South Yorkshire Times February 21, 1948

Dearne District Labour Party will attempt to decide on February 20 an election problem which has arisen at Thurnscoe to the refusal of Dearne East Ward Labour Party to re-nominate Councillor J.M. Ingamells, retiring member, as Labour Party candidate in the East Ward at the Dearne Urban Council elections on April 3.

Councillor Ingamells has been a member of the council ever since it was constituted in 1927 and under the “gentleman’s agreement” existed between the political parties on Dearne Council whereby promotion to the chairmanship and vice chairmanship is reached by seniority in membership is due to become vice-chairman of the Council in April.

How The Dispute Arose

Enquiries by a South Yorkshire Times reporter this week reveal that the dispute arose when the ward party decided to recommend to Dearne district party at the two Labour candidates for the ward in April should be Councillor CH Williams, retiring councillor, with Mr Ingramells and Mrs Annie Miller, 21 years a Thurnscoe resident and 20 years a party member.

The Dearne district party decided, however, to refer the matter back to the ward party for further consideration, but on Thursday the ward party confirmed their recommendations and the poser goes back to the district party for their meeting at Goldthorpe of February 20.

For some time there has been a strong opinion in ward party counsels that Labour councillors for their ward to be East Ward residents, but there is strong opinion that the renomination could not be given to councillors who have not attended 50% of the ward party meetings in 12 months.

Councillor Ingamells, caretaker of Houghton Road schools, Thurnscoe, does not meet these qualifications. He lives in Thurnscoe West Ward and is a member of the West Ward party and a regular attender at their meetings.

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