1979 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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

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]

Contents

Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1979
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 2161+584.055.796,617+1.4%
  Conservative 305-512.037.965,756-5.7%
  Liberal 11104.05.08,646+3.3%
  Residents 00000.01.32,328+1.3%
  Communist 00000.00.1154-0.1%

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour5156
Conservatives1914
Liberals11
Independent11
Total7272
Working majority 30  40 

Ward results

Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Pratt4,51767.2+4.3
Conservative C. Giles2,20632.8-4.3
Majority2,31134.4+8.7
Turnout 6,72374.4+40.1
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Antill4,64366.80.0
Conservative R. Rogers2,31133.20.0
Majority2,33233.60.0
Turnout 6,95470.0+40.8
Labour hold Swing 0.0
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative W. France3,98947.8-22.7
Labour K. Green2,42329.0-0.5
Residents M. McElligott1,24414.9+14.9
Liberal P. Davies6918.3+8.3
Majority1,56618.8-22.2
Turnout 11,29773.9+39.7
Conservative hold Swing -11.1
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Turner4,86970.7+2.2
Conservative W. Banister2,01629.3-2.2
Majority2,85341.4+4.4
Turnout 6,88572.7+43.3
Labour hold Swing +2.2
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Smith4,88659.0+6.6
Conservative A. Foster3,39541.0-6.6
Majority1,49118.0+13.2
Turnout 8,28173.3+47.2
Labour hold Swing +6.6
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Milligan4,32770.3+3.7
Conservative R. Bell1,83029.7-3.7
Majority2,49740.6+7.5
Turnout 6,15771.4+43.7
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Ward 7 (Hope Carr) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D. Powell2,96053.6-2.6
Labour H. Smith2,56446.4+2.6
Majority3967.2-5.2
Turnout 5,52477.5+34.2
Conservative hold Swing -2.6
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Roberts4,26967.5+4.8
Conservative W. Lackenby1,90230.1-3.6
Communist H. Kedward1542.4-1.2
Majority2,36737.4+8.5
Turnout 6,32569.7+42.5
Labour hold Swing +4.2
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Caley3,76055.7+9.1
Conservative H. Yates2,98944.3-2.3
Majority77111.4+11.4
Turnout 6,74974.5+41.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.7
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Jones3,44051.3+8.5
Conservative M. Wood3,26048.7-8.5
Majority1802.7-11.7
Turnout 6,70076.0+35.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.5
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Strett4,12050.2-7.9
Conservative T. Thompson3,13138.2-3.7
Liberal A. Nixon94911.6+11.6
Majority98912.1-4.2
Turnout 8,20077.7+37.0
Labour hold Swing -2.1
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Miller4,54064.5-0.4
Conservative J. Harrison2,50335.5+0.4
Majority2,03729.0-0.8
Turnout 7,04378.8+42.1
Labour hold Swing -0.4
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Lyons3,75565.9+3.1
Conservative B. Smith1,94134.1-3.1
Majority1,81431.8+6.2
Turnout 5,69675.4+39.9
Labour hold Swing +3.1
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. McEntegart3,81555.1-1.6
Conservative S. Hibbert3,11044.9+1.6
Majority70510.2-3.2
Turnout 6,92575.0+42.5
Labour gain from Liberal Swing -1.6
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal J. Pigott4,04340.7+18.9
Labour J. Hardy3,32733.5-6.2
Conservative E. Howard2,55525.7-12.6
Majority7167.2+5.8
Turnout 9,92580.7+38.5
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +12.5
Ward 16 (Aspull) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Singer3,86047.8+1.8
Conservative J. Blackledge3,12238.7-9.3
Liberal E. Hill1,09313.5+7.5
Majority7389.1+7.1
Turnout 8,07580.5+38.8
Labour hold Swing +5.5
Ward 17 (Atherton North East) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Murphy4,71265.9-6.2
Conservative M. Sharland2,43434.1+6.2
Majority2,27831.8-12.4
Turnout 7,14673.5+39.4
Labour hold Swing -6.2
Ward 18 (Atherton South West) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Sumner2,89156.3+8.8
Conservative W. Perrin2,24643.7-8.8
Majority64512.5+7.5
Turnout 5,13777.8+35.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.8
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Robinson3,82668.2-0.3
Conservative M. Lunt1,45726.0-5.5
Liberal P. Gibbons3285.8+5.8
Majority2,36942.2+5.2
Turnout 5,61175.8+44.9
Labour hold Swing +2.6
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Wynn5,21462.2+6.4
Conservative J. Culshaw3,16737.8-6.4
Majority2,04724.4+12.8
Turnout 8,38175.4+47.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +6.4
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Banks5,62773.7+2.0
Conservative M. Jones2,00826.3-2.0
Majority3,61947.4+3.9
Turnout 7,63569.5+37.7
Labour hold Swing +2.0
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative F. Fairbarn4,95842.1-13.2
Labour R. Capstick4,19835.6-9.1
Conservative M. Fox4,040
Labour E. Nickeas3,567
Liberal J. Fitzpatrick1,54213.1+13.1
Residents C. Hughes1,0849.2+9.2
Majority7606.5-4.1
Turnout 11,78284.4+48.7
Conservative hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.0
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Hampson3,22050.8+2.8
Conservative H. Davies3,11449.2-2.8
Majority6629.5+5.6
Turnout 6,96676.6+39.1
Labour hold Swing +2.8
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor) [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Hampson3,22050.8+1.8
Conservative H. Davies3,11449.2-1.8
Majority1061.6-0.3
Turnout 6,33480.4+39.0
Labour hold Swing +1.8

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.