The Ebbw Vale by-election, 17 November 1960
Philip Lloyd
This election followed the death of Aneirin Bevan. I went there to help during the October half-term week, together with fellow Ysgol Glan Clwyd (Rhyl) teacher Gwilym Hughes. We stayed with local party members Mr and Mrs Dewi Samuel. Gwilym later stood as Plaid Cymru candidate in general elections for East Flint, West Flint and Conwy, as well as being elected to Rhyl Urban District Council. His Welsh Nation cartoon depicting Wilson and Douglas-Home leading a two-party procession carrying banners inscribed: ‘Ban Plaid’ is an cutting comment on the joint Labour-Tory collusion to deny party political broadcasts to Plaid Cymru.
The photographs I took that week depict, variously:-
Plaid Cymru candidate Emrys Roberts with car-mounted loudspeaker and talking to voters
The Party’s Tredegar office
Large election posters on hoardings
A Tredegar medical surgery, dating from the local community-funded provision on which Aneirin Bevan based the NHS during the post-1945 Labour government
Also two photographs of illegal broadcasting during the election campaign (included in my collection of ‘Radio Wales’ photographs)
The result:-
Michael Foot (Labour) 20,528
Sir Brandon Rhys Williams, Bart (Tory) 3,799
Patrick Lort-Phillips (Liberal) 3,449
Emrys Roberts (Plaid Cymru) 2,091
Turnout: 76.1%
