Cardiff Council

Elections to Cardiff Council take place every four years. The last election was 4 May 2017. The 2021 elections have been postponed to 2022 to avoid a clash with the 2021 Welsh Parliament election.

Municipal life in Cardiff dates back to the 12th century, when Cardiff was granted borough status by the Earls of Gloucester. The offices of the mayor, aldermen, and common councillors developed during the Middle Ages.

Following The Local Government Act 1888 Cardiff was one of three Welsh towns granted county borough status, in addition to 13 Welsh county councils.[7] In 1905, Cardiff became a city, and the borough council became a city council.

The City of Cardiff is the county town of Glamorgan. However, prior to 1974, Cardiff was a county borough in its own right and not subject to Glamorgan County Council. Council reorganisation in 1974 paired Cardiff City Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council together as district councils subject to the new county of South Glamorgan.

Further local government restructuring in 1996 to better reflect local identities resulted in Cardiff City's district council becoming a unitary authority – the present Cardiff Council. South Glamorgan County Council had wanted a new 'greater Cardiff' authority to reflect the boundaries of South Glamorgan but the Conservative government of the time decided to separate the Vale of Glamorgan, which covered a marginal Conservative parliamentary seat.[8]

The first mayor of Cardiff is listed by the County Borough Records as Ralph "Prepositus de Kardi" who took up office in 1126. In 1835, Thomas Revel Guest became the first elected mayor of Cardiff when the first council elections were held. When Cardiff was granted city status in 1905 Cardiff's First Citizen became lord mayor. Robert Hughes, the mayor in 1904, was re-elected to become Cardiff's first lord mayor in the following year. The lord mayor was granted the right to the style "The Right Honourable". The lord mayor now bears the style "The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Cardiff".[9]

In 1999 a new system was introduced whereby the leader of the council could also serve as mayor for the duration of the council without re-election. This led to Russell Goodway serving as both council leader and mayor from 1999 to 2003. From 2004 the mayoralty reverted to a separate role, elected annually.[10]

Since 1999 the post has been held by the following councillors:

** Following the council elections in May 2012, the position of lord mayor was unfilled, while the new Labour council attempted to split the responsibilities of the mayor between two councillors. Cllr Cerys Furlong filled the traditional mayoral roles from 17 May, as chair of the council during this period. The new mayor, Derrick Morgan, took office on 27 September after Furlong resigned her chair post when it became clear the split role proposition was losing support.[13]

Electoral ward map of Cardiff

The unitary authority area is divided into 29 electoral wards. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities of the same name. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with an asterisk.

• City Hall, Cardiff
• County Hall, Cardiff
• Cardiff Bay
• Flat Holm

• Official website
• List of Mayors and other secular officials of Cardiff (British History Online)