Welsh Journals

5. THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN WALES'S FIRST UNITARY AUTHORITY ELECTIONS1 Russell Deacon The results of the 4 May 1995 Welsh unitary authority elections appeared to indicate a tremendous success for the Labour Party and a disaster for the Conservatives. But this election had more significance than simply allowing Labour to achieve its political target of making Wales a 'Tory-free zone'. The 4 May was not only a bad day for the Conservatives in Wales; the Independents, a significant force in Welsh local government also suffered major setbacks. The political success of Wales's two other political parties, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, was also far from rosy. This election saw the largest swing in seats to Labour since reliable statistics started to be compiled in 1973. The evidence in this study appears to indicate that Labour's success in these elections is not just linked to the failure of the Conservatives but also to the deficiency of any other political parties/groups in Wales in obtaining a substantial part of the so-called 'protest vote'. This paper seeks to review the electoral position of the four main political parties in Wales, plus Independents/Others, prior to and post the elections of 4 May. It focuses on four main areas. The first is the process that led to the allocation of councillors to the new authorities and the implications this had for the elections. The second part provides an indication as to the electoral position and ambitions of the four main political parties in Wales, plus the Independents/Others, prior to the elections. The third part assesses both the results of and impact on each respective Welsh political party as a result of 4 May. The final part seeks to draw some conclusions regarding the impact of the elections on local government politics in Wales. The article concludes by providing an historical warning to Labour the fortunes of political parties in Wales have a history of falling as rapidly as they rose.