1981 Welsh local government election
The third election to West Glamorgan County Council was held in May 1981.[1] It was preceded by the 1977 election and followed by the 1985 election.
Candidates
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. A feature of the election was the number of Ratepayer candidates.
In the Neath area, Labour contested all thirteen seats, with Plaid Cymru running nine candidates.[2]
Outcome
Labour retained their majority and regained some of the ground lost to Ratepayers four years earlier.
Results
- indicates sitting councillor
Ward Results
Aberavon East and West (three seats)
Aberavon East and West 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Colin Crowley* | 3,656 | | |
| Labour | Cyril Lewis* | 3,434 | | |
| Labour | P. Jones* | 3,287 | | |
| Tenants Association | B. Thomas | 1,495 | | |
| Tenants Association | W. Johnson | 1,423 | | |
| Tenants Association | Jim Roberts | 1,241 | | |
Turnout | | 43.1 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Aberavon North (one seat)
Aberavon North 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Malcolm Harris | 1,653 | | |
| Ratepayers | R. Hubbard* | 1,590 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour gain from Ratepayers | Swing | | |
Aberavon South (one seat)
Aberavon South 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | W. Llewellyn | 1,310 | | |
| Ratepayers | L. Carey* | 709 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour gain from Ratepayers | Swing | | |
Brynmelyn (two seats)
Brynmelyn 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | R. Dowdle* | 1,407 | | |
| Labour | J. Adams* | 1,334 | | |
| Conservative | P. Morgan | 382 | | |
| Ratepayers | M. John | 348 | | |
Turnout | | 43.8 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Castle (two seats)
Castle 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Jones | 945 | | |
| Labour | B. Ludlam* | 893 | | |
| Ratepayers | I. Williams | 558 | | |
| Ratepayers | B. Matthews | 508 | | |
| Conservative | S. Patriarcia | 358 | | |
Turnout | | 46.0 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Cwmafan (one seat)
Cwmafan 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Mel John* | 1,632 | | |
| Independent | A. Bevan | 122 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Fforest Fach (two seats)
Fforest Fach 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Bevan* | 1,292 | | |
| Labour | Victor Cyril Alexander* | 1,193 | | |
| Ratepayers | D. Jones | 1,115 | | |
| Ratepayers | L. Evans | 1,091 | | |
| Conservative | C. Andrews | 767 | | |
| Conservative | E. Charles | 750 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | A. Williams | 319 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | D. Morton | 305 | | |
| Communist | B. Lewis | 92 | | |
Turnout | | 37.4 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Ffynone (two seats)
Ffynone 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Paul Valerio* | 1,840 | | |
| Ratepayers | J. Thomas | 1,383 | | |
| Conservative | G. Ashmole | 1,296 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | J. Thomas | 456 | | |
| Liberal | S. Evans | 441 | | |
Turnout | | 63.6 | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Glyncorrwg (two seats)
Glyncorrwg 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | G. Davies* | 1,839 | | |
| Labour | D. Daniels* | 1,601 | | |
| Ratepayers | G. James | 934 | | |
| Independent | Mairwen Goodridge | 922 | | |
Turnout | | 58.8 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Gower No.1 (one seat)
Gower No.1 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | J. Bartlett | Unopposed |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
Gower No.2 (one seat)
Gower No.2 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Ratepayers | C. Sanders | 1,660 | | |
| Labour | F. Lord* | 1,407 | | |
Turnout | | 64.5 | |
| Ratepayers gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Gower No.3 (one seat)
Gower No.3 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | P. Bevan | 1,565 | | |
| Ratepayers | G. Beynon | 1,166 | | |
| Labour | M. Thomas | 273 | | |
Turnout | | 47.4 | |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
Landore (two seats)
Landore 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Cox* | 1,286 | | |
| Labour | S. John* | 1,237 | | |
| Ratepayers | J. Lewis | 921 | | |
| Ratepayers | C. Phillips | 917 | | |
| Communist | R. Thomas | 97 | | |
Turnout | | 43.4 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Llansamlet (two seats)
Llansamlet 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | L. Penhaligan* | 2,471 | | |
| Labour | W. Davies | 1,931 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | C. Phillips | 1,181 | | |
| Ratepayers | E. James | 845 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | W. Smith | 779 | | |
| Ratepayers | C. Stevens | 773 | | |
| Conservative | J. Edgecombe | 661 | | |
| Conservative | J. Holmes | 560 | | |
Turnout | | 42.6 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Llwchwr No.1 (one seat)
Llwchwr No.1 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | G. Williams | 1,410 | | |
| Independent | D. Thomas | 829 | | |
| Conservative | R. Day | 576 | | |
Turnout | | 62.9 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Llwchwr No.2 (two seats)
Llwchwr No.2 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Davies* | 2,518* | | |
| Labour | J. Jones* | 1,962 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | E. Thomas | 1,780 | | |
Turnout | | 48.6 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Llwchwr No.3 (two seats)
Llwchwr No.3 1977 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | J. Thomas* | 1,835 | | |
| Labour | D. Turner* | 1,697 | | |
| Conservative | W. Davies | 1,301 | | |
| Independent | Cled Morgan | 1,176 | | |
| Conservative | M. Bevan | 1,167 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | H. Price | 862 | | |
Turnout | | 64.6 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Margam Central (one seat)
Margam Central 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | J. Rogers | 1,252 | | |
| Independent | W. Jones | 606 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Margam North (one seat)
Margam North 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Southall | 843 | | |
| Independent | S. Williams* | 618 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour gain from Ratepayers | Swing | | |
Margam West (one 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 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Fred Kingdom* | 3,620 | | |
| Labour | Dillwyn David* | 3,549 | | |
| Labour | David Jeffs | 3,399 | | |
| Labour | David Roberts* | 3,371 | | |
| Ratepayers | Samuel Leonard Evans | 1,879 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | M. Griffiths | 882 | | |
| Conservative | John Leaker | 734 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Neath No.2, North, Pontrhydyfen and Tonmawr (two seats)
Neath No.2, North, Pontrhydyfen and Tonmawr 1981 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Frank Cecil Evans* | 2,086 | | |
| Labour | M. Jones | 1,834 | | |
| Ratepayers | Ronald Jones* | 1,318 | | |
| Ratepayers | O. Phillips | 1,289 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | Iris Curtis | 593 | | |
Turnout | | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour gain from Ratepayers | Swing | | |
Neath Rural (six seats)
Neath Rural 1973 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | R. Jones | 2,905 | | |
| Independent | Martin Thomaso | 2,534 | | |
| Labour | N. Thomas | 2,385 | | |
| Labour | T. Thomas | 2,131 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | H. Evans | 1,919 | | |
| Plaid Cymru | O. Roberts | 1,629 | | |
| Labour | W. Jones | 1,575 | | |
| Labour | C. Jones | 1,499 | | |
| Independent | T. Rees | 1,346 | | |
| Labour | R. 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 | D. Hull | 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.
- ^ Thomas, Wally (13 April 1981). "It's a Fight All the Way". Neath Guardian. p. 1. Retrieved 10 October 2022.