1979 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1979 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 3 May 1979 to elect members of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in England.[2] This election was held on the same day as other local elections.

1979 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

← 19783 May 1979 (1979-05-03)1980 →

23 of 66 seats (One Third and one by-election)
to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
34 seats needed for a majority
Turnout75.3% (Increase39.7%)[1]
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Con
Lab
Lib
LeaderHarry DeverillRichard KimberleyGordon Lindsay
PartyConservativeLabourLiberal
Leader's seatPrentonArgyle-Clifton-HoltGrange and Oxton
Last election14 seats,
55.7%
6 seats,
28.4%
3 seats,
15.4%
Seats before45165
Seats won1292
Seats after40206
Seat changeDecrease5Increase4Increase1
Popular vote93,89170,63930,430
Percentage48.0%36.2%15.6%
SwingDecrease7.7%Increase7.8%Increase0.2%

Map of results of 1979 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±
Conservative40Decrease5
Labour20Increase4
Liberal6Increase1

[3]

Election results

Overall election result

Overall result compared with 1978.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election results, 1979
PartyCandidatesVotes
StoodElectedGainedUnseatedNet% of total%No.Net %
 Conservative231205 554.548.093,891 7.7
 Labour23940 440.936.270,639 7.8
 Liberal17221 14.515.630,430 0.2
 National Front2000 0.00.2368
 Communist1000 0.00.077 0.1

[1][2] [n 1]

Ward results

Birkenhead

No. 1 (Argyle-Clifton-Holt)

Argyle-Clifton-Holt
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourArthur Smith 2,867 59.2 6.5
ConservativeA. Adams1,09222.5 1.0
LiberalJ. Smith88718.3 4.1
Majority1,77536.7 6.4
Registered electors7,259
Turnout66.8 34.4
Labour holdSwing 3.2

[2]

No. 2 (Bebington and Mersey)

Bebington and Mersey
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourWalter Smith 2,802 53.1 4.3
ConservativeD. Welsh1,67931.8 13.6
LiberalS. Evans71613.6 7.7
CommunistJ. Norris771.5New
Majority1,12321.3 17.9
Registered electors7,556
Turnout69.8 37.2
Labour gain from ConservativeSwing 9.0

[2][4]

No. 3 (Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland)

Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourP. Liddell 2,214 36.0 12.1
LiberalA. Jones2,21035.9 2.9
ConservativeB. Lloyd1,73428.2 9.2
Majority40.1N/A
Registered electors8,641
Turnout71.3 30.5
Labour gain from LiberalSwing 0.8

[2]

No. 4 (Devonshire and Egerton)

Devonshire and Egerton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourRonald Leaper 3,454 39.0 6.1
ConservativeK. Allen2,81531.8 11.5
LiberalG. Quinn2,59529.3 5.5
Majority6397.2N/A
Registered electors11,925
Turnout74.3 39.7
Labour gain from ConservativeSwing 8.8

[2]

No. 5 (Gilbrook and St James)

Gilbrook and St James
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourAndrew Davies 4,001 66.3 5.9
ConservativeK. Hughes1,22520.3 1.8
LiberalAlan Brighouse80713.4 4.0
Majority2,77646.0 7.7
Registered electors8,376
Turnout72.0 40.1
Labour holdSwing 3.9

[2][5]

No. 6 (Grange and Oxton)

Grange and Oxton (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalA. Halliday [n 2] 3,984 41.4 6.3
LiberalMichael Cooke [n 3] 3,830
ConservativeR. Hodkinson3,24133.7 3.1
ConservativeO. Donaldson3,089
LabourJ. Coates2,40024.9 9.4
LabourBarney Gilfoyle2,209
Majority7437.7 3.2
Registered electors13,242
Turnout72.7 32.1
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwing 1.6
Liberal gain from ConservativeSwing

[2]

No. 7 (Prenton)

Prenton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeWilliam Taylor 6,056 52.3 12.9
LabourW. Leslie5,53147.7 12.9
Majority5254.6 25.8
Registered electors15,422
Turnout75.0 45.3
Conservative holdSwing 12.9

[2]

No. 8 (Upton)

Upton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourPeter Corcoran 8,387 54.9 14.8
ConservativeJ. Roberts6,89445.1 14.8
Majority1,4939.8N/A
Registered electors21,661
Turnout70.5 45.4
Labour gain from ConservativeSwing 14.8

[2]

Wallasey

No. 9 (Leasowe)

Leasowe
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourKen Fox 5,072 56.8 1.4
ConservativeM. Kemble2,78631.2 9.7
LiberalB. Thomas1,07812.1 8.4
Majority2,28625.6 11.1
Registered electors11,982
Turnout74.6 44.4
Labour holdSwing 5.6

