1970 – 7th May – Kenilworth Urban District Council – Election

Abbey Ward (3 seats)

*E. Thomas Evans	Conservative Party	657
*Ronald Stansfield	Conservative Party	609
*Joan Salkeld	Conservative Party	570
David Walters	Labour Party	299
Mrs D. Davies	Labour Party	292
Reginald Smith	Labour Party	283

43.5% Turnout

Windy Arbour Ward (3 seats)

*Florence Adcock	Conservative Party	1020
*Derek Moore	Conservative Party	949
Thomas Robinson	Conservative Party	923
Haydn Thomas	Liberal Party	461

48% Turnout

Borrowell Ward (3 seats)

*Kenneth Rawnsley	Conservative Party	823
Helen Dore	Liberal Party	530
J. Wiles	Conservative Party	504
Kenneth Hogarth	Conservative Party	496
Peter Thompson	Liberal Party	434
Mrs E. Twyman	Liberal Party	380

50% Turnout

Castle Ward (3 seats)

*Leonard Smalley	Conservative Party	740
*Bill Whiteman	Conservative Party	657
D. Charlton	Conservative Party	644
Dora Greenway	Liberal Party	392
Ronald Scott	Liberal Party	369
Mrs P. Smith	Liberal Party	368

41.5% Turnout

St John’s Ward (3 seats)

*Chris Webster	Labour Party	596
*Jack Cox	Conservative Party	552
Thomas Litterick	Labour Party	521
William Wozencroft	Labour Party	491
Eric Bernard Smith	Conservative Party	453
Robert Butler	Liberal Party	438
S. Perry	Conservative Party	415

56% Turnout

Park Hill Ward (3 seats)

*Harry Potts	Conservative Party	771
*Bernice Gardner	Conservative Party	754
*Spencer Harrison	Conservative Party	716
William Clarke	Labour Party	317
Kenneth Beard	Labour Party	307

43% Turnout

*denotes retiring member

STILL A TORY STRONGHOLD

Although their majority dropped from 16 to 13, Kenilworth still holds a strong Tory electorate.

Labour only stood in three wards but managed to get two candidates elected, both in St. John’s. Chris Webster, who had been on the council since 1964, was the only non-Tory and chairman for the previous 12 months. A bench close to the ford was later dedicated in his memory, along with his wife Irene.

Thomas Litterick of Quarry Road, was the other labour candidate elected. He was just beginning his political career, which would eventually take him as far as the House of Commons. He became MP for Selly Oak in Birmingham at the October 1974 general election. This made him the only Kenilworth resident to ever become an MP.

With restructuring of local government looming, this turned out to be the last ever KUDC election.

KUDC Councillors

15 Conservative Party (H Potts, S. Harrison, J. Cox, L. Smalley, B. Whiteman, D. Charlton, J. Wiles, K. Rawnsley, E. Evans, R. Stansfield, Bernice Gardner, Joan Salkeld, Florence Adcock, D. Moore, T. Robinson)

2 Labour Party (T. Litterick, C. Webster)

1 Liberal Party (Helen Dore)

Chairman 1970-74

Chairmans Chain of Office – Courtesy of Warwickshire County Records Office. (ref. PH (N) 600/147/3)