Editing Swansea (section)

===Local government===
{{Main|City and County of Swansea Council}}
In 1887, Swansea was a township at the mouth of the river Tawe, covering {{convert|4562|acre|ha|abbr=off}} in the county of [[Glamorgan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=1126&st=swansea|title=History of Swansea in Glamorgan&nbsp;– Map and description|work=visionofbritain.org.uk|access-date=11 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116095601/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=1126&st=swansea|archive-date=16 November 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> There were three major extensions to the boundaries of the borough: the first in 1835, when [[Morriston]], [[St Thomas, Swansea|St Thomas]], [[Landore]], St John-juxta-Swansea and part of [[Llansamlet]] parish were added; again in 1889, when areas around [[Cwmbwrla]] and Trewyddfa were included; and when the borough was enlarged in 1918 to include the whole of the ancient parish of Swansea, the southern part of Llangyfelach parish, all of Llansamlet parish, [[Oystermouth]] Urban District and Brynau parish.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=34&coll_id=76539&expand=|title=Borough/County Borough / City of Swansea records|work=archivesnetworkwales.info |access-date=9 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605140817/http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=34&coll_id=76539&expand= |archive-date=5 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/bound_map_page.jsp?first=true&u_id=10288680&c_id=10001043 |title=Swansea CB Glamorgan through time – Boundaries of Local Government District}} {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In 1889, Swansea attained [[county borough]] status<ref>The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008</ref> and it was granted [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]] in 1969, which was inherited by the [[District of Swansea|Swansea district]] when it was formed by the merger of the borough and [[Gower Peninsula|Gower Rural District]] in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1582 |title=Swansea – Login|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |access-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122083811/http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1582 |archive-date=22 January 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1996, Swansea became one of 22 [[Subdivisions of Wales|unitary authorities]] with the addition of part of the former [[Lliw Valley]] Borough. The new authority received the name ''City and County of Swansea'' ({{langx|cy|Dinas a Sir Abertawe}}).<ref name="footnote_2">see [http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1 Swansea City and County] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708205506/http://swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1 |date=8 July 2014 }} and [http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/ncarules/rules3.htm National Council on Archives: Rules for the construction of place names] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051229000240/http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/ncarules/rules3.htm |date=29 December 2005 }}</ref>

Swansea was once a staunch stronghold of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] which, until 2004, had overall control of the council for 24 years.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3806811.stm | title=Council leader resigns after defeat | work=BBC News | access-date=29 July 2007 | date=15 June 2004 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040630093006/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3806811.stm | archive-date=30 June 2004 | url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] were the largest group in the administration that took control of Swansea Council in the 2004 local elections until the [[2012 United Kingdom local elections|2012 council elections]] saw the council return to Labour control. For 2009/2010, the [[Lord Mayor]] of Swansea was Councillor Alan Lloyd, and in 2010/2011 Richard Lewis was the Lord Mayor.{{update inline |date=March 2024}} The Lord Mayor changes in May each year.