1919-1939 Carmarthen Borough Council elections

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.

1919 Carmarthen Borough Council election
The first municipal 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. Nevertheless, representatives of both groups were successful at the expense of retiring members.

1920 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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-servong Walter Spurrell.

By-elections
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.

1921 Carmarthen Borough Council election
As was the case the previous year, the local Liberal and Conservative association supported a joint slate of candidates and this resulted in the defeat of all five Labour candidates.

1922 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

By-election
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.

1923 Carmarthen Borough Council election
For the first time since the war there was no contest in the Eastern Ward. The sole remaining Labour member, W.J. Martin, stood down after leaving Carmarthen for Bristol. Labour canddates 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.

By-elections
At the statutory meeting in November, Alfred Fuller-Mills, George Jones and Thomas Williams were elected aldermen, although there was no unanimity. At the ensuing by-elections, Labour failed to hold the seat vacayed by W.J. Martin.

1924 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

1925 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

1926 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

By-elections
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. Holmes had also served as a member of Carmarthenshire County Council since 1913. At the ensuing by-elections, three candidates nominated by the local colaition were successful, including J.B. Arthur who had stood down at the original election in favour of retiring aldermen.

1927 Carmarthen Borough Council election
While the election was decribed 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.

1928 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

1929 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

By-elections
At the statutory meeting in November, L.D. Thomas (a member of Carmarthenshire County Council), J.O. Morgans and Thomas Lloyd were elected aldermen.

The by-elections saw a low turnout with Labour gaining one seat in the Eastern Ward.

1930 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

1931 Carmarthen Borough Council election
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.

1932 Carmarthen Borough Council election
Only seven candidaes contested the six seats with the three members in the Eastern Ward being returned unopposed.

By-elections
At the statutory meeting in November, three aldermen were appointed, leavong three vacancies in thr Eastern Ward. Walter Spurrell, who had indicated his intention to retire was elected at the head of the poll.