The 1991 Cardiff City Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 1991 to the district council of

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

South Glamorgan , Government= South Glamorgan County Council , Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= , HQ= ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in Wales and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The Labour Party regained a majority on Cardiff City Council, after sharing government for the previous four years. The previous Cardiff City Council election took place in 1987. The 1991 election was to be the final election to the district council before its dissolution and replacement, in 1995, by the new County Council of the City and County of Cardiff unitary authority.

Overview

All 65 council seats were up for election, though the election in the safe

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

ward of

Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

was delayed, with the results coming later (though not affecting Labour's majority control). Since 1987 Labour had governed in coalition with the SDP-Liberal Alliance. Following the 1991 election it regained a majority on the council. One of the major upsets of the election was the next Cardiff Lord Mayor-to-be, Gerald Brinks, losing his

Roath Roath ( cy, Y Rhath) is a district and community to the north-east of the city centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales. There is no community council for the area which is mostly covered by the Plasnewydd electoral ward, and stretches from Adamsdo ...

seat. His designated successor, Anthea Thomas, also lost her seat in

Llanishen Llanishen (Welsh language, Welsh Llanisien ''llan'' church + ''Isien'' Saint Isan) is a district and Community (Wales), community in the north of Cardiff, Wales. Its population as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 17,417. Lla ...

. This meant Cllr Jeff Sainsbury unexpectedly became the new Lord Mayor, four years earlier than planned, as well as leader of the Conservative group on the council. Labour made 11 gains and lost only one seat, to Independent

Betty Campbell Betty Campbell (6 November 1934 – 13 October 2017, born Rachel Elizabeth Johnson) was a Welsh community activist, who was Wales' first black head teacher. Born into a poor household in Butetown, she won a scholarship to the Lady Margaret Hi ...

, in

Butetown Butetown (or ''The Docks'', cy, Tre-biwt) is a district and community in the south of the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was originally a model housing estate built in the early 19th century by the 2nd Marquess of Bute, for whose t ...

. The Conservatives lost 8 seats and the Liberal Democrats lost three.

Ward Results

Contests were held in all twenty-six wards:^(a)^(b)

Adamsdown (2 seats)

Butetown (1 seat)

Caerau (2 seats)

Canton (3 seats)

Cathays (3 seats)

Cyncoed (3 seats)

Ely (3 seats)

Fairwater (3 seats)

Gabalfa (1 seat)

Grangetown (3 seats)

Heath (3 seats)

The contest in the Heath ward was suspended until after the main election, with the result declared at a later date.

Lisvane and St Mellons (1 seat)

Llandaff (2 seats)

Llandaff North (2 seats)

Llanishen (3 seats)

Llanrumney (3 seats)

Pentwyn (3 seats)

Plasnewydd (4 seats)

Radyr & St Fagans (1 seat)

Rhiwbina (3 seats)

Riverside (3 seats)

Roath (3 seats)

Rumney (2 seats)

Splott (2 seats)

Trowbridge (2 seats)

Whitchurch & Tongwynlais (4 seats)

(a) Elections Centre source also indicates pre-existing 'retiring' ward councillors, whether candidate is female, compares the percentage vote of the lead candidate for each party in the ward (b) ''South Wales Echo'' source also indicates pre-existing 'retiring' ward councillors, candidates' full initials, whether the result was 'no change' or a 'gain' * pre-existing 'retiring' ward councillors at this election

References

{{United Kingdom local elections, 1991 Council elections in Cardiff

1990s in Cardiff Council elections in South Glamorgan