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1978 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Elections to Wigan Council were held on 4 May 1978, with one third of the council up for election as well as vacancies in Ward 2 and 17. Previous to the election, a Labour councillor in Ward 9 defected to become an Independent Labour, reducing Labour's majority to 38. This seat was up for vote and became the only Labour gain of the night, as they suffered five losses to the Conservatives, and their majority reduced to 30 - half of what it was in 1973. The election seen a first of all wards being contested, with turnout rising marginally to 34.7%.[1]

Map of the results for the 1978 Wigan council election. Labour in red and Conservatives in blue.

Election result

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Wigan Local Election Result 1978
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 19 1 5 -4 73.1 54.3 42,687 +3.0%
  Conservative 7 5 0 +5 26.9 43.6 34,337 +2.8%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.7 1,331 -2.2%
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 147 -0.2%
  Independent Labour 0 0 1 -1 0.0 0.2 146 +0.2%

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

Party Previous council New council
Labour 55 51
Conservatives 14 19
Liberals 1 1
Independent 1 1
Independent Labour 1 0
Total 72 72
Working majority  38   30 

Ward results

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Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Pendleton 1,980 62.9 −0.2
Conservative C. Giles 1,170 37.1 +0.2
Majority 810 25.8 −0.4
Turnout 3,150 34.3 +1.2
Labour hold Swing -0.2
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Brogan 1,744 66.8 +4.3
Labour H. Antill 1,587
Conservative C. Rogers 866 33.2 +9.5
Conservative R. Rogers 837
Majority 878 33.6 −5.3
Turnout 2,610 29.2 +4.5
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing -2.6
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Dowling 2,731 70.5 +1.3
Labour M. Pendleton 1,143 29.5 −1.3
Majority 1,588 41.0 +2.6
Turnout 3,874 34.2 +0.8
Conservative hold Swing +1.3
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Naylor 1,892 68.5 N/A
Conservative A. Atherton 869 31.5 N/A
Majority 1,023 37.1 N/A
Turnout 2,761 29.4 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Barlow 1,553 52.4 −1.0
Conservative A. Foster 1,412 47.6 +1.0
Majority 141 4.8 −2.0
Turnout 2,965 26.1 −0.3
Labour hold Swing -1.0
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Peet 1,591 66.5 +4.5
Conservative J. Lawson 801 33.5 +5.5
Majority 790 33.0 −0.9
Turnout 2,392 27.6 +0.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Ward 7 (Hope Carr)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Goodwin 1,711 56.2 −0.0
Labour A. Roberts 1,334 43.8 +0.0
Majority 377 12.4 −0.1
Turnout 3,045 43.3 −1.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -0.0
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Macdonald 1,542 62.6 +3.8
Conservative W. Lackenby 830 33.7 −3.4
Communist H. Kedward 90 3.7 −0.4
Majority 712 28.9 +7.1
Turnout 2,462 27.2 +1.4
Labour hold Swing +3.6
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Smith 1,386 46.6 −4.9
Conservative H. Davies 1,385 46.6 +1.1
Independent Labour E. Moore 146 4.9 +4.9
Communist K. James 57 1.9 −1.0
Majority 1 0.0 −6.0
Turnout 2,974 33.0 −2.3
Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing -3.0
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Wyatt 2,042 57.2 +4.6
Labour H. Smith 1,528 42.8 −1.2
Majority 514 14.4 +5.8
Turnout 3,570 40.3 +0.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +2.9
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Holt 2,468 58.2 −0.5
Conservative T. Thompson 1,776 41.8 +0.5
Majority 692 16.3 −1.0
Turnout 4,244 40.7 +1.0
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hilton 2,116 64.9 −5.4
Conservative J. Harrison 1,146 35.1 +5.4
Majority 970 29.7 −10.7
Turnout 3,262 36.7 −1.2
Labour hold Swing -5.4
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Heckles 1,695 62.8 −4.8
Conservative B. Smith 1,003 37.2 +37.2
Majority 692 25.6 −9.6
Turnout 2,698 35.5 +3.5
Labour hold Swing -21.0
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Lea 1,645 56.7 +4.2
Conservative M. Ball 1,257 43.3 +14.3
Majority 388 13.4 −10.1
Turnout 2,902 32.5 −5.4
Labour hold Swing -5.0
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Pullin 1,981 39.8 +4.4
Conservative E. Howard 1,911 38.4 +9.7
Liberal J. Pigot 1,089 21.9 +21.9
Majority 70 1.4 +0.8
Turnout 4,981 42.2 +3.4
Labour hold Swing -2.6
Ward 16 (Aspull)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Wild 1,942 48.0 +0.8
Labour A. Singer 1,860 46.0 +6.3
Liberal K. Mason 242 6.0 −7.1
Majority 82 2.0 −1.4
Turnout 4,044 41.7 +7.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -2.7
Ward 17 (Atherton North East)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Clarke 2,590 72.1 +5.6
Labour W. Murphy 2,115
Conservative M. Sharland 1,001 27.9 −5.6
Conservative B. France 895
Majority 1,589 44.2 +11.2
Turnout 3,591 34.1 +0.6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing +5.6
Ward 18 (Atherton South West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Williams 1,435 52.5 −6.8
Labour J. Sumner 1,296 47.5 +6.8
Majority 139 5.1 −13.6
Turnout 2,731 42.1 +4.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -6.8
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Priestley 1,558 68.5 +1.8
Conservative L. McGreal 716 31.5 −1.8
Majority 842 37.0 +3.6
Turnout 2,274 30.9 +2.8
Labour hold Swing +1.8
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Harrison 1,720 55.8 +6.0
Conservative T. Whitfield 1,361 44.2 +5.2
Majority 359 11.7 +0.8
Turnout 3,081 28.3 −1.7
Labour hold Swing +0.4
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Taylor 2,553 71.7 N/A
Conservative M. Jones 1,006 28.3 N/A
Majority 1,547 43.5 N/A
Turnout 3,559 31.8 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Hitchen 2,723 55.3 +11.2
Labour J. Whittle 2,201 44.7 +9.6
Majority 522 10.6 +1.5
Turnout 4,924 35.7 +3.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +0.8
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Little 1,744 51.9 −1.8
Conservative L. Knowles 1,614 48.1 +1.8
Majority 130 3.8 −3.6
Turnout 3,358 37.5 −1.0
Labour hold Swing -1.8
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor)[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Emerton 1,629 51.0 −4.5
Labour R. Rawson 1,567 49.0 +4.5
Majority 62 2.0 −9.0
Turnout 3,196 41.4 −1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -4.5

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
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