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The councillors elected, party affiliation and change from 2004 are as follows:
Aberavon
Jeffrey Dinham (SDP)
John Sullivan (SDP)
Tony Taylor (SDP)
no change
Aberdulais
Doreen Jones (Labour)
no change
Alltwen
David Lewis (Labour)
no change
Baglan
Juliet Hopkins (Labour)
Peter Richards (Labour)
John Tallamy (Ratepayers)
Returned unopposed - two Labour gains from Ratepayers
Blaengwrach
Alf Siddley (Labour)
Labour gain from Plaid
Briton Ferry East
Colin Morgan (Labour)
no change
Briton Ferry West
Hugh James (Labour)
no change
Bryn and Cwmavon
Marian Lewis (Labour)
Brin Roblin (Independent)
Ivor Williams (Labour)
no change
Bryncoch North
John Bryant (Plaid)
no change
Bryncoch South
Janice Dudley (Plaid)
Tony Wyn-Jones (Plaid)
no change
Cadoxton
Frank Little (Liberal Democrat)
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour
Cimla
Des Sparkes (Liberal Democrat)
John Warman (Liberal Democrat)
One Liberal Democrat gain from Labour
Coeddfranc Central
Arthur Davies (Labour)
Betsan Richards (Independent)
One Independent gain from Labour
Coedffranc North
Keith Davies (Liberal Democrat)
no change
Coedffranc West
Harry Bebell (Labour)
no change
Crynant
William Morgan (Plaid)
no change
Cwmllynfell
Cliff Richards (Labour)
Returned unopposed - no change
Cymmer
Scott Jones (Labour)
Labour gain from Ratepayers
Dyffryn
Martyn Peters (Plaid)
no change
Glyncorrwg
Glyn Rawlings (Labour)
no change
Glynneath
Horace Lewis (Plaid)
Del Morgan (Plaid)
no change
Godre'rgraig
Rosalyn Davies (Plaid)
Plaid gain from Labour
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
Lynda Williams (Labour)
no change
Gwynfi
Jane Jones (Labour)
no change
Lower Brynamman
Arwyn Woolcock (Labour)
Returned unopposed - no change
Margam
Stan Mason (Labour)
Labour gain from Ratepayers
Neath East
John Miller (Labour)
Sandra Miller (Labour)
Sheila Perry (Labour)
no change
Neath North
Derek Vaughan (Labour)
Manny Loaring (Labour)
no change
Neath South
Mal Gunter (Labour)
Peter Rees (Labour)
no change
Onllwyn
Alun Thomas (Labour)
no change
Pelenna
Lance Whiteley (Labour)
no change
Pontardawe
Mike James (Labour)
Linet Purcell (Plaid)
no change
Port Talbot
Ian James (Labour)
Dennis Keogh (Ratepayers)
Andrew Tutton (Ratepayers)
One Labour gain from Ratepayers
Resolven
Des Davies (Labour)
no change
Rhos
Marcia Spooner (Plaid)
Plaid gain from Labour
Sandfields East
Colin Crowley (Labour)
Lella James (Independent)
Ted Latham (Labour)
no change
Sandfields West
Olga Jones (Labour)
Pam Thomas (Labour)
Len Willis (Labour)
no change
Seven Sisters
Stephen Hunt (Independent)
Independent gain from Labour
Taibach
John Rogers (Labour)
Anthony Taylor (Labour)
One Labour gain from Ratepayers
Tonna
Bill Walters (Independent)
no change
Trebanos
Andrea Davies (Labour)
no change
Ystalyfera
Alun Llewellyn (Plaid)
no change
Overall changes
Liberal Democrats +2
Plaid +1
Independents +2
Labour +1
Ratepayers -6
There is also a welcome, albeit slight, correction to the gender ratio, with Linet Purcell, Rosalyn Davies and Marcia Spooner (all Plaid) and Andrea Davies (Labour) taking over from men.
We'll leave it to the genuine political anoraks to dig out the figures and publish the %age swings in the vote!
9 comments:
In Baglan, it is 2 Labour gains from Ratepayer - not 1 as you suggest.
In 2004, two Ratepayers and one Labour councillor were returned in Baglan. The change figures take no account of by-elections between then and now.
In 2004 there were 3 Ratepayers cllrs returned in Baglan - Paul Evans, Juliet Hopkins & Peter Richards. Sadly Paul Evans passed away but the Ratepayers held the seat in the subsequent by-election with John Tallamy.
Juliet & Peter then left for Labour at the start of this election campaign, giving Labour two gains and not one as suggested.
Anonymous 14:19 is indeed correct.
I think you'll find in 2004, three Ratepayer Councillors were returned!! Paul Evans, Juliet Hopkins and Peter Richards. John Tallamy replaced Paul Evans when he passed away!
Seems like Labour have targetted the Ratepayer Councillors, or have they?
Cymmer, Margam, and Taibach were the places that the Ratepayers lost out to Labour, the quality of the Ratepayer councillors had a lot to be desired in these wards, in 2004 it was a scatter-gun approach with the philosophy of "never mind the quality feel the width".
Baglan - change of political ideals by two of the three sitting councillors; probably to do with the third ratepayer councillor in this ward.
Port Talbot ward - retirement of Madam Spender and the introduction of Scott Sullivan, who the electors didn't vote for.
Here endeth the lesson for today!
Sorry, you're both right: I was relying on the Evening Post summary of June 2004, which showed Margaret Frayne (Labour) elected even though the small print showed Hopkins received more votes.
The main posting will now be corrected.
It's not for me to comment on the quality of individual Ratepayer candidates. The group did seem to lose cohesion with the death of their previous leader and the retirement of Pam Spender, though.
There seems to have been a reluctance to campaign, as well.
The lack of leadership was the main reason cited by the Baglan Two for moving across to Labour.
Labour spotted the weakness and targeted it, clearly concentrating their forces on the Ratepayer wards. Some of the losing Labour councillors may feel aggrieved at the lack of support from the centre which resulted from this ruthless tactic.
Frank H Little
Its a simple lesson really - When you initiate an attack, always protect your flanks, else your opponent will exploit this. ;-)
Richie Northcote
One further factor which should have been mentioned was the Lab/Plaid coalition in Cardiff Bay. This has to be the reason for the failure of Plaid in Swansea (I'm sure our people in Swansea would have used it!) and may well have affected the nationalist chances in Neath Port Talbot, e.g. in Aberdulais & Onllwyn.
Frank H Little
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