1978 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1978 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 4 May 1978 to elect members of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in England.[2] This election was held on the same day as other local elections.

1978 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

← 19764 May 1978 (1978-05-04)1979 →

23 of 66 seats (One Third and one by-election)
to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
34 seats needed for a majority
Turnout35.6% (Decrease2.2%)[1]
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Con
Lab
Lib
LeaderHarry DeverillBill WellsGordon Lindsay
PartyConservativeLabourLiberal
Leader's seatPrentonLeasoweGrange and Oxton
Last election17 seats,
54.3%
5 seats,
26.9%
1 seat,
18.4%
Seats before42186
Seats won1463
Seats after45165
Seat changeIncrease3Decrease3Decrease1
Popular vote51,52326,24614,231
Percentage55.7%28.4%15.4%
SwingIncrease1.4%Increase1.5%Decrease3.0%

Map of results of 1978 election

Leader of the Council before election

Harry Deverill
Conservative

Leader of the Council after election

Harry Deverill
Conservative

After the election, the composition of the council was:

PartySeats±
Conservative45Increase3
Labour16Decrease2
Liberal5Decrease1

[3]

Election results

Overall election result

Overall result compared with 1976.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election results, 1978
PartyCandidatesVotes
StoodElectedGainedUnseatedNet% of total%No.Net %
 Conservative231430 359.155.751,523 1.4
 Labour23602 227.328.426,246 1.5
 Liberal17312 113.615.414,231 3.0
 National Front2000 0.00.2209N/A
 Independent1000 0.00.2191 0.2
 Communist1000 0.00.159 0.1

[1][2] [n 1]

Ward results

Birkenhead

No. 1 (Argyle-Clifton-Holt)

Argyle-Clifton-Holt
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourRichard Kimberly 1,240 52.7 5.8
LiberalAnna Blumenthal52722.4 16.9
ConservativeB. Jones50621.5 7.7
National FrontHoward Hawksley783.3New
Majority71330.3 22.7
Registered electors7,259
Turnout32.4 1.6
Labour holdSwing 11.4

[2]

No. 2 (Bebington and Mersey)

Bebington and Mersey
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourS. Kellett 1,200 48.8 7.7
ConservativeM. Riley1,11645.4 5.5
LiberalM. McDonnell1445.9 2.1
Majority843.4N/A
Registered electors7,556
Turnout32.6 2.0
Labour holdSwing 6.6

[2]

No. 3 (Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland)

Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalRoy Perkins 1,366 38.8 4.1
ConservativeD. Stoppard1,31837.4 5.1
LabourWalter Smith84123.9 2.6
Majority481.4 9.2
Registered electors8,641
Turnout40.8 0.2
Liberal holdSwing 4.6

[2][4]

No. 4 (Devonshire and Egerton)

Devonshire and Egerton (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeMyrra Lea [n 2] 1,789 43.3 2.2
ConservativeE. Williams [n 3] 1,724
LabourJ. Macdougall1,36132.9 1.3
LabourR. Leeper1,299
LiberalG. Quinn98223.8 0.9
LiberalA. Halliday944
Majority42810.4 3.5
Registered electors11,925
Turnout34.6 0.3
Conservative gain from LiberalSwing 1.8
Conservative holdSwing

[2]

No. 5 (Gilbrook and St James)

Gilbrook and St James
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJ. Flynn 1,927 72.2 13.5
ConservativeT. Bird49318.5 2.4
LiberalD. Murgatroyd2509.4 11.1
Majority1,43453.7 15.9
Registered electors8,376
Turnout31.9 0.6
Labour holdSwing 8.0

[2]

No. 6 (Grange and Oxton)

Grange and Oxton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalGordon Lindsay 2,564 47.7 14.7
ConservativeR. Hardy1,98036.8 11.8
LabourAndrew Davies83315.5 2.9
Majority58410.9N/A
Registered electors13,242
Turnout40.6 0.7
Liberal holdSwing 13.3

[2]

No. 7 (Prenton)

Prenton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeM. Baker 2,993 65.2 0.6
LabourF. Naylor1,59734.8 7.8
Majority1,39630.4 7.2
Registered electors15,422
Turnout29.7 3.3
Conservative holdSwing 3.6

[2]

No. 8 (Upton)

Upton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeS. Hibbert 3,256 59.9 3.0
LabourJ. Seaman2,18040.1 0.5
Majority1,07619.8 3.5
Registered electors21,661
Turnout25.1 2.4
Conservative holdSwing 1.8

[2]

Wallasey

No. 9 (Leasowe)

Leasowe
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Clark 2,004 55.4 5.2
ConservativeA. Smith1,48140.9 0.8
LiberalM. Canning1333.7 5.1
Majority52314.5 4.4
Registered electors11,982
Turnout30.2 6.1
Labour holdSwing 2.2

[2]

No. 10 (Marlowe-Egremont-South Liscard)

