections took place in 1999.

Overview

These were the first elections held following local government reorganisation, which created new 'super authorities' and would lead to the abolition of South Glamorgan County Council on 1 April 1996. Vale of Glamorgan councillors would act in a shadow capacity to the new Vale of Glamorgan Council, until the following April.^[2]

47 council seats across 22 electoral wards were up for election.^[3] The ward boundaries for the new authority were based primarily on the previous Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council, though there were some boundary changes. Ewenny transferred to the Vale, with the Llandow ward becoming Llandow/Ewenny. The St Brides Major and Wick communities, was which was previously within the Borough of Ogwr, transferred to become a new Vale ward of St Brides Major, increasing the number of Vale councillors by one.

Election result

Twenty Conservative councillors had been elected at the 1991 election.^[4] At the 1995 election their number was reduced to six, in what the South Wales Echo described as an unanticipated "annihilation" at the hands of the Labour Party.^[1] All five seats in the previously 'safe' Conservative Alexandra ward were won by Labour, as were two of the three 'safe' Conservative seats in Cowbridge.^[1] Plaid Cymru also took seats from the Conservatives, increasing their numbers to five.

Vale of Glamorgan Council election result 1995 ^[1]
	Seats	Net gain/loss	Seats %
Labour	36	+15	76.5
Conservative	6	-14	12.7
Plaid Cymru	5	+2	10.6
Liberal Democrats	0		0.0
Independent	0	-2	0.0
Green	0		0.0

Ward Results

Contests took place in every ward,^[3]^(a) the first time this had happened in the Vale since 1973.^[4]

Alexandra (five seats)

Alexandra (Penarth) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	(Ms) Lorraine Barrett	2,059	34.5
Labour	J. Birch	1,848
Labour	P. Gray ⁺	1,847
Labour	(Ms) G. Emmerson	1,732
Labour	N. Fogg	1,649
Conservative	A. Ernest ^o+	1,580	28.8
Conservative	A. Wicks ^o	1,357
Conservative	C. Osborne ^o	1,348
Conservative	(Ms) D. Turner ⁺	1,334
Independent	M. Cranfield-Adams	1,300	23.7
Conservative	A. Williams ^o	1,282
Plaid Cymru	D. Harries	544	9.9
Plaid Cymru	(Ms) M. Harries	514

Baruc (two seats)

Baruc (Barry) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Plaid Cymru	Nicholas Hodges	810	35.4
Labour	(Ms) B. Griffiths	734	32.1
Labour	(Ms) B. Sharp	721
Plaid Cymru	(Ms) M. Corp	703
Conservative	J. Donovan ⁺	634	27.7
Conservative	B. Edmunds ^o	524
Conservative	G. Grant ^o	178
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) S. O'Brien	111	4.8

Buttrills (two seats)

Buttrills (Barry) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	(Ms) M. Alexander	907	51.4
Labour	S. Egan	789
Independent Labour	B. Lane ⁺	616	24.5
Conservative	J. Connell	340	13.5
Independent	B. Dixon ^o	245	9.8
Plaid Cymru	W. Landry	225	9.0
Liberal Democrats	J, Cornwall	178	7.1

Cadoc (three seats)

Cadoc (Barry) 1983
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	F. Johnson ⁺	1,273	55.5
Labour	(Ms) A. Moore	1,245
Labour	N. Moore ^o	1,220
Independent Labour	S. James	396	17.3
Independent Labour	B. Lewis	310
Independent Labour	J. Murphy	303
Conservative	A. James	215	9.4
Conservative	W. Nunn	198
Plaid Cymru	(Ms) R. Joseph	188	8.2
Conservative	J. Parker	184
Plaid Cymru	K. Stockdale	176
Plaid Cymru	J. Lawrence	166
Green	I. Gooderson	121	5.3
Liberal Democrats	J. Mock	100	4.4

Castleland (two seats)

Castleland 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	M. Sharp ⁺	831	74.8
Labour	C. Short ^o	815
Conservative	J. Williams	148	13.3
Conservative	S. Newman	143
Plaid Cymru	B. Shaw	132	11.9
Plaid Cymru	A. Dearing	132

