Central (Cardiff electoral ward)

Central
Central
Electoral ward
Country	Wales
County	Glamorgan ( -1974); South Glamorgan (1974- )
Town/City	Cardiff
UK parliamentary constituency	Cardiff ( -1918); Cardiff Central; (1918–1950,1983- ); Cardiff North (1950–1983)
Government
• Councillors	3 (1890-1974); 2 (1974–1985); 1 (1985–1996)

Central was the name of an original electoral ward in the centre of the county borough and, from 1905, city of Cardiff, Wales. It elected representatives to the Cardiff County Borough Council and, from 1974, South Glamorgan County Council. The ward ceased to exist in 1996.

Description and background

In July 1890, following the creation of Cardiff County Borough Council, Central was a new electoral ward created, one of the ten in the county borough.^[1] The ward was bordered to the west by the River Taff, to the east by the Taff Vale Railway and to the south by the Great Western Railway line. The Riverside ward lay on the other side of the River Taff, the Cathays ward to the northeast (of the Taff Vale Railway) and the South ward lay to the south.^[2]

Before the electoral reforms of the 20th century, councillors were elected by burgesses i.e. ratepayers in the ward.

The electorate of the Central ward in 1985 was 4217, increasing to 4908 in 1993.^[3]

The Cathays ward was expanded to incorporate the area of the Central ward in 1996.

South Glamorgan County Council 1973-1996

In 1973 elections were held for the new South Glamorgan County Council. The Central ward continued as a ward to this authority, electing two county councillors in 1973, 1977 and 1981, then one county councillor from 1985.^[3]

The party representing Central changed at every election, from Labour in 1973, to Conservative in 1977, back to Labour in 1981, Liberal in 1985, back to Labour in 1983, then finally Liberal Democrat in 1993.^[3]

1993

South Glamorgan Council election 1993 ^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	R. Rowland	704	43.1	+3.1
	Labour	C. Champion *	642	39.3	−3.0
	Conservative	(Ms) C. Baker	119	7.3	−4.9
	Green	N. Clark	86	5.3	+5.3
	Plaid Cymru	T. O'Neill	83	5.1	−0.4
Turnout
	Liberal Democrats gain from Labour		Swing

Central's Liberal Democrat Cllr Rowland stood in the Cathays ward in the 1995 City and County of Cardiff election, but was not successful.^[4]

Cardiff County Borough Council 1889-1974

Until Cardiff County Borough was superseded in 1974, the three ward councillors took turns to stand down for re-election. Initially (with annual Cardiff elections prior to World War II) on a three-yearly cycle.

1970

At the local elections on 7 May 1970 (the final elections to the county borough council), Labour recovered some ground on the Conservative Party, winning back seats in the city. The Conservative Lady Mayoress, Mary Hallinan, had represented the Central ward for the previous nine years and was the most prominent casualty in the election, losing her seat to Labour's Bill Herbert. Herbert was chairman of the Cardiff United Residents' Association and a leading campaigner against the proposed new hook road.^[5]

Cardiff Council election 1970^[6]
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	William Penry Herbert	1,385
Conservative	Mary Hallinan *	1,090
Liberal	Richard Michael James	186
Plaid Cymru	Denis O'Neill	152
Ratepayer	Denis George Parberry	35
Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

1890–2

In November 1890, following the redistribution of councillors across the ten Cardiff wards, Central (like the South ward having many businesses and non-resident ratepayer voters) lost the long-standing Liberal councillor to the Conservatives. The result was declared from the rear of the Town Hall and the margin was only two votes.^[7] Mr Proger, a master plumber by trade, had been a member of the council for the previous 12 years.^[7]

Cardiff Council election 1890
	Candidate	Votes
Conservative	Walter Raleigh Parker	617
Liberal	J. Guy Proger *	615
Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

In 1891 the Conservative candidate also won against the sitting Liberal councillor.

* = retiring ward councillor for re-election

Succession

The Central ward was replaced from 1974 on the new Cardiff City Council by an expanded Cathays ward. The boundary of Cathays ward expanded to include the city centre (and Castle community). Several of the Central ward councillors on South Glamorgan County Council also represented the Cathays ward concurrently.

References

^ "Cardiff New Wards – Determining The Boundaries". The Western Mail. 29 July 1890. p. 6 – via Welsh Newspapers Online.
^ "New Municipal Boundaries At Cardiff". The Western Mail. 6 August 1890. p. 7 – via Welsh Newspapers Online.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "South Glamorgan County Council Election Results 1973–1993" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 23 June 2019.
^ "Cardiff Council Election Results 1995–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 23 June 2019.
^ "Labour whoop for joy on poll triumph". South Wales Echo. 8 May 1970. p. 13.
^ "How The Voting Went – Cardiff". South Wales Echo. 8 May 1970. p. 13.
^ ^a ^b "Cardiff Municipal Elections – Liberal Victory". South Wales Daily News. 3 November 1890. pp. 3–4 – via Welsh Newspapers Online.