# 1945–1972 Llanelli Borough Council elections

Llanelly Borough Council was a local authority created in 1913 when the existing Urban District Council achieved borough status. The Council consisted of 24 members, eighteen of whom were elected councillors and the remaining six were aldermen. The councillors were elected on a triennial cycle, with a third of councillors retiring each year. Aldermen were elected for a six-year term from within the council membership. It was renamed Llanelli Borough Council in the 1960s.

## 1945 Llanelly Borough Council election

At the first post-war election, eight seats were contested, as six councillors retired with two vacancies to be filled. In addition, the term of three aldermen elected in 1935 came to an end, although H.W. Bowen (Lab) had recently died and Daniel Roberts (Ind) decided not to stand.
Labour candidates won a sweeping victory, taking seven of the eight seats and gaining a majority on the borough council for the first time. Three Independents co-opted to fill vacancies during the war years were defeated, as was Alderman W.E. Davies in Ward Two.

### Ward One (two seats)

Ward One 1945 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Reg John | 2,864 |
| Independent | Dr H.D. Llewellyn* | 2,579 |
| Labour | T.M. Price | 2,105 |
| Labour | D.J. Davies | 1,925 |
| Independent | Dan Williams* | 1,789 |
| Independent | D. Cecil Williams | 1,675 |
| Communist | Enoch Collins | 1,111 |
| Independent | W. Hughes | 984 |

### Ward Two (two seats)

Ward Two 1945 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | D.J. Joseph | 3,903 |
| Labour | W. Douglas Hughes* | 3,744 |
| Independent | W.E. Davies** | 1,855 |

### Ward Three (two seats)

Ward Three 1945 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | William Thomas | 1,875 |
| Labour | W.E. Payne | 1,818 |
| Labour | John Griffiths* | 1,779 |
| Independent | Ted Howells | 1,066 |
| Communist | Ernest Leyshon | 1,027 |
| Independent | D.J. Evans | 544 |
| Independent | J. Sidney Jones* | 538 |
| Independent | W.R. Davies | 370 |
| Independent | J. Stanley Davies | 270 |
| Independent | J. Bradbury | 44 |

### By-elections

At the statutory meeting, Dr H.D. Llewellyn (Ind), Douglas Hughes (Lab) and John Griffiths (Lab) were elected aldermen. This led to considerable criticism over the alleged reaction of the seniority principles which had previously been unofficially adopted when selecting aldermen
At the by-elections which followed, much press attention focused on the decision of the British Legion to run candidates, after they were challenged to do so at a council meeting by Labour members. While the contest was close in Ward One, Labour nvertheless took all three seats, thus consolidating their majority.

### Ward 1 by-election (one seat)

Ward 1 by-election 1945 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D.J. Davies | 1,550 | | |
| | British Legion | William Hughes | 1,451 | | |

### Ward 2 by-election (one seat)

Ward 2 by-election 1945 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D.J. Williams | 2,177 | | |
| | British Legion | D.I. Morris | 944 | | |

### Ward 3 by-election (one seat)

Ward 3 by-election 1945 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | D.J. Rowlands | 1,374 |
| Independent | Fred Howells | 901 |
| Independent | C.R.G. Purrier | 81 |

## 1946 Llanelly Borough Council election

All three wards were contested by two Independent, two Labour and two Communist candidates. The Independents gained four seats; three at the expense of Labour and the fourth by ousting the sole remaining Communist counicllor. Defeated Labour candidates included sitting county councillor David Richards.

### Ward One (two seats)

Ward One 1946 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | John Zammit | 2,182 |
| Independent | D.J. Edmunds | 1,990 |
| Labour | David L. Richards* | 1,840 |
| Labour | T.M. Price* | 1,748 |
| Communist | Enoch Collins | 627 |
| Communist | Ivor Davies | 369 |

### Ward Two (two seats)

Ward Two 1946 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Sidney C. Ellis | 2,512 |
| Labour | W.J. Davies* | 2,085 |
| Labour | Frank Griffiths | 1,986 |
| Independent | Glyn Thomas | 1,923 |
| Communist | T.R. Evans | 469 |
| Communist | E.G. Watkeys | 400 |

### Ward Three (two seats)

Ward Three 1946 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Ted Howells | 1,115 |
| Labour | D.J. Rowlands* | 1,061 |
| Communist | Brin James* | 946 |
| Labour | A.J. Evans | 886 |
| Independent | Handel C. Rogers | 837 |
| Communist | Iorwerth Roberts | 526 |

## 1947 Llanelly Borough Council election

Labour captured all six seats, with two former mayors among the defeated Independent candidates. Llanelli was reported to be the only borough in the United Kingdom where Labour gained control.

### Ward One (two seats)

Ward One 1947 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | T. Glanville Williams | 2,522 |
| Labour | David L. Richards | 2,395 |
| Independent | J. Kendrick Clement | 2,327 |
| Independent | William Hughes* | 2,297 |

### Ward Two (two seats)

Ward Two 1947 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Daniel Rees* | 3,534 |
| Labour | Frank Griffiths | 3,116 |
| Independent | H. Beaton | 1,877 |
| Independent | Evan Jones | 1,799 |

### Ward Three (two seats)

Ward Three 1947 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | G.W. Every | 1,468 |
| Labour | A. Evans | 1,414 |
| Independent | A.H. Olive* | 1,401 |
| Communist | Brinley James* | 731 |
| Communist | Enoch Collins | 645 |
| Independent | Theo Jenkins* | 626 |
| Independent | J. Bradbury | 52 |