1970 Cardiff City Council election

Local election in Cardiff, Wales April 2022 The 1970 Cardiff City Council election was held on Thursday 7 May 1970 to elect councillors to Cardiff City Council in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. It took place on the same day as many other local elections in Wales and England. The previous elections to this one were in May 1969 and the next elections would be in May 1971. These would be some of the last all-Cardiff elections before the dissolution of the unitary authority and the creation of the new second-tier district authority of Cardiff City Council in 1974. The election saw the Labour Party taking seats from the Conservatives.Labour whoop for joy on poll triumph South Wales Echo 8 May 1970 13 Background Cardiff County Borough Council had been created in 1889. Cardiff became a city in 1905. Elections to the local authority were held annually, though not all council seats were included in each contest, because each of the three councillors in each ward stood down for election in rotation.All eyes on Whitchutch and Rhiwbina - newcomers hold the key to power South Wales Echo 9 May 1967 6 For to bring the election procedure into line with that in the city's other wards, whoever tops the poll in the two new wards goes to City Hall for a full three-year term. The runners-up will serve for two years, while those in third place ...must face the electorate again in 12 months time... In this way the added areas will in future elect one member every year from 1968. The councillors elected in 1970 would be the last to serve a full three year term in office. Nineteen seats in 19 electoral wards were up for election in May 1970. Overview of the result The Labour Party recovered the position they had been in prior to the 1967 election, gaining three seats from the Conservatives. This was credited to the fact Labour's supporters had come out to vote, rather than staying home as they had done at the last election. The campaign against the new hook road in the north of the city was a factor. Two wards where Labour made gains, Cathays and Central, were directly affected. Bill Herbert, who won in the Central ward, was chairman of the Cardiff United Residents Association and a leading campaigner against the new road. The most prominent casualty of the election was Councillor Mary Hallinan, the Lady Mayoress, who lost her seat in the Central ward.Lady Mayoress loses city council seat to Labour The Western Mail 8 May 1970 4 The morning after the election, the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Alderman Lincoln Hallinan, broke an 18 year tradition when he refused to welcome the three newly elected (Labour) councillors, Herbert, Matthewson and Edwards, in his parlour. He later agreed to meet them before the first council meeting the following week.Lord Mayor declines to 'receive' new councillors South Wales Echo 8 May 1970 1 Despite winning their first seat on the council in 1969, and fielding a large number of candidates at the 1970 election, Plaid Cymru performed poorly, though managed to come second in Llandaff. Council composition Following the May 1970 election the balance on the city council was 57 Conservatives, 18 Labour and one Plaid Cymru. Ward results Contests took place in every ward at this election.Labour whoop for joy on poll triumph - How the voting went South Wales Echo 8 May 1970 13 Adamsdown Adamsdown ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) John Patrick Keohane * 1,503 Conservative Party (UK) John Terence Curran 960 543 Labour Party (UK) Canton Canton ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Trevor Tyrrell * 1,665 Labour Party (UK) Dengar Robinson Evans 1,283 Plaid Cymru Reginald James Stuart 332 382 Conservative Party (UK) Cathays Cathays ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) John Charles Edwards 2,323 Conservative Party (UK) Bernard Arthur Bateman * 1,955 Plaid Cymru Terence Hiley O'Neill 507 368 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Central Central ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) William Penry Herbert 1,385 Conservative Party (UK) Mary Hallinan * 1,090 Liberal Party (UK) Richard Michael James 186 Plaid Cymru Dennis O'Neill 152 Ratepayer Denis George Parberry 35 295 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Ely Ely ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) William Carling * 2,989 Conservative Party (UK) Joan Joshua 1,239 Plaid Cymru Gerallt Wyn Davies 649 1,750 Labour Party (UK) Gabalfa Gabalfa ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) William Emrys Pride * 2,752 Conservative Party (UK) Russell Gabe-Wilkinson 1,598 Plaid Cymru Brian Morgan Edwards 620 1,154 Labour Party (UK) Grangetown Grangetown ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) Armour Bernard Matthewson 1,260 Conservative Party (UK) Anthea Jean Thomas 1,249 Plaid Cymru Peter Stayeley McMullen 315 11 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Bernard Matthewson, a former city councillor, won after a recount. Llanishen Llanishen ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Lionel E. Pugh * 3,317 Labour Party (UK) John Gilbert May 1,763 Plaid Cymru Hugh Rosser Jordan 617 1,554 Conservative Party (UK) Llandaff Llandaff ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Julius Hermer * 2,642 Plaid Cymru Gwen Humphreys 842 Labour Party (UK) Norma Lorraine Maylin 701 1,800 Conservative Party (UK) Penylan Penylan ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Jean Lewis * 4,410 Labour Party (UK) Yvette Roblin 1,479 Plaid Cymru (Mrs) Ron Morgan Edwards 568 3,231 Conservative Party (UK) This was claimed to be the first ever all-woman ward election in Cardiff.Early voters 'hit by late start' South Wales Echo 7 May 1970 1, 4 Plasmawr Plasmawr ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) Hubert Harding * 2,538 Conservative Party (UK) Frederick John Jones 1,560 Plaid Cymru David John Davies 1,066 978 Labour Party (UK) Plasnewydd Plasnewydd ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Olwen Watkin * 2,188 Labour Party (UK) Michael John Parry 1,190 Plaid Cymru Philip Broan Richards 398 Liberal Party (UK) Elizabeth Davina Forrest 276 998 Conservative Party (UK) Rhiwbina Rhiwbina ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Martin Rodney Davies * 3,042 Labour Party (UK) William Michael Walker 938 Plaid Cymru William Gwynfor Hughes 858 2.102 Conservative Party (UK) Riverside Riverside ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) David C. Parnell * 1,525 Labour Party (UK) Thomas Clifford Lee 885 Plaid Cymru Robert Francis Thomas 324 640 Conservative Party (UK) Roath Roath ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Ronald Richards * 3,242 Labour Party (UK) John Stuart Scrivens 851 2,391 Conservative Party (UK) Rumney Rumney ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) John Noel Rees * 2,876 Conservative Party (UK) Sylvia Brown 1,777 Plaid Cymru Michael Coughlin 498 1,099 Labour Party (UK) South South ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) Terence Roche * 1,660 Labour Party (UK) Harold George Bartlett 1,504 Communist Party of Great Britain Frank Taylor 64 156 Conservative Party (UK) Splott Splott ward 1970 Labour Party (UK) Manuel C. Delgado * 2,438 Conservative Party (UK) Francis Joseph McCarthy 1,619 Communist Party of Great Britain Richard Horatio Spencer 45 819 Labour Party (UK) Whitchurch Whitchurch ward 1970 Conservative Party (UK) George Everson Brown * 2,490 Labour Party (UK) Henry Gordon Howell 1,168 Plaid Cymru David Gareth Williams 401 1,322 Conservative Party (UK) * = 'retiring' ward councillor for re-election References collapsed Cardiff Category:Council elections in Cardiff Category:1970s in Cardiff