[2]

No. 10 (Marlowe-Egremont-South Liscard)

Marlowe-Egremont-South-Liscard
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJohn Hale 4,252 45.2 14.4
LabourG. Watkins3,66038.9 4.7
LiberalM. Canning1,25013.3 7.0
National FrontF. Buckley2452.6New
Majority5926.3 19.1
Registered electors12,770
Turnout73.7 42.1
Conservative holdSwing 9.6

[2][6]

No. 11 (Moreton and Saughall Massie)

Moreton and Saughall Massie
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeDavid Williams 2,769 43.8 9.5
LabourJim Edwards2,70942.8 0.3
LiberalE. Thomas84913.4 9.3
Majority600.9 9.9
Registered electors8,168
Turnout77.5 40.9
Conservative holdSwing 4.9

[2]

No. 12 (New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren)

New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeC. Whatling 6,974 61.2 2.5
LiberalN. Stribbling2,18019.1 9.2
LabourD. Mason2,11518.6 10.6
National FrontJ. Milns1231.1New
Majority4,79442.1 6.7
Registered electors14,454
Turnout78.8 33.4
Conservative holdSwing 3.4

[2]

No. 13 (North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street)

North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeB. Nottage 4,511 53.3 22.2
LabourJ. Fairbrother2,35627.8 11.0
LiberalG. Sharp1,60418.9 11.2
Majority2,15525.4 33.3
Registered electors11,546
Turnout73.4 43.0
Conservative holdSwing 16.6

[2]

No. 14 (Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville)

Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourS. Wickham 4,400 54.1 3.9
ConservativeG. Elliot2,46330.3 2.8
LiberalP. Mawdsley1,27715.7 11.9
Majority1,93723.8 1.1
Registered electors11,223
Turnout72.5 38.9
Labour holdSwing 0.5

[2]

Bebington

No. 15 (Higher Bebington and Woodhey)

Higher Bebington and Woodhey
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeE. Pike 5,567 67.3 3.9
LabourP. Wallace2,70432.7 12.7
Majority2,86334.6 16.6
Registered electors10,181
Turnout81.2 35.9
Conservative holdSwing 8.3

[2]

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

Park-New Ferry-North Bromborough
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourAudrey Moore 3,862 51.8 0.4
ConservativeA. Stacey3,60048.2 0.4
Majority2623.6 0.8
Registered electors9,828
Turnout75.9 35.3
Labour holdSwing 0.4

[2]

No. 17 (South Bromborough and Eastham)

South Bromborough and Eastham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeDavid Allan 4,087 36.0 8.7
LiberalR. Palmer4,04735.6 22.5
LabourRalph Dunning3,22528.4 13.8
Majority400.4N/A
Registered electors13,985
Turnout81.2 35.3
Conservative holdSwing 15.6

[2]

No. 18 (Lower Bebington and Poulton)

Lower Bebington and Poulton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeDorothy Goodfellow 6,405 55.8 9.5
LiberalThomas Harney2,65023.1 6.6
LabourA. Woods2,43221.2 3.0
Majority3,75532.7 14.3
Registered electors14,163
Turnout81.1 41.8
Conservative holdSwing 7.2

[2][7]

Hoylake

No. 19 (Caldy and Frankby)

Caldy and Frankby
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeReg Cumpstey 6,454 61.6 12.9
LiberalB. Crosbie2,40622.9 11.0
LabourC. Hiley1,62415.5 5.9
Majority4,04838.6 24.0
Registered electors13,589
Turnout77.2 42.4
Conservative holdSwing 12.0

[2]

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

Central-Hoose-Meols-Park
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeH. Thompson 6,053 65.6 20.4
LiberalF. Lewis1,89020.5New
LabourDavid Jackson1,28013.9 0.1
Majority4,16345.1 26.9
Registered electors12,150
Turnout75.9 37.1
Conservative holdSwing 13.5

[2]

Wirral

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

Barnston-Gayton-Heswall-Oldfield
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeV. Robertson 7,783 86.2 4.9
LabourW. Gamet1,24413.8 4.9
Majority6,53972.4 9.9
Registered electors11,581
Turnout77.9 41.3
Conservative holdSwing 4.9

[2]

No. 22 (Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston)

Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeW. Leigh 5,451 70.3 8.9
LabourB. Cain2,30029.7 8.9
Majority3,15140.7 17.7
Registered electors10,048
Turnout77.1 45.5
Conservative holdSwing 8.9

[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.