1961 Neath Rural District Council election

An election to the Neath Rural District Council in West Glamorgan, Wales was held on 11 May 1961. It was preceded by the 1958 election, and followed by the 1964 election. ^[1]

Overview of the results

Although Labour retained the vast majority of seats, three candidates captured seats previously held by Labour. As at the previous election, over half of the wards saw Labour candidates returned unopposed.

Candidates

The profile of candidates was similar to three years previously with a number of long-serving Labour councillors returned unopposed.

Outcome

Three Independent gains were recorded, including at Bryncoch where Labour lost the seat held by the late J.T. Evans for over forty years. At Coedffranc, Martin Thoms, unsuccessful three years previously, took second place behind long-serving Independent William David. The third Independent victory was at Glyn-neath, where Richard Arthur, a Labour councillor for twelve years until 1958, took a seat from his former party.

Ward results

Baglan Higher (one seat)

Baglan Higher 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Jones*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaengwrach (one seats)

Blaengwrach 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Albert Vowles*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaenrhonddan, Bryncoch Ward (one seat)

Blaenrhonddan, Bryncoch Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Royston Jones	738
	Labour	Samuel Brynley Davies	449
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Blaenrhonddan, Cadoxton Ward (one seat)

Blaenrhonddan, Cadoxton Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David John Davies*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaenrhonddan, Cilfrew Ward (one seat)

Blaenrhonddan, Cilfrew Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Evans	216
	Independent	Thomas E. Rees	206
	Labour hold		Swing

Clyne (one seats)

Clyne 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas G. Allen*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Coedffranc (five seats)

Coedffranc 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William David*	2,757
	Independent	Martin Thomas	2,085
	Labour	Thomas L. Thomas*	1,878
	Labour	Ivor Llewellyn Evans*	1,841
	Labour	Thomas Rees*	1,596
	Labour	Clarence Gwyn Pope*	1,505
	Labour	Wilfred Edgar Jones	1,418
	Communist	Glaslyn Morgan	904
	Independent hold		Swing
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Dyffryn Clydach (two seats)

Dyffryn Clydach 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Charles H. Button*	Unopposed
	Labour	William John Griffiths*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Emlyn Davies*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Daniel Lewis*	585
	Communist	William John Davies	402
Majority			89
	Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward (two seats)

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Joseph Smith*	1,050
	Labour	Richard Davies*	942
	Communist	David Davies	507
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Lower (one seat)

Dulais Lower 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J.S. George*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Michaelstone Higher (one seat)

Michaelstone Higher 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gwilym Thomas Morgan*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Neath Higher (three seats)

Neath Higher 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Lewis Cynlais Adams*	1,359
	Independent	Richard Arthur*	870
	Labour	Roy Llewellyn Crawley	779
	Labour	Robert Henry Dyer	631
	Labour	Thomas George Evans*	547
	Communist	William Irwyn Davies	316
	Independent	Arthur Robert Short	182
	Independent hold		Swing
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Neath Lower (one seat)

Neath Lower 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Henry Evans*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Edward John Ateyo*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Resolven Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Resolven Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Hull*	Unopposed
	Labour	William John Powell*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Rhigos Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Rhigos Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Iorwerth Williams*	Unopposed
	Labour	Thomas G. Powell*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Tonna Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Tonna Ward 1961

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David J. Daymond*	540
	Independent Labour	Nathaniel Thomas	287
Majority			253
	Labour hold		Swing

References

1. "Quiet, but two election shocks". Neath Guardian. 19 May 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 13 January 2023.