1968 Hammersmith London Borough Council election

The 1968 Hammersmith Council election took place on 9 May 1968 to elect members of Hammersmith London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council.

1968 Hammersmith Borough Council election

9 May 1968
All 60 seats to Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council 31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	39.1% (7.1%)
First party Second party Third party   Party Conservative Labour Liberal Seats before 6 54 0 Seats won 54 6 0 Seat change 48 48 0 Percentage 58.2% 38.9% 2.3% Swing 24.3% 23.8% 0.4%
Council control before election Labour Council control after election Conservative

Background

These took place at the height of the unpopularity of the Labour Government. In Hammersmith from 52 Labour, 7 Conservative and 1 Liberal councillors at the commencement of the election the Conservatives, masterminded by John Putnam and Seton Forbes-Cockell (both of whom were elected Aldermen), won in every ward except White City, with two sitting Labour Councillors in Margravine and one in Sherbrooke elected in split votes.

It is generally accepted that the Conservative Party in Hammersmith have never had as talented a group as in 1968. Of the newly elected councillors David Ashby and Patrick Ground went on to Parliament, Ben Patterson to the European Parliament, Christopher Horne fought and lost twice. Jack Rose, a popular local GP, was for many years the Chairman of the British branch of Gamblers Anonymous. The business experience of Stuart Leishman, Kim Howe, John Akerman, Paul Dwyer, Peter Fane and Sir George Bull, together with the above mentioned Aldermen led to a business renaissance in the borough, which was cut short by Ted Heath's appalling unpopularity in 1971, and the excellent organisation of Labour agent Leslie Hilliard CBE, which led to all but two - one of whom Reg Simmerson promptly resigned from the party - being defeated.

Sir Samuel Salmon, the Chairman of J Lyons and Co , then a major local employer, Seton Forbes-Cockell and Gordon Field - the last after an abrasive and divisive election - served as Mayors from 1968 to 1971; William Smith and John Putman subsequently returned to the Council and were also elected Mayors.

Others were not so successful; bankrupt builder John Duff disappeared within months of the election; ILEA representative Simon de Voghelaere faced similar financial trouble, and Nick Bryce-Smith subsequently became involved in the Bradstock Insurance scandal.

In April 1987 Joan Caruana, Mayor of Hammersmith, hosted a gathering attended by 44 former members, officers and others connected with the 1968-71 council; it was the last public appearance of Lord Stewart of Fulham.

Election result

The Conservatives reversed the 1964 result winning 54 of the 60 seats, with 58% of the votes cast.

Ward results

Addison

Addison (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Belsham	1,244	62.7%
	Conservative	Eleanor Belsham	1,223
	Conservative	Douglas Ward	1,192
	Labour	Ms P Alsten	708	35.7%
	Labour	P Martin	693
	Labour	A Braggins	693
	Communist	H Goulding	96	1.6%
Turnout				35.9%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Avonmore

Avonmore (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harold Branton Brightley	1,622	78.6%
	Conservative	Reg Simmerson	1,609
	Labour	I McCourt	443	21.4%
	Labour	F Foes	435
Turnout				39.9%
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Broadway

Broadway (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir George Bull	1,128	40.9%
	Conservative	Elizabeth Goodden	1,038
	Conservative	John Pearce Gould	1,020
	Liberal	Simon Knott	962	29.5%
	Labour	George Simpson	793	29.6%
	Labour	Mrs M Clarke	780
	Labour	C Howard	736
	Liberal	E Warren	683
	Liberal	R Groves	656
Turnout				44.5%
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Brook Green

Brook Green (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gavin Tait	1,533	64.7%
	Conservative	Gordon Field	1,521
	Conservative	Leslie Heading	1,520
	Labour	J Headington	845	35.3%
	Labour	R Philpot	845
	Labour	R Bowles	821
Turnout				39.6%
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Colehill

Colehill (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Kim Howe	1,056	58.4%
	Conservative	Molly Porter	1,021
	Labour	Mrs George Dimmick	705	39.4%
	Labour	George Dimmick	696
	Communist	G Hicks	78	2.2%
Turnout				40.3%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

College Park & Old Oak

College Park & Old Oak (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rodney Bowler	937	53.6%
	Conservative	Francis Cherry	934
	Conservative	Kathy Boughton	911
	Labour	Frank Ing	818	46.4%
	Labour	M Silverman	799
	Labour	H Perlin	790
Turnout				30.2%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Coningham

Coningham (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Irene York	852	55.5%
	Conservative	Henry Hammond	848
	Conservative	Tony Barker	840
	Labour	E Freeman	683	44.5%
	Labour	L Freeman	679
	Labour	M Havelka	676
Turnout				33.5%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Crabtree

