Carmarthen Town South

Carmarthen Town South was an electoral ward, representing part of the community of Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Much of its southern border was defined by the River Towy, with the Carmarthen Town North and Carmarthen Town West wards to the north.

Profile

In 2014, the Carmarthen Town South electoral ward had an electorate of 2,896.^[1] The total population was 3,785, of whom 70.6% were born in Wales. The 2011 census indicated that 38.2% of the population were able to speak Welsh.^[1]

History

Carmarthen Town South was an electoral ward since the 1940s. It was previously known as Carmarthen Town No.2 Ward. It became a two-member electoral ward for the purposes of elections to Carmarthenshire County Council. It corresponded to the South ward which elects five members to Carmarthen Town Council.

From 1973 until 1996 it was a single-member ward for the purposes of elections to Dyfed County Council and a two-member ward for elections to Carmarthen District Council.

Following a boundary review by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, Carmarthen Town South was merged with Carmarthen Town North to be called Carmarthen Town North and South, effective from the May 2022 local elections. The new ward saw an overall reduction in councillors from four to three.^[2]

Current Representation

Since 2017 the ward was represented by Plaid Cymru councillors Gareth John and Alun Lenny.

Carmarthen Town South (two seats)

Carmarthen Town South 2017

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Gareth Howell John	551
	Plaid Cymru	Alun John Edwin Lenny*	493
	Conservative	Charlie Evans	399
	Labour	Philip William Grice	361
	Independent	Barry Williams	303
Turnout
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing
	Plaid Cymru hold		Swing

Carmarthenshire County Council from 1995

1995 Carmarthenshire County Council election

In 1995, Dr Margaret Evans, a Liberal Democrat member of Carmarthen District Council since 1991 and Russell Davies, a Labour member of the same authority since 1979 were elected as the ward's first representatives on the new Carmarthenshire County Council.^[3]

Carmarthen Town South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Dr Margaret Elizabeth Evans*	982
	Labour	John Russell Davies*	808
	Independent	Richard John Goodridge	682
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

1999 Carmarthenshire County Council election

One of the seats was won by the Liberal Democrats in 1995 but lost to an Independent at a by-election following the death of the sitting member. The sitting Labour councillor, who had served on Carmarthen District Councuil since 1979, was de-selected by the party but was re-elected as an Independent Labour candidate.^[4]

Carmarthen Town South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	June Williams*	774
	Independent Labour	John Russell Davies*	551
	Plaid Cymru	Geraint Thomas	547
	Labour	Philip William Grice	397
	Labour	Mandy Diane Peters	321
	Independent hold		Swing
	Independent Labour gain from Labour		Swing

2004 Carmarthenshire County Council election

Following the retirement of the Independent Labour (and former Labour) councillor, Russell Davies, the seat was won by a Labour candidate.

Carmarthen Town South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	June Williams*	443
	Labour	Philip William Grice	551
	Plaid Cymru	David Jonathan Edwards	309
	Independent	Rob James	301
	Independent	Jennifer Fox	289
	Plaid Cymru	Jonathan Mendus Edwards	245
	Independent hold		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent Labour		Swing

2008 Carmarthenshire County Council election

Both sitting members were defeated.

Carmarthen Town South 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Plaid Cymru	Dafydd Arwel Lloyd	626
	Independent	Stephen Paul Dunn	369
	Independent	June Williams*	361
	Labour	Philip William Grice*	356
	Independent	Dudley Evans	231
	Plaid Cymru gain from Labour		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing

2012 Carmarthenshire County Council election

Plaid Cymru held both seats with the sitting members again returned.

References

1. "Carmarthen Town South Ward: Electoral Division Profile" (PDF). Carmarthenshire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
2. Clare Snowdon (21 July 2021). "Carmarthenshire to have one more councillor following electoral boundaries review". South Wales Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
3. "Election Special". South Wales Evening Post. 5 May 1995.
4. This result is incorrect in the Western Mail.