Cornerswell (two seats)

Cornerswell (Penarth) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	(Ms) A. Rees ⁺	1,196	49.8
Labour	N. Gibbs ^o	1,153
Conservative	J. Flanigan ^o	743	31.0
Conservative	K. Land	482
Liberal Democrats	D. Elston	295	12.3
Plaid Cymru	G. Ap-Sion	166	4.1

Court (two seats)

Court (Barry) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	Shaun Stringer ^o	1,120	65.5
Labour	J. Thompson ^o	1,068
Plaid Cymru	R. Salter	217	12.7
Conservative	K. Wright	176	10.3
Conservative	R. Suchorzeloski	144
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) M. Lupton	100	5.8
Green	(Ms) J. Gooderson A'Court	96	5.7

Cowbridge (three seats)

Cowbridge 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	J. Baty	1,187	45.0
Conservative	R. Davies ^o	1,088	41.2
Labour	G. Hughes	1,042
Conservative	T. Jarvie ^o	1,041
Conservative	B. Rees	955
Labour	A. Price	875
Plaid Cymru	H. Llewellyn-Morgan	364	13.8
Plaid Cymru	H. Lewis	196

Dinas Powys (four seats)

Dinas Powys 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Plaid Cymru	Christopher Franks ^o+	1,891	45.9
Plaid Cymru	M. Thomas ^o	1,433
Plaid Cymru	(Ms) J. Jones ^o	1,376
Plaid Cymru	R. Bowen	1,303
Conservative	B. McParlin ^o	987	24.0
Labour	(Ms) S. Collins	981	23.8
Labour	(Ms) J. Davies	951
Labour	P. Evans	824
Labour	J. Harvey	769
Conservative	M. Pound	759
Conservative	(Ms) C. Wilcock	591
Conservative	H. Stephens	580
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) C. Southwell	262	6.4

Dyfan (two seats)

Dyfan (Barry) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	C. Watkins ⁺	1,115	61.9
Labour	A. Dobbinson ^o	1,073
Conservative	B. Mepham	357	19.8
Conservative	S. Rogers	317
Plaid Cymru	P. Donovan	194	10.8
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) S. Boundy	135	7.5
Plaid Cymru	O. Phillips	122

Gibbonsdown (two seats)

Gibbonsdown (Barry) 1995 ^[5]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	B. Murray ⁺	1,168	73.3
Labour	R. Wilkinson ^o	1,111
Plaid Cymru	T. Morgan	167	10.5
Conservative	C. R. Lambert	153	9.6
Conservative	C. E. Lambert	152
Liberal Democrats	H. Lupton	106	6.6

Illtyd (three seats)

Illtyd (Barry) 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	C. Dunkley ^o	1,514	48.1
Labour	N. Brown ^o	1,438
Labour	M. Nugent	1,266
Conservative	A. Hampton ^o	1,139	36.2
Conservative	K. Williams	911
Conservative	(Ms) V. Lloyd	676
Plaid Cymru	(Ms) S. Baker	262	8.3
Liberal Democrats	A. Matthews	235	7.5
Plaid Cymru	J. Chedgzoy	233
Plaid Cymru	D. Roberts	216

Llandough (one seat)

Llandough 1983
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	D. Eastwood	394	60.5
Independent	(Ms) E. Hanley	141	21.7
Conservative	T. Roche	116	17.8

Llandow/Ewenny (one seat)

Llandow/Ewenny 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Conservative	R. Thomas ^o+	532	41.0
Labour	(Ms) C. Price	505	38.9
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) S. Wilson	93	7.2
Independent	(Ms) J. Horton	87	6.7
Plaid Cymru	J. Bellin	80	6.2

Llantwit Major (four seats)

Llantwit Major 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	(Ms) L. Hughes ^o+	2,661	58.2
Labour	(Ms) J. Pearce ^o	2,118
Labour	M. Pearce ^o	1,988
Labour	G. Williams	1,475
Conservative	E. Bryant	826	18.1
Conservative	J. Jones	809
Conservative	A. Readman	765
Conservative	A. Preddy	621
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) D. Van-Rooyen	403	8.8
Plaid Cymru	S. Stephens	380	8.3
Green	(Ms) A. Markey	302	6.6

