1970 – 7th May – KUDC Triennial Election

Abbey (3 seats)

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

43.5% Turnout

Windy Arbour (3 seats)

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

48% Turnout

Borrowell (3 seats)

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

50% Turnout

Castle (3 seats)

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

41.5% Turnout

St John’s (3 seats)

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

56% Turnout

Park Hill (3 seats)

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

43% Turnout

*denotes retiring councillors

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 had been the 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.

Eric Bernard Smith, who was first elected in 1946, lost his seat in St John’s. Although he did not contest the 1964 election, he served for a total of 18 years, mainly in Borrowell ward. He was Chairman, twice, 1959-60 and 1960-61.

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

KUDC Councillors

15 Conservatives (Florence Adcock, Bernice Gardner, Joan Salkeld, Potts, Harrison, Cox, Smalley, Whiteman, Charlton, Wiles, Rawnsley, Evans, Stansfield, Moore, Robinson)

2 Labour (Litterick, Webster)

1 Liberal (Helen Dore)

Chairman

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