1919 Glamorgan County Council election

In this first post-war election a significant advance was made by the Labour Party, which captured a number of seats, and established a comfortable majority on the Council for the first time.[1]

A number of boundary changes had taken place since the previous election. The extension of the Swansea Borough boundary caused the disappearance of the Llansamlet, Morriston, Sketty, and Oystermouth divisions which were no longer part of the county. Four new divisions were created in other parts of the county. The old Margam division was divided into two (Margam East and Port Talbot West), and the Llantrisant division was likewise divided into two new wards, namely Gilfach Goch and Tonyrefail, Llantwit Fardre. A new division was also created at Hopkinstown, Pontypridd and the old Aber division was divided into the Cwm Aber and Llanfabon divisions.[2] The number of wards remained at 66.

38 of the 66 councilors were returned unopposed.[3]

Most of the re-elected Conservatives represented wards on the outskirts of Cardiff and in the Vale of Glamorgan. Labour candidates were returned unopposed in a number of the mining valleys although sitting Liberals were also unopposed in some of these localities.

Of the eleven retiring aldermen, seven sought re-election to the Council. Three of these namely E.H. Fleming (Lab, Hopkinstown), William Jones (Lab, Mountain Ash) and William Llewellyn (Lib, Ogmore Vale) were returned unopposed.

Many of the contested elections resulted in the decision of the Labour Party to run more candidates than ever before. The distribution of these candidates was not uniform, with candidates being run in all Rhondda wards bar two (where two long-serving Liberals went unopposed). In contrast there was only one contested elections in the Aberdare district, and this was more personal than political.[4] Despite the Labour advance at district level in the pre-war period they fielded no candidates.

A number of seats changed hands as Labour captured twelve seats and lost only one. Most attention focused on the defeat of two members who had served since 1889, namely Alderman J.M. Smith (Aberavon) and Alderman W.H. Mathias (Rhondda) lost to Labour challengers, but Labour victories occurred in most parts of the county .[5] A third retiring alderman, Evan Davies (Lib, Maesteg) was also defeated while the Rev D.H. Williams (Lib, Barry) sought off a Labour challenger.

In addition to the elected councillors the County Council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1919 election, there were twelve aldermanic vacancies, following the resignation of Alderman J.E. Evans.[8]

It was initially resolved to re-elect the four retiring aldermen who had been successful at the recent election, namely:

• E.H. Fleming (Lab, Hopkinstown)
• William Jones (Lib, Mountain Ash)
• William Llewellyn (Lib, Ogmore Vale)
• Rev D.H. Williams (Lib, Barry)

In addition, the following eight new aldermen were elected:

• Llewellyn David (Ind, Port Talbot)
• Daniel Daniels (Lib, Dulais Valley)
• W.H. Davies (Lab, Gower)
• Joseph Howells (Lib, Caerphilly)
• Hubert Jenkins (Lab, Cwm Aber) - elected alderman for three years
• William Jenkins (Lab, Glyncorrwg)
• David Lewis (Lab, Tylorstown)
• William Thomas (Lib, Aberdare)

Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.

• Williams, Chris (1996). Democratic Rhondda: Politics and society 1885-1951. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.