Peterston-super-Ely (one seat)

Peterston-super-Ely 1995
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Williams	490	63.2
	Liberal Democrats	(Ms) S. Willey	285	36.8

Rhoose (two seats)

Rhoose 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Conservative	(Ms) H. James ^o+	949	42.8
Conservative	H. James ^o	616
Labour	(Ms) R. Bowen	556	25.1
Labour	J. King	504
Ind. Conservative	(Ms) A. Matthews	422	19.0
Liberal Democrats	D. Stevens	167	7.5
Plaid Cymru	J. Evans	122	5.5

St Athan (one seat)

St Athan 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	B. Doughty ⁺	611	60.1
Independent	J. James ^o	293	28.8
Conservative	(Ms) V. Rees	79	7.8
Liberal Democrats	B. Van Rooyen	34	3.3

St Brides Major (one seat)

St Brides Major 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	M. Lalis	589	49.6
Conservative	(Ms) A. Preston	449	37.8
Liberal Democrats	A. Wilson	150	12.6

Stanwell (two seats)

Stanwell 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	H. Rees ⁺	945	62.1
Labour	(Ms) M. Birch ^o	929
Conservative	D. Webb	341	22.4
Plaid Cymru	N. ap Glyn	236	15.5

Sully (one seat)

Sully 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	R. Cox	693	47.0
Conservative	C. Aynge	583	39.6
Liberal Democrats	B. Southwell	124	8.4
Plaid Cymru	D. Haswell	74	5.0

Wenvoe (one seat)

Wenvoe 1995
	Candidate	Votes	%
Conservative	Michael Harvey	470	44.0
Labour	M. Stringer	268	25.1
Liberal Democrats	(Ms) S. Campbell	222	20.8
Plaid Cymru	(Ms) E. Jones	108	10.1

(a) Elections Centre source compares the percentage vote of the lead candidate for each party in the ward. It also indicates which candidates are female.

^o councillor elected to the Borough Council in 1991, standing for re-election
⁺ councillor elected to South Glamorgan County Council in 1993^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Peter Collins (5 May 1995). "Disaster for Tories". South Wales Echo. p. 8. The Conservatives could not have anticipated the anihilation they received at the hands of Labour in the Vale of Glamorgan...
^ "Voters go to the polls". South Wales Echo. 4 May 1995. p. 3. Voters went to the polls today as local government in Wales undergoes its biggest shake up for 21 years. Twenty two new super-councils will take over the functions of 37 district and eight county authorities, which are being abolished from April next year... Until April next year, the councillors will act in a shadow capacity and many will serve on two or three authorities at the same time.
^ ^a ^b "Vale of Glamorgan Council Election Results 1995-2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 20 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Vale of Glamorgan Welsh District Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 20 July 2019.
^ "Disaster for Tories - Results". South Wales Echo. 5 May 1995. p. 8.
^ "South Glamorgan County Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 20 July 2019.

[SWE_Disaster-1] Peter Collins (5 May 1995). "Disaster for Tories". South Wales Echo. p. 8. The Conservatives could not have anticipated the anihilation they received at the hands of Labour in the Vale of Glamorgan...

[2] "Voters go to the polls". South Wales Echo. 4 May 1995. p. 3. Voters went to the polls today as local government in Wales undergoes its biggest shake up for 21 years. Twenty two new super-councils will take over the functions of 37 district and eight county authorities, which are being abolished from April next year... Until April next year, the councillors will act in a shadow capacity and many will serve on two or three authorities at the same time.

[electionscentre_1995-3] "Vale of Glamorgan Council Election Results 1995-2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 20 July 2019.

[electionscentre_1973-4] "Vale of Glamorgan Welsh District Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 20 July 2019.

[5] "Disaster for Tories - Results". South Wales Echo. 5 May 1995. p. 8.

[6] "South Glamorgan County Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 20 July 2019.

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