1979 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 3 May 1979, with one third of the council up for vote as well as an extra vacancy in Ward 22. The election seen Labour strengthening their grip, with six gains - mostly in the wards they lost seats in at the 1975 election - and one loss. All but one of the gains were from the Conservatives, with the other being from the Liberal's sole seat in Ward 14. A Liberal gain in Ward 15 from Labour kept them represented on the council. Owing to general election on the same day, turnout was significantly up, to 75.7% and all wards were contested - a continuation of the feat started last election.[1]

Map of the results for the 1979 Wigan council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and the Liberals in yellow.

Election result
Wigan Local Election Result 1979
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 21 6 1 +5 84.0 55.7 96,617 +1.4%
  Conservative 3 0 5 -5 12.0 37.9 65,756 -5.7%
  Liberal 1 1 1 0 4.0 5.0 8,646 +3.3%
  Residents 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.3 2,328 +1.3%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 154 -0.1%

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 51 56
Conservatives 19 14
Liberals 1 1
Independent 1 1
Total 72 72
Working majority  30   40 

Ward results
Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Pratt 4,517 67.2 +4.3
Conservative C. Giles 2,206 32.8 -4.3
Majority 2,311 34.4 +8.7
Turnout 6,723 74.4 +40.1
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Antill 4,643 66.8 0.0
Conservative R. Rogers 2,311 33.2 0.0
Majority 2,332 33.6 0.0
Turnout 6,954 70.0 +40.8
Labour hold Swing 0.0
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. France 3,989 47.8 -22.7
Labour K. Green 2,423 29.0 -0.5
Residents M. McElligott 1,244 14.9 +14.9
Liberal P. Davies 691 8.3 +8.3
Majority 1,566 18.8 -22.2
Turnout 11,297 73.9 +39.7
Conservative hold Swing -11.1
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Turner 4,869 70.7 +2.2
Conservative W. Banister 2,016 29.3 -2.2
Majority 2,853 41.4 +4.4
Turnout 6,885 72.7 +43.3
Labour hold Swing +2.2
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Smith 4,886 59.0 +6.6
Conservative A. Foster 3,395 41.0 -6.6
Majority 1,491 18.0 +13.2
Turnout 8,281 73.3 +47.2
Labour hold Swing +6.6
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Milligan 4,327 70.3 +3.7
Conservative R. Bell 1,830 29.7 -3.7
Majority 2,497 40.6 +7.5
Turnout 6,157 71.4 +43.7
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Ward 7 (Hope Carr)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Powell 2,960 53.6 -2.6
Labour H. Smith 2,564 46.4 +2.6
Majority 396 7.2 -5.2
Turnout 5,524 77.5 +34.2
Conservative hold Swing -2.6
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Roberts 4,269 67.5 +4.8
Conservative W. Lackenby 1,902 30.1 -3.6
Communist H. Kedward 154 2.4 -1.2
Majority 2,367 37.4 +8.5
Turnout 6,325 69.7 +42.5
Labour hold Swing +4.2
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Caley 3,760 55.7 +9.1
Conservative H. Yates 2,989 44.3 -2.3
Majority 771 11.4 +11.4
Turnout 6,749 74.5 +41.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.7
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Jones 3,440 51.3 +8.5
Conservative M. Wood 3,260 48.7 -8.5
Majority 180 2.7 -11.7
Turnout 6,700 76.0 +35.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.5
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Strett 4,120 50.2 -7.9
Conservative T. Thompson 3,131 38.2 -3.7
Liberal A. Nixon 949 11.6 +11.6
Majority 989 12.1 -4.2
Turnout 8,200 77.7 +37.0
Labour hold Swing -2.1
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Miller 4,540 64.5 -0.4
Conservative J. Harrison 2,503 35.5 +0.4
Majority 2,037 29.0 -0.8
Turnout 7,043 78.8 +42.1
Labour hold Swing -0.4
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Lyons 3,755 65.9 +3.1
Conservative B. Smith 1,941 34.1 -3.1
Majority 1,814 31.8 +6.2
Turnout 5,696 75.4 +39.9
Labour hold Swing +3.1
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. McEntegart 3,815 55.1 -1.6
Conservative S. Hibbert 3,110 44.9 +1.6
Majority 705 10.2 -3.2
Turnout 6,925 75.0 +42.5
Labour gain from Liberal Swing -1.6
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. Pigott 4,043 40.7 +18.9
Labour J. Hardy 3,327 33.5 -6.2
Conservative E. Howard 2,555 25.7 -12.6
Majority 716 7.2 +5.8
Turnout 9,925 80.7 +38.5
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +12.5
Ward 16 (Aspull)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Singer 3,860 47.8 +1.8
Conservative J. Blackledge 3,122 38.7 -9.3
Liberal E. Hill 1,093 13.5 +7.5
Majority 738 9.1 +7.1
Turnout 8,075 80.5 +38.8
Labour hold Swing +5.5
Ward 17 (Atherton North East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Murphy 4,712 65.9 -6.2
Conservative M. Sharland 2,434 34.1 +6.2
Majority 2,278 31.8 -12.4
Turnout 7,146 73.5 +39.4
Labour hold Swing -6.2
Ward 18 (Atherton South West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Sumner 2,891 56.3 +8.8
Conservative W. Perrin 2,246 43.7 -8.8
Majority 645 12.5 +7.5
Turnout 5,137 77.8 +35.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.8
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Robinson 3,826 68.2 -0.3
Conservative M. Lunt 1,457 26.0 -5.5
Liberal P. Gibbons 328 5.8 +5.8
Majority 2,369 42.2 +5.2
Turnout 5,611 75.8 +44.9
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Wynn 5,214 62.2 +6.4
Conservative J. Culshaw 3,167 37.8 -6.4
Majority 2,047 24.4 +12.8
Turnout 8,381 75.4 +47.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +6.4
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Banks 5,627 73.7 +2.0
Conservative M. Jones 2,008 26.3 -2.0
Majority 3,619 47.4 +3.9
Turnout 7,635 69.5 +37.7
Labour hold Swing +2.0
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Fairbarn 4,958 42.1 -13.2
Labour R. Capstick 4,198 35.6 -9.1
Conservative M. Fox 4,040
Labour E. Nickeas 3,567
Liberal J. Fitzpatrick 1,542 13.1 +13.1
Residents C. Hughes 1,084 9.2 +9.2
Majority 760 6.5 -4.1
Turnout 11,782 84.4 +48.7
Conservative hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.0
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Hampson 3,220 50.8 +2.8
Conservative H. Davies 3,114 49.2 -2.8
Majority 662 9.5 +5.6
Turnout 6,966 76.6 +39.1
Labour hold Swing +2.8
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Hampson 3,220 50.8 +1.8
Conservative H. Davies 3,114 49.2 -1.8
Majority 106 1.6 -0.3
Turnout 6,334 80.4 +39.0
Labour hold Swing +1.8

References
  1. "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.