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An election to the Neath Rural District Council in West Glamorgan, Wales was held in May 1949. It was preceded by the 1946 election, and followed by the 1952 election.^[1]

Overview of the results

The election resulted in relatively few changes in personnel as Labour comfortably upheld its majority.^[1]

Candidates

Seven Labour candidates were returned unopposed, including the father of the council, William Jones, who had represented Baglan Higher since 1919. Once again the party contested nearly all the seats on the authority.^[1]

The main opposition came from various Independent candidates and there were also a small number of Communist candidates in addition to David Davies who defended the seat he had won at the previous election.

Outcome

The main focus of interest was in the Coedffranc (Skewen) ward where two sitting councillors were defeated, namely the outgoing Labour chairman William Davies and long-serving Independent Mary Elizabeth (Bessie) Davies. Bessie Davies had originally been elected as a Labour councillor, before being elected as Independent Labour in 1937. In 1946 she stood as an Independent and a few weeks earlier had unsuccessfully sought election to Glamorgan County Council.

Ward Results

Baglan Higher (one seat)

Baglan Higher 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Jones*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaengwrach (one seats)

Blaengwrach 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Albert Vowles*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaenrhonddan (three seats)

Blaenrhonddan 1949
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	J.T. Evans*	1,211
Independent	Daniel Jones*	995
Labour	Albert John	892
Labour	Albert Mansel Davies	862
Labour hold		Swing
Independent hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing

Clyne (one seats)

Clyne 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas G. Allen*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Coedffranc (five seats)

Coedffranc 1949
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	William David	2,259
Labour	Thomas Rees*	1,933
Independent	George Frost*	1,684
Independent	Amy Jones*	1,387
Labour	Isaac Evans	1,366
Labour	William Davies*	1,301
Independent	Mary Elizabeth Davies*	1,293
Labour	David J. Williams	914
Labour	Mary Cossins	806
Independent	Hedley Thomas	591
Independent hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing
Independent hold		Swing
Independent hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing

Dyffryn Clydach (two seats)

Dyffryn Clydach 1949
	Candidate	Votes
Communist	Alun C. Thomas*	583
Independent	Gwyn Thomas	468
Labour	William John Griffiths	442
Labour	John Evans	402
Communist hold		Swing
Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John James*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Communist	William John Davies*	760
	Labour	Emlyn Jones	442
Majority			318
	Communist hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward (two seats)

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward 1949
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	J. Joseph Smith	1,042
Labour	Edith Jones*	854
Independent	William Morris	635
Communist	David Davies	254
Labour hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Lower (one seat)

Dulais Lower 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J.S. George*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Michaelstone Higher (one seat)

Michaelstone Higher 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Patrick Boyle	369
	Independent Labour	David Davies*	297
Majority			72
	Labour gain from Independent Labour		Swing

Neath Higher (three seats)

Neath Higher 1949
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Blodwen May Jones*	1,679
Labour	Richard Arthur*	1,596
Labour	Joseph James Lunn*	1,196
Independent	Lewis Cynlais Adams	1,007
Communist	Evan G. Williams	409
Labour hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing

Neath Lower (one seat)

Neath Lower 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Samuel Burnard*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward 1949
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Edward John Ateyo*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Resolven Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Resolven Ward 1949
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	David Hull*	937
Labour	Richard Geary*	775
Independent	Richard V. Morgan	738
Labour hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Rhigos Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Rhigos Ward 1946
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Rees Morgan Smith*	613
Labour	Iorwerth Williams*	491
Labour	Herbert Stephens	382
Labour	Herbert Stephens	382
Communist	Howell Williams	169
Independent hold		Swing
Labour hold		Swing