Carmarthen Borough Council was a Welsh municipal body created by the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act which, at that time, replaced the ancient borough that had existed since medieval times. The Council consisted of 24 members, eighteen of whom were elected councillors and the remaining six were aldermen. Councillors were elected on a triennial cycle, with a third of councillors retiring each year. Aldermen were elected for a six-year term, normally from within the council membership although retiring aldermen were often re-elected without facing a contest.
Prior to the First World War, municipal elections had occasionally been fought on a party basis but there was also a strong tradition of electing independent candidates.
The first municipal election after the conclusion of the Great War saw a number of retiring members opposed by Trades and Labour Council candidates and also Ex-Servicemen. The two groups had formed an electoral pact to fight the election but that fell apart a month before the contest.[1] Nevertheless, representatives of both groups were successful at the expense of retiring members.[2]
The second municipal post-war contest was fought on party lines with supporters of the Lloyd George Coalition opposed by Labour candidates. In addition to the six councillors, three aldermen also retired, and this led to the defeat of the long-serving Walter Spurrell.[3]
Following the election of aldermen, by-elections were held. Walter Spurrell, rejected by the electors at the triennial election, was returned but retiring alderman W. Dunn Williams (who had not stood at the original election), was not returned.
As was the case the previous year, the local Liberal and Conservative associations supported a joint slate of candidates and this resulted in the defeat of all five Labour candidates.[4]
The election was fought against the backdrop of the General Election which was called after the Conservatives withdrew support from the Lloyd George Coalition Government. However, the local Liberal and Conservative associations continued to adhere to their own coalition arrangement and dominated the election, with the Labour candidates and an Independent elected as an Ex-Servicemen in 1919 all defeated. Two former councillors regained seats in the Western Ward.[5]
In September 1923, a by-election was held following the death of John Jenkins. John Phillips stood with the support of both Liberal and Conservative associations but the contest did not excite much interest, according to the local press.[6]
For the first time since the war there was no contest in the Eastern Ward.[7] The sole remaining Labour member, W.J. Martin, stood down after leaving Carmarthen for Bristol.[8] Labour candidates contested the Western Ward but all three were defeated by the retiring members who once again represented the continuing 'coalition' between the Liberal and Conseravtive associations.[9]
At the statutory meeting in November, Alfred Fuller-Mills, George Jones and Thomas Williams were elected aldermen, although there was no unanimity.[10] At the ensuing by-elections, Labour failed to hold the seat vacayed by W.J. Martin.[11]
The election proved to be another clean sweep for Independent candidates, five of whom were fielded by the continuing local coalition between the local Conservative and Liberal associations.[12]
Having lost all their seats over the previous two years, Labour managed to gain one seat in the Western Ward when Ben Charles was successful at the expense of John Phillips, who had narrowly won a by-election fourteen months previously.[13]
It was reported that little excitement was caused by the municipal elections as Independent candidates (five of them supporting the continuing coalition between the local Conservative and Liberal associations) were elected. The position in the Eastern Ward was complicated by the retirement of three aldermen which meant that William Evans lost his seat.[14]
At the statutory meeting in November, D.J. Davies, H.S. Holmes and Walter Spurrell were elected aldermen. Spurrell, who had previously served an aldermanic term, tied with David Jones who then withdrew in his favour.[15] Holmes had also served as a member of Carmarthenshire County Council since 1913. At the ensuing by-elections, three candidates nominated by the local coalition were successful, including J.B. Arthur who had stood down at the original election in favour of retiring aldermen.[16]
While the election was described as the quietest on record, the election was notable for the success of Labour candidate S.J. Jones, elected tonthe council on his tenth attemot, having been unsuccessful at his nine previous attempts. The local coalition between the local Conservative and Liberal associations continued in the Western Ward but in the Eastern Ward three candidates ran as Independents.[17]
The so-called coalition between the Conservative and Liberal associations continued under a different name with the six candidates running as Anti-Socialists. However, they achieved their poorest result for several years as the retiring Labour member was returned in the Eastern Ward alongside another Labour candidate and a British Legion candidate in the Western Ward.[18]
There was no change in the political complexion of the council as six non-Labour candidates were returned, four of whom were supported by the coalitio between the local Conservative and Liberal associations.[19]
At the statutory meeting in November, L.D. Thomas (a member of Carmarthenshire County Council), J.O. Morgans and Thomas Lloyd were elected aldermen.[20]
The by-elections saw a low turnout with Labour gaining one seat in the Eastern Ward.[21]
The election resulted in the return of six Independent members, two of whom were supported by the local Conservative and Liberal associations. S.J. Jones lost the seat he had gained three years previously.[22]
The election was said not to have elicited much interest, as the narrow defaet of Labour member Benjamin Charles, who had headed the poll in the Western Ward three years previously, was balanced by S.J. Jones regaining the seat he lost the previous year.[23]
In October 1932, a by-election was scheduled in the Western Ward following the death of H. Jones-Davies. H.S. Holmes, whose aldermanic term was due to expire the following month, resigned from that role and was nominated for the by-election. The local Labour Association decided 'in the public interest' not to contest the vacancy and Holmes was returned unopposed.[24]
Only seven candidates contested the six seats with the three members in the Eastern Ward being returned unopposed.[25]
At the statutory meeting in November, Daniel Bartlett, Thomas Lewis and William Davies were appointed aldermen.[26] This resulted in three vacancies in thr Eastern Ward. Walter Spurrell, who had indicated his intention to retire was elected at the head of the poll.[27]
It was stated that the result caused a surprise to many electorsm, but railwayman Herbert Morgan gained a seat in the Eastern Ward while Mary Charles JP polled strongly for Labour in the Western Ward.[28]
Having gained additional seats in recent years, Labour lost to seats, including that of Ben Charles, who had already lost and regained a seat twice in previous years. Former member Thomas Davies regained the seat he lost some years previously[29]