Marlowe-Egremont-South-Liscard
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeS. Morgan 2,404 59.6 4.7
LabourG. Watkins1,37934.2 4.8
LiberalS. Pollit2536.3 9.4
Majority1,02525.4 0.1
Registered electors12,770
Turnout31.6 2.9
Conservative holdSwing 0.1

[2]

No. 11 (Moreton and Saughall Massie)

Moreton and Saughall Massie
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeL. Young 1,596 53.3 0.5
LabourJim Edwards1,27342.5 5.6
LiberalJ. Jenkins1244.1 2.0
Majority32310.8 6.1
Registered electors8,168
Turnout36.6 5.7
Conservative gain from LabourSwing 3.1

[2]

No. 12 (New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren)

New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeD. Moir 4,176 63.7 10.6
LiberalN. Thomas1,85628.3 9.6
LabourW. Edwards5258.0 1.0
Majority2,32035.4 20.2
Registered electors14,454
Turnout45.4 0.6
Conservative gain from LiberalSwing 10.1

[2]

No. 13 (North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street)

North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJack Redhead 2,651 75.5 16.8
LabourB. Lloyd59116.8 0.6
LiberalJ. Barton2707.7 17.3
Majority2,06058.7 25.0
Registered electors11,546
Turnout30.4 3.2
Conservative holdSwing 12.5

[2]

No. 14 (Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville)

Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPhoebe Bentzien 2,187 58.0 0.4
ConservativeM. Kemble1,24833.1 3.1
LiberalP. Mawdsley1433.8 1.7
National FrontJohn Fishwick1313.5New
CommunistR. Harris591.6New
Majority93924.9 2.7
Registered electors11,223
Turnout33.6 0.2
Labour holdSwing 1.4

[2]

Bebington

No. 15 (Higher Bebington and Woodhey)

Higher Bebington and Woodhey
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeFrank Theaker 3,285 71.2 4.7
LabourAudrey Moore92120.0 4.1
LiberalPenelope Globy4108.9New
Majority2,36451.2 0.6
Registered electors10,181
Turnout45.3 4.2
Conservative holdSwing 0.3

[2]

No. 16 (Park-New Ferry-North Bromborough)

Park-New Ferry-North Bromborough
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourS. Price 2,082 52.2 4.8
ConservativeT. Stacey1,90547.8 4.0
Majority1774.4 0.8
Registered electors9,828
Turnout40.6 2.3
Labour holdSwing 0.4

[2]

No. 17 (South Bromborough and Eastham)

South Bromborough and Eastham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalPhillip Gilchrist 3,729 58.1 20.1
ConservativeB. Davies1,74927.3 8.7
LabourR. Dunning94014.6 11.4
Majority1,98030.8N/A
Registered electors13,985
Turnout45.9 2.0
Liberal gain from LabourSwing 14.4

[2][5]

No. 18 (Lower Bebington and Poulton)

Lower Bebington and Poulton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJ. Zowe 3,630 65.3 5.8
LabourR. Woods1,01518.2 0.5
LiberalThomas Harney91816.5 6.3
Majority2,61547.1 5.3
Registered electors14,163
Turnout39.3 6.5
Conservative holdSwing 2.7

[2][6]

Hoylake

No. 19 (Caldy and Frankby)

Caldy and Frankby
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeW. Lloyd 3,523 74.5 2.2
LiberalB. Crosby56211.9 5.0
LabourJohn McCabe4549.6 1.2
IndependentJ. Ellison1914.0New
Majority2,96162.6 7.2
Registered electors13,589
Turnout34.8 3.4
Conservative holdSwing 3.6

[2]

No. 20 (Central-Hoose-Meols-Park)

Central-Hoose-Meols-Park
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeWilliam Whitehurst 4,051 86.0 16.2
LabourDavid Jackson66014.0 7.2
Majority3,39172.0 25.6
Registered electors12,150
Turnout38.8 5.5
Conservative holdSwing 12.8

[2]

Wirral

No. 21 (Barnston-Gayton-Heswall-Oldfield)

Barnston-Gayton-Heswall-Oldfield
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeP. Wilson 3,859 91.1 5.8
LabourP. Wallace3758.9 4.5
Majority3,48482.2 7.2
Registered electors11,581
Turnout36.6 6.8
Conservative holdSwing 3.6

[2]

No. 22 (Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston)

Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeDavid Fletcher 2,514 79.2 14.1
LabourH. Ellis-Thomas66120.8 2.9
Majority1,85358.4 11.2
Registered electors10,048
Turnout31.6 6.7
Conservative holdSwing 5.6

[2]

Notes

italics denote the sitting councillor • bold denotes the winning candidate

References

Mellows-Facer, Adam (10 May 2006). "Local election 2006". parliament.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
"BBC NEWS VOTE 2003 WIRRAL". BBC News. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 29 December 2018.