The sixteenth election to Glamorgan County Council, south Wales, took place in March 1937. It was preceded by the 1934 election and followed, due to the Second World War by the 1946 election.
Overview
Labour's comfortable majority on the council, including the aldermanic bench, remained unchanged.
Boundary changes
There were no boundary changes at this election.
Candidates
Many candidates were returned unopposed.[1]
Contested elections
Labour contested almost every seat on the council, with a significant proportion of candidates returned unopposed.
Of the eleven aldermen retiring at the end of their sixth year term, the ten Labour aldermen all sought re-election while Rev D.H. Williams (Ind) stood down from the Council after over thirty years. Alderman Dorothy Rees (Lab), who was elected for three years to fill a vacancy in 1934, also sought re-election.
Outcome
Labour retained their majority, losing two seats but gaining three.[2]
Results
Bargoed
Dudley Howe had previously represented Cadoxton and gained the neighbouring Barry ward from Labour. However, Labour won Cadoxton for the first time against the new candidate.
Barry Dock
Cwm Aber
Cwmavon
Gadlys
Garw Valley
Hengoed
Hopkinstown
Castell Coch
Llandeilo Talybont
Llanfabon
Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon
Maesteg, East and West
The sitting member, the Hon. John Bruce (Ind) stood down and Labour gained the seat without a contest.[1]
Ogmore Valley
Penarth North
Penarth South
Pencoed
Penrhiwceiber
Pontyclun
Port Talbot East
Port Talbot West
Porthcawl
Porth
Swansea Valley
Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch
Trealaw
Treorchy
Tylorstown
Vale of Neath
Ystalyfera
Election of Aldermen
In addition to the 66 councillors the council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1937 election, there were eleven Aldermanic vacancies, and the retiring aldermen were all re-elected.[3]
The following retiring aldermen were re-elected:
- William Bowen (Lab, Llanfabon)
- David Daniel Davies (Lab, Pontardawe)
- Rose Davies (Lab, Aberaman)
- John Evans (Lab, Maesteg)
- Johnson Dicks (Lab, Abercynon)
- E.H. Fleming (Lab, Hopkinstown)
- William Jenkins (Lab, Glyncorrwg)
- Caradoc Jones (Lab, Llandeilo Talybont)
- David Lewis (Lab, Tylorstown)
- Dorothy Rees (Lab, Barry Dock)
- John Thomas (Lab, Port Talbot)
By-elections
Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.
Aberaman by-election
Abercynon by-election
Barry Dock by-election
Labour lost the by-election held following the re-election of Dorothy Rees to the aldermanic bench.[4] The Labour candidate had been elected following Rees's original election as alderman three years previously and at the recent election had unsuccessfully contested the neighbouring Barry ward.
Glyncorrwg by-election
Hopkinstown by-election
Llandeilo Talybont by-election
Llanfabon by-election
Maesteg by-election
Pontardawe by-election
Port Talbot by-election
Joe Brown, former agent to Ramsay Macdonald when he was MP for Abervaron, failed to gain the Labour nomination and ran as an Independent.[5]
Tylorstown by-election
Council elections in the administrative county of Glamorgan
1937 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1938)