| Election Name: | 1978 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Country: | England |
| Flag Image: | Coat_of_arms_of_Trafford_Metropolitan_Borough_Council.png |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1976 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1976 |
| Next Election: | 1979 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Next Year: | 1979 |
| Seats For Election: | 23 of 63 seats to Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Majority Seats: | 32 |
| 3Blank: | Swing (pp)--> |
| Leader of the Council | |
| Before Election: | Mike King |
| Before Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Posttitle: | Leader of the Council after election |
| After Election: | Jonathan Taylor |
| After Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats Before1: | 48 |
| Seats1: | 19 |
| Seats After1: | 54 |
| Popular Vote1: | 40,050 |
| Percentage1: | 58.5% |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats Before2: | 11 |
| Seats2: | 4 |
| Seats After2: | 9 |
| Popular Vote2: | 19,076 |
| Percentage2: | 27.9% |
| Party3: | Liberal Party (UK) |
| Leaders Seat3: | (stood down) |
| Seats Before3: | 4 |
| Seats3: | 0 |
| Seats After3: | 0 |
| Popular Vote3: | 9,180 |
| Percentage3: | 13.4% |
Elections to Trafford Council were held on Thursday, 4 May 1978. One third of the council was up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a four-year term of office, expiring in 1982. The Conservative Party retained overall control of the council.[1]
| Party | Votes | Seats | Full Council | |||||||
| Conservative Party | 40,050 (58.5%) | 1.1 | 19 (82.6%) | 6 | 54 (85.7%) | |||||
| Labour Party | 19,076 (27.9%) | 0.6 | 4 (17.4%) | 2 | 9 (14.3%) | |||||
| Liberal Party | 9,180 (13.4%) | 1.3 | 0 (0.0%) | 4 | 0 (0.0%) | |||||
| Communist Party | 136 (0.2%) | 0.2 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | |||||
| 9 | 54 |