Crabtree (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christopher Horne	2,223	64.7%
	Conservative	David Ashby	2,216
	Conservative	Delphine Joseph	2,209
	Labour	Frank Banfield	1,235	35.3%
	Labour	Elizabeth Sears	1,197
	Labour	J Evans	1,190
Turnout				44.8%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Gibbs Green

Gibbs Green (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Margot James	1,769	69.9%
	Conservative	Cyril Arnold	1,760
	Conservative	Ben Patterson	1,760
	Labour	Collinson G.A.	780	30.1%
	Labour	Moodie E. Mrs	762
	Labour	Perlin p. Mrs	735
Turnout				38.3%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Grove

Grove (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christopher Gibbons	1,433	58.4%
	Conservative	George Boyce	1,422
	Conservative	Stuart Godwin	1,420
	Labour	Gosling E. R	1,026	41.6%
	Labour	Keppel F. E.	1,012
	Labour	Morris T.	1,010
Turnout				34.4%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Halford

Halford (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Griffin W. E	1,197	54.9%
	Conservative	Jarvis M, M. Mrs	1,163
	Conservative	Commander Nigel Parkinson	1,154
	Labour	Dyer H. E.	942	43.2%
	Labour	Beckett J. C.	916
	Labour	Lashley R. T.	907
	Communist	Robson P. T.	117	1.8%
Turnout				38.0%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Margravine

Margravine (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jack Ireland	1,099	50.6%
	Labour	Eric Hill	1,087
	Conservative	Roger Holroyd	1,067	49.4%
	Conservative	Wearmouth W. H.	1,041
	Labour	Stanley L. W.	1,040
	Conservative	Emanuel I. M. Miss	1,039
Turnout				37.5%
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Parsons Green

Parsons Green (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Akerman	1,865	63.7%
	Conservative	Patrick Ground	1,858
	Conservative	Ann Paltridge	1,846
	Labour	Duff H.D.	1,028	34.7%
	Labour	King D. T.	1,012
	Labour	Little B. Mrs	995
	Communist	Birch C.B.	145	1.7%
Turnout				43.0%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

St Stephen's

St Stephen's (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nick Bryce-Smith	970	59.5%
	Conservative	John Duff	942
	Conservative	Gabrielle Falkiner	931
	Labour	Jones L.S.	653	40.5%
	Labour	Brooker D, P,	646
	Labour	Hunt E.R.	634
Turnout				34.3%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Sandford

Sandford (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ernie Ibbott	1,282	50.8%
	Conservative	Terence Moody	1,238
	Conservative	Sheira Trehearne	1,224
	Labour	Browning J. M.	1,148	45.9%
	Labour	Cooper P. M. Miss	1,127
	Labour	Barton P.J.	1,109
	Communist	Boulton V. I.	238	3.2%
Turnout				38.0%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Sherbrooke

Sherbrooke (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jennifer Jane Godwin-Austen	830	49.5%
	Labour	Matthews S. A.	816	49.2%
	Labour	Hall M.A.	810
	Conservative	Burland W. J.	807
	Communist	Ritchie T.A. Mrs	42	1.3%
Turnout				38.6%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Starch Green

Starch Green (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Smith	1,849	68.7%
	Conservative	Perry P.C	1,841
	Conservative	Myra Sexton	1,832
	Labour	Johnson R. M. Mrs	850	31.3%
	Labour	Bull J.C.	834
	Labour	Coventry W. A.	834
Turnout				44.4%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Sulivan

Sulivan (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christine Wagner	1,681	56.0%
	Conservative	Caroline Ground	1,664
	Conservative	Simon De Voghelaere	1,650
	Labour	Liardet C. J. Mrs	1,334	44.0%
	Labour	Powell A. F.	1,316
	Labour	Wheeler T.	1,271
Turnout				43.2%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Town

Town (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Paul Dwyer	1,735	61.5%
	Conservative	Peter Lilley	1,696
	Conservative	Peter Fane	1,688
	Labour	Gray I.	1,107	38.5%
	Labour	Cox T.M.	1,085
	Labour	Champion T. H.	1,019
Turnout				46.5%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

White City

White City (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Powell B. T.	850	46.3%
	Labour	Dr David Murrey	821
	Labour	Randolph Beresford	805
	Conservative	Sands C. T.	610	34.1%
	Conservative	Puckle A. C.	607
	Conservative	Lockey R.S.	604
	Liberal	Clark R.J.	330	18.1%
	Liberal	Coombes V. E. Mrs	323
	Liberal	Playle J.	316
	Communist	Gould J.	81	1.5%
Turnout				30.5%
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Wormholt

Wormholt (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dr Jack Rose	1,141	53.9%
	Conservative	Derek Carter	1,126
	Conservative	Arthur Simpson	1,060
	Labour	Ingram A.A.	973	46.1%
	Labour	Breeze A. G.	943
	Labour	Martin A. J.	933
Turnout				38.0%
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing