1978 United Kingdom local elections explained

Election Name:1978 United Kingdom local elections
Country:United Kingdom
Type:legislative
Previous Election:1977 United Kingdom local elections
Previous Year:1977
Next Election:1979 United Kingdom local elections
Next Year:1979
Seats For Election:All 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs,
44 out of 296 English districts and all 12 Scottish regions
Election Date:2 May 1978 (Scotland)
4 May 1978 (England)
1Blank:Councils
2Blank:Councils +/-
3Blank:Councillors
4Blank:Councillors +/-
Leader1:Margaret Thatcher
Leader Since1:11 February 1975
Party1:Conservative Party (UK)
3Data1:12,645
4Data1: 275
Leader2:James Callaghan
Leader Since2:5 April 1976
Party2:Labour Party (UK)
3Data2:6,644
4Data2: 461
Leader3:David Steel
Leader Since3:7 July 1976
Party3:Liberal Party (UK)
3Data3:923
4Data3: 163

Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1978. Elections took place in the London boroughs and metropolitan districts.[1] [2]

The main opposition Conservative Party gained 275 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 12,645. They gained Oldham and Havering from no overall control, and Ealing, Hillingdon, Wandsworth and Sandwell from Labour.

The governing Labour Party lost 461 seats, leaving them with 6,644 councillors. In addition to their losses to the Conservatives they also lost South Tyneside, Hammersmith and Fulham and Wolverhampton to no overall control.

The Liberal Party lost 163 seats in total, leaving them with 923 councillors.

England

London boroughs

See main article: 1978 London local elections. In all 32 London boroughs the whole council was up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Barking ‡ holdDetails
Barnet ‡ holdDetails
Bexley ‡ holdDetails
Brent ‡ holdDetails
Bromley ‡ holdDetails
Camden ‡ holdDetails
Croydon ‡ holdDetails
Ealing ‡ gainDetails
Enfield holdDetails
Greenwich ‡ holdDetails
Hackney ‡ holdDetails
Hammersmith ‡ gainDetails
Haringey ‡ holdDetails
Harrow ‡ holdDetails
Havering ‡ gainDetails
Hillingdon ‡ gainDetails
Hounslow ‡ holdDetails
Islington ‡ holdDetails
Kensington and Chelsea ‡ holdDetails
Kingston upon Thames ‡ holdDetails
Lambeth ‡ holdDetails
Lewisham ‡ holdDetails
Merton ‡ holdDetails
Newham ‡ holdDetails
Redbridge ‡ holdDetails
Richmond upon Thames ‡ holdDetails
Southwark ‡ holdDetails
Sutton ‡ holdDetails
Tower Hamlets ‡ holdDetails
Waltham Forest ‡ holdDetails
Wandsworth ‡ gainDetails
Westminster ‡ holdDetails

‡ New ward boundaries

Metropolitan boroughs

All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Barnsley holdDetails
Birmingham holdDetails
Bolton holdDetails
Bradford holdDetails
Bury holdDetails
Calderdale holdDetails
Coventry gainDetails
Doncaster holdDetails
Dudley holdDetails
Gateshead holdDetails
Kirklees holdDetails
Knowsley holdDetails
Leeds holdDetails
Liverpool holdDetails
Manchester holdDetails
Newcastle upon Tyne holdDetails
North Tyneside holdDetails
Oldham gainDetails
Rochdale holdDetails
Rotherham holdDetails
Salford holdDetails
Sandwell gainDetails
Sefton holdDetails
Sheffield holdDetails
Solihull holdDetails
South Tyneside gainDetails
St Helens holdDetails
Stockport holdDetails
Sunderland holdDetails
Tameside holdDetails
Trafford holdDetails
Wakefield holdDetails
Walsall holdDetails
Wigan holdDetails
Wirral holdDetails
Wolverhampton gainDetails

District councils

In 44 districts one third of the council was up for election.

These were the first councils which had passed a resolution under section 7 (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972, requesting a system of elections by thirds. They could do so because they had had their new ward boundaries introduced at the 1976 elections.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Basingstoke and Deane holdDetails
Bath holdDetails
Brentwood holdDetails
Broxbourne holdDetails
Burnley holdDetails
Cambridge holdDetails
Cannock Chase holdDetails
Chorley holdDetails
Colchester holdDetails
Congleton holdDetails
Eastbourne holdDetails
Eastleigh holdDetails
Ellesmere Port and Neston holdDetails
Elmbridge holdDetails
Fareham holdDetails
Halton holdDetails
Harlow holdDetails
Hart holdDetails
Hartlepool holdDetails
Havant gainDetails
Hertsmere holdDetails
Huntingdon holdDetails
Milton Keynes holdDetails
Mole Valley holdDetails
Pendle holdDetails
Peterborough gainDetails
Preston holdDetails
Rochford holdDetails
Rossendale holdDetails
Runnymede holdDetails
Shrewsbury and Atcham holdDetails
South Bedfordshire holdDetails
South Cambridgeshire holdDetails
Southend-on-Sea holdDetails
Tamworth gainDetails
Tandridge holdDetails
Thamesdown gainDetails
Three Rivers holdDetails
Tunbridge Wells holdDetails
Watford holdDetails
Welwyn Hatfield holdDetails
West Lancashire holdDetails
Winchester holdDetails
Woking holdDetails

Scotland

Regional councils

See main article: 1978 Scottish regional elections.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Borders holdDetails
Central holdDetails
Dumfries and Galloway holdDetails
Fife holdDetails
Grampian holdDetails
Highland holdDetails
Lothian gainDetails
Orkney holdDetails
Shetland holdDetails
Strathclyde holdDetails
Tayside gainDetails
Western Isles holdDetails

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rallings. Colin. Thrasher. Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1978. The Elections Centre. 3 May 2016.
  2. Web site: Council compositions. The Elections Centre. 3 May 2016.

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