1946 Carmarthenshire County Council election

An election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1946. The 1940 and 1943 elections were postponed due to the Second World War, therefore the election was preceded by the 1937 election and followed, by the 1949 election.

Overview of the result

The Independents retained their majority despite a strong Labour challenge, which saw an increase in the number of candidates contesting wards outside of the industrial south and east of the county. Retiring aldermen were also obliged to face the electorate before being re-elected to the bench.

Boundary changes

There were no boundary changes.

Unopposed returns

There were a number of unopposed returns, notably in Labour-held seats.

Contested elections

Many wards were keenly contested following the reinstatement of electoral politics after nine years.

In the Llanelli and Ammanford areas, Labour won ground, particularly in Llanelli town where three wards were gained from the Independents. Labour also defeated the sitting Independent at Llangeler (a rural ward where the party had been successful once before largely due to the prevalence of the woolen industry). Labour also won the St Ishmaels ward for the first time.

Another feature was that long-serving aldermen faced the electorate. A notable contest took place in Cwmamman where Alderman John Phillips, a member of the Council since 1922 narrowly defeated the sitting Labour councillor David Davies. In Carmarthen Town, Alderman William Price Williams was defeated by the retiring Independent, as was Alderman Evan Harris at Llansawel.

Summary of results

This section summarises the detailed results which are noted in the following sections. In some cases there is an ambiguity in the sources over the party affiliations and this is explained below where relevant.

This table summarises the result of the elections in all wards. 53 councillors were elected.

Carmarthesnhire County Council 1946: elected members

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour
	Independent

Carmarthenshire County Council 1946 : following election of new aldermen

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour
	Independent

Carmarthenshire County Council 1946 : following election of new aldermen and by-elections

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour
	Independent

Ward results

Abergwili

Abergwili 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	G.P. Philipps	667
	Independent	D.J. Williams*	351
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Ammanford No.1

Boundary Change.

Ammanford No.1 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Harries	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Ammanford No.2

Boundary Change.

Ammanford No.2 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Davies*	708
	Independent	David Jones	487
	Labour win (new seat)

Berwick

Berwick 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T.S. Bowen*	1,150
	Independent Labour	Elvet Pugh	396
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Burry Port

Boundary Change.

Burry Port 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W.D. Jenkins	993
	Independent	F.J. Morgan	672
	Labour win (new seat)

Caio

Caio 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Davies*	486
	Independent	Isaac Williams	418
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Carmarthen Division 1

Carmarthen Division 1 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Jones*	701
	Labour	J.E. Hughes	625
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Carmarthen Division 2

Carmarthen Division 2 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J.O. Morgans*	1,003
	Labour	G.G. Richards	461
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Carmarthen Division 3

Carmarthen Division 3 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Ithel P. Thomas*	516
	Labour	W.C. Ferman	482
	Independent	William Price Williams**	396
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Cenarth

Cenarth 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.J. James Jones	576
	Independent	Ellenora James*	313
	Independent	J. Clement Davies	278
Majority			263
	Independent hold		Swing

Cilycwm

Cilycwm 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ivor Elystan Campbell Davys*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Conwil

Conwil 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.A. Phillips	523
	Independent	E.J. Evans	472
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Cwmamman

Cwmamman 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Phillips**	1,091
	Labour	David Davies*	1,030
Majority
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Hengoed

Hengoed 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joseph Howells*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Kidwelly

Kidwelly 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Amos Jones	708
	Independent	H.J. Owen	378
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Laugharne

Laugharne 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	S.B. Williams*	542
	Independent	W.G. John	404
	Labour	H.G. Taylor	203
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanarthney

Llanarthney 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Edgar Lewis*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanboidy

Llanboidy 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Benjamin Salmon*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandebie North

Llandebie North 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David O. Davies	702
	Labour	Gwilym R. Thomas*	666
Majority
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Llandebie South

Llandebie South 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.B. Lewis*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llandilo Rural

Llandilo Rural 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Evan Davies*	708
	Independent	J.W. Nicholas	660
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandilo Urban

Llandilo Urban 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Benjamin Hughes*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandovery

Llandovery 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Anthony H. Gower	485
	Labour	James James	307
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandyssilio

Llandyssilio 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Henry Morris*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanedy

Llanedy 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas William Morgan*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanegwad

Llanegwad 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Griffith Evans*	694
	Independent	W.D. Davies	352
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 1

Llanelly Division 1 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Penry Jones	567
	Communist	Enoch Collins	245
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Llanelly Division 2

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 2 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W.T. Griffiths	565
	Independent	Brinley R. Jones*	486
	Labour win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 3

Llanelly Division 3 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C.R. Rees	600
	Independent	James Jones*	332
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Llanelly Division 4

Llanelly Division 4 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. Hopkins	997
	Independent	Martin L. Edwards*	612
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Llanelly Division 5

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 5 1934

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gwen Trubshaw*	666
	Communist	E.F. Seaward	25
Majority
	Independent win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 6

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 6 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Douglas Hughes*	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 7

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 6 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Llewellyn Evans	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 8

Llanelly Division 7 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Fred Howells	642
	Labour	A. Palmer	532
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 9

Llanelly Division 8 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	A.H. Olive*	843
	Labour	J.M. Davies	764
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfihangel Aberbythick

Llanfihangel Aberbythick 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T.J. Williams	680
	Labour	Stephen Griffiths	393
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Davies	658
	Independent	William Harry	256
	Independent	Thomas Richard Evans	72
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangadog

Llangadog 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T. Jones	406
	Plaid Cymru	Gwynfor Evans	405
	Independent	W. Jones	299
Majority			1
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangeler

Llangeler 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S.R. Thomas	808
	Independent	R.G. Owen*	792
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Llangendeirne

Llangendeirne 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Jenkins*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangennech

Llangennech 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Bowen	731
	Independent	Luther Rolfe	361
	Independent Labour	S. Morlais J. Lloyd	278
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Llangunnor

Llangunnor 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Edwards*	513
	Independent	W.P. Thomas	482
	Independent	David Jenkins	186
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanon

Llanon 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sidney Jones	1,629
	Independent	Eva M. Harris	661
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Llansawel

Llansawel 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Morgan*	282
	Independent	Evan Harris**	279
Majority			3
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanstephan

Llanstephan 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T.Ll. Haries*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanybyther

Llanybyther 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Benjamin Edward Davies*	877
	Independent	Thomas Morgan	574
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Myddfai

Myddfai 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.R. Clement*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Pembrey

Boundary Change

Pembrey 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Stepney	799
	Labour	J.J. Davies	586
	Independent win (new seat)

Pontyberem

Boundary Change

Pontyberem 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David John Jones	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Quarter Bach

Quarter Bach 1934

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Watkin Davies	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Rhydcymmerai

Rhydcymmerai 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Thomas*	320
	Independent	T.H. Lewis	217
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

St Clears

St Clears 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Joseph David Rees*	1,005
	Independent	Buckley	333
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

St Ishmaels

St Ishmaels 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Trevor Rhys Morris	577
	Independent	David Jones	363
	Independent	John W. Jones Cremlyn	284
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Trelech

Trelech 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	S.O. Thomas*	741
	Independent	Stephen Davies	282
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Trimsaran

Boundary Change

Trimsaran 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gomer Evans*	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Westfa

Westfa 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Emrys Aubrey*	1,601
	Independent	W.D. Ford	626
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Whitland

Whitland 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Lewis Phillips*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Election of aldermen

In addition to the 57 councillors the council consisted of 19 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the elections the following nine aldermen were elected (with the number of votes in each case).