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]

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. 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.
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