The twelfth election to Glamorgan County Council, south Wales, took place in March 1925. It was preceded by the 1922 election and followed by the 1928 election.
Overview of the result Having lost its majority at the 1922 elections, Labour regained control of the County Council by winning seven seats.
Boundary Changes There were no boundary changes at this election.
Candidates 16 councillors were returned unopposed.
Of the eleven retiring aldermen, nine sought re-election. Seven of their number were returned unopposed; these included the chairman of the County Council, Daniel Daniels (Lib, Dulais Valley) after the sitting Labour councillor stood down in his favour.
Contested Elections The pattern of contests was similar to 1922, although Labour contested some seats that it had not previously stood.
Three retiring aldermen faced opposition. Rev D.H. Williams (Lib, Barry) faced a Labour opponent and the seat had been held by Labour since a 1919 by-election. W.H. Davies (Lab, Gower) faced an Independent opponent and in Caerphilly the sitting Independent stood down in favour of Joseph Howells though he faced a Labour challenge.
Outcome Labour gained seven seats and lost only one, establishing a firm majority on the County Council.
Results Aberaman Rose Davies captured a seat previously held by a Liberal and became the first woman elected to the County Council.
Aberavon
Abercynon
Aberdare Town
Bargoed
Barry Alderman D.H. Williams, chair of the Central Welsh Board of Education, comfortably won the seat but this was technically a Liberal gain from Labour who had held the seat since a by-election after Williams was re-elected as alderman in 1919.
Barry Dock
Blaengwawr
Bridgend
Briton Ferry
Cadoxton
Caerphilly Alderman Joseph Howells won the seat after the sitting Independent councillor withdrew in his favour.
Cilfynydd
Coedffranc W.T. Jenkins had previously stood as an Independent but now declared himself a Labour supporter.
Cowbridge
Cwm Aber
Cwmavon
Cymmer
Dinas Powys
Dulais Valley Alderman Daniel Daniels of Crynant, chairman of the County Council, was returned unopposed after the sitting Labour councillor did not contest the seat. This was technically a Liberal gain.
Ferndale
Gadlys
Glyncorrwg
Gower
Hengoed
Hopkinstown
Kibbor Henry Lewis again returned after many years.
Llandaff
Llandeilo Talybont
Llanfabon
Llwydcoed
Llwynypia and Clydach James Evans, grocer, elected following Richard Lewis's election as alderman in 1901, was returned unopposed.
Loughor The sitting member had been elected as a Liberal in 1922.
Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon
Maesteg, East and West
Mountain Ash
Neath (North)
Neath (South)
Newcastle
Ogmore Valley
Penarth North
Penarth South
Pencoed
Penrhiwceiber
Pentre
Pontardawe
Pontyclun
Port Talbot East
Port Talbot West
Porthcawl
Pontlottyn
Pontycymmer
Pontypridd
Penygraig
Porth
Swansea Valley
Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch
Treforest
Treforest The sitting member had been elected as a Liberal in 1922.
Treherbert Enoch Davies, returned in 1901 following William Morgan's re-election as alderman, was elected unopposed.
Treorchy Thomas Jones, Co-operative stores manager, was returned unopposed.
Tylorstown
Vale of Neath
Ynyshir
Ystalyfera D.W. Davies regained the seat he lost three years previously.
Ystrad
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 1925 election, there were eleven Aldermanic vacancies, all of which were filled by Labour nominees (including one long-serving Liberal). These included the first woman elected to the Council, Rose Davies (Aberaman).
The following retiring aldermen were re-elected: E.H. Fleming (Lab, Hopkinstown) William Jenkins (Lab, Glyncorrwg) David Lewis (Lab, Tylorstown) Rev D.H. Williams (Lib, Barry)
In addition, the following seven new aldermen were elected:
David Daniel Davies (Lab, Pontardawe) Rose Davies (Lab, Aberaman) John Evans (Lan, Maesteg) Johnson Dicks (Lab, Abercynon) Caradoc Jones (Lab, Llandeilo Talybont) John Phillips (Lab, Llanfabon) John Thomas (Lab, Port Talbot)
The following retiring aldermen were re-elected as members of the Council but were not re-elected as aldermen: Llewellyn David (Ind, Port Talbot) Daniel Daniels (Lib, Dulais Valley) Joseph Howells (Lib, Caerphilly) William Thomas (Lib, Aberdare)
By-elections Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen. At Abercynon, Joseph Martin (Ind) who had been narrowly defeated by Rose Davies a few weeks earlier, again lost by a small margin. Labour also won a narrow victory at Abercynon where the newly elected councillor had, like Rose Davies, been immediately elected an alderman.
Aberaman by-election
Abercynon by-election
Barry by-election
Glyncorrwg by-election
Hopkinstown by-election
Llandeilo Talybont by-election
Llanfabon by-election
Maesteg by-election
Pontardawe by-election
Port Talbot by-election
Tylorstown by-election
References
Bibliography