# 1970 Neath Rural District Council election

An election to the Neath Rural District Council in West Glamorgan, Wales was held on 7 May 1970. It was preceded by the 1967 election, and was the last election to the authority as the Rural District Council was abolished at the 1974 re-organization of local government in Wales

## Overview of the results

The election was held shortly before the 1970 General Election, which Labour was at the time tipped to win. A Plaid Cymru challenge did not materialize.

## Candidates

At these final elections to the RDC, the profile of candidates was similar to three years previously with a number of long-serving Labour councillors again returned unopposed. While the Communist Party contested Seven Sisters, there was no candidate in their former stronghold of Onllwyn. At Rhigos, Independent councillor Henry Walters was returned unopposed as a Labour councillor.

## Outcome

Independents gained two seats at the expense of Labour while losing another two, resulting in an unchanged representation overall.

## Ward results
### Baglan Higher (one seat)

Baglan Higher 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Lilian Jones* | 143 |
| Independent | Jephtha Emanuel Ioan Johns | 42 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Blaengwrach (two seats)

Blaengwrach 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Clifford Graham Jones* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent | David Emanuel Thomas* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

### Blaenrhonddan, Bryncoch Ward (one seat)

Blaenrhonddan, Bryncoch Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Royston Jones* | 1,236 |
| Plaid Cymru | David Huw John | 460 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Blaenrhonddan, Cadoxton Ward (one seat)

Blaenrhonddan, Cadoxton Ward 1970 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David John Davies* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Blaenrhonddan, Cilfrew Ward (one seat)

Blaenrhonddan, Cilfrew Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Thomas Edward Rees | 197 |
| Labour | Eric Royle Fletcher | 175 |
| Independent | Brian Parry Wolfe | 46 |
| Independent gain from | Independent gain from | Swing |

### Clyne (one seats)

Clyne 1970 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Merfyn Jeffreys* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Coedffranc, South Ward (one seat)

Coedffranc, South Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Thomas L. Thomas* | 609 |
| Independent | Ashley Clifford Tremaine Hames | 128 |
| Independent | Ronald James | 128 |
| Communist | Glaslyn Morgan | 84 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Coedffranc, East Central (one seat)

Coedffranc East Central 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Martin Thomas* | 521 |
| Labour | Dudley Florance | 202 |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

### Coedffranc North Ward (one seat)

Coedffranc North Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Wilfred Edgar Jones* | 547 |
| Independent | John Alfred Frederick Wilsher | 460 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Coedffranc West Ward (one seat)

Coedffranc West Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Eric Vernon Matthews* | 312 |
| Labour | Leslie Ball | 170 |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

### Coedffranc West Central (one seat)

Coedffranc West Central 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | William David* | 521 |
| Labour | Arthur Williams | 142 |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

### Dyffryn Clydach (two seats)

Dyffryn Clydach 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Dewi Thomas* | 625 |
| Labour | Norman Richard Thomas | 567 |
| Independent | Idris Roy Rowlands | 421 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward 1970 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Emlyn Davies* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward 1970 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Richards* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward (two seats)

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Arthur Williams* | 712 |
| Labour | Richard Davies* | 690 |
| Communist | Chris Evans | 349 |
| Communist | Lynwood Morgan | 238 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Dulais Lower (one seat)

Dulais Lower 1970 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Myrddin Morris* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Michaelstone Higher (one seat)

Michaelstone Higher 1970 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gwilym Thomas Morgan* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Neath Higher (three seats)

Neath Higher 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Lewis Cynlais Adams* | 1,204 |
| Labour | Robert Henry Dyer* | 857 |
| Labour | Benjamin Thomas | 712 |
| Labour | Annie Jeffreys | 607 |
| Plaid Cymru | Thomas Penry Evans | 543 |
| Independent | Doris Mary Morris | 351 |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |

### Neath Lower (one seat)

Neath Lower 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | David Haydn Evans | 92 |
| Labour | Gildas Thomas | 78 |
| Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing |

### Resolven, Resolven Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Resolven Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | William John Powell* | 816 |
| Labour | Melvin Dilkes | 641 |
| Plaid Cymru | Arthur David Griffiths | 275 |
| Plaid Cymru | John Harris | 253 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |

### Resolven, Rhigos Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Rhigos Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Henry Walters | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Labour | Iorwerth Williams* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Resolven, Tonna Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Tonna Ward 1970 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Catherine Hopkins* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Labour | Idris Thomas* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |