1978 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
← 1976 4 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 party Second party Third party
 
Con
Lab
Lib
Leader Harry Deverill Bill Wells Gordon Lindsay
Party Conservative Labour Liberal
Leader's seat Prenton Leasowe Grange and Oxton
Last election 17 seats,
54.3% 		5 seats,
26.9% 		1 seat,
18.4%
Seats before 42 18 6
Seats won 14 6 3
Seats after 45 16 5
Seat change Increase3 Decrease3 Decrease1
Popular vote 51,523 26,246 14,231
Percentage 55.7% 28.4% 15.4%
Swing Increase1.4% 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

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.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Party Seats ±
Conservative 45 Increase3
Labour 16 Decrease2
Liberal 5 Decrease1

[3]

Election results

Overall election result

Overall result compared with 1976.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election results, 1978
Party Candidates Votes
Stood Elected Gained Unseated Net % of total % No. Net %
  Conservative 23 14 3 0 Increase3 59.1 55.7 51,523 Increase1.4
  Labour 23 6 0 2 Decrease2 27.3 28.4 26,246 Increase1.5
  Liberal 17 3 1 2 Decrease1 13.6 15.4 14,231 Decrease3.0
  National Front 2 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.2 209 N/A
  Independent 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.2 191 Increase0.2
  Communist 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.1 59 Decrease0.1

[1][2] [n 1]

Ward results

Birkenhead

No. 1 (Argyle-Clifton-Holt)

Argyle-Clifton-Holt
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Kimberly 1,240 52.7 Increase5.8
Liberal Anna Blumenthal 527 22.4 Decrease16.9
Conservative B. Jones 506 21.5 Increase7.7
National Front Howard Hawksley 78 3.3 New
Majority 713 30.3 Increase22.7
Registered electors 7,259
Turnout 32.4 Decrease1.6
Labour hold Swing Increase11.4

[2]

No. 2 (Bebington and Mersey)

Bebington and Mersey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Kellett 1,200 48.8 Increase7.7
Conservative M. Riley 1,116 45.4 Decrease5.5
Liberal M. McDonnell 144 5.9 Decrease2.1
Majority 84 3.4 N/A
Registered electors 7,556
Turnout 32.6 Increase2.0
Labour hold Swing Increase6.6

[2]

No. 3 (Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland)

Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Roy Perkins 1,366 38.8 Decrease4.1
Conservative D. Stoppard 1,318 37.4 Increase5.1
Labour Walter Smith 841 23.9 Increase2.6
Majority 48 1.4 Decrease9.2
Registered electors 8,641
Turnout 40.8 Increase0.2
Liberal hold Swing Decrease4.6

[2][4]

No. 4 (Devonshire and Egerton)

Devonshire and Egerton (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Myrra Lea [n 2] 1,789 43.3 Decrease2.2
Conservative E. Williams [n 3] 1,724 – –
Labour J. Macdougall 1,361 32.9 Increase1.3
Labour R. Leeper 1,299 – –
Liberal G. Quinn 982 23.8 Increase0.9
Liberal A. Halliday 944 – –
Majority 428 10.4 Decrease3.5
Registered electors 11,925
Turnout 34.6 Increase0.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Decrease1.8
Conservative hold Swing –

[2]

No. 5 (Gilbrook and St James)

Gilbrook and St James
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Flynn 1,927 72.2 Increase13.5
Conservative T. Bird 493 18.5 Decrease2.4
Liberal D. Murgatroyd 250 9.4 Decrease11.1
Majority 1,434 53.7 Increase15.9
Registered electors 8,376
Turnout 31.9 Increase0.6
Labour hold Swing Increase8.0

[2]

No. 6 (Grange and Oxton)

Grange and Oxton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gordon Lindsay 2,564 47.7 Increase14.7
Conservative R. Hardy 1,980 36.8 Decrease11.8
Labour Andrew Davies 833 15.5 Decrease2.9
Majority 584 10.9 N/A
Registered electors 13,242
Turnout 40.6 Increase0.7
Liberal hold Swing Increase13.3

[2]

No. 7 (Prenton)

Prenton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Baker 2,993 65.2 Increase0.6
Labour F. Naylor 1,597 34.8 Increase7.8
Majority 1,396 30.4 Decrease7.2
Registered electors 15,422
Turnout 29.7 Decrease3.3
Conservative hold Swing Decrease3.6

[2]

No. 8 (Upton)

Upton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Hibbert 3,256 59.9 Increase3.0
Labour J. Seaman 2,180 40.1 Decrease0.5
Majority 1,076 19.8 Increase3.5
Registered electors 21,661
Turnout 25.1 Decrease2.4
Conservative hold Swing Increase1.8

[2]

Wallasey

No. 9 (Leasowe)

Leasowe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Clark 2,004 55.4 Increase5.2
Conservative A. Smith 1,481 40.9 Increase0.8
Liberal M. Canning 133 3.7 Decrease5.1
Majority 523 14.5 Increase4.4
Registered electors 11,982
Turnout 30.2 Decrease6.1
Labour hold Swing Increase2.2

[2]

No. 10 (Marlowe-Egremont-South Liscard)

Marlowe-Egremont-South-Liscard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Morgan 2,404 59.6 Increase4.7
Labour G. Watkins 1,379 34.2 Increase4.8
Liberal S. Pollit 253 6.3 Decrease9.4
Majority 1,025 25.4 Decrease0.1
Registered electors 12,770
Turnout 31.6 Decrease2.9
Conservative hold Swing Decrease0.1

[2]

No. 11 (Moreton and Saughall Massie)

Moreton and Saughall Massie
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Young 1,596 53.3 Decrease0.5
Labour Jim Edwards 1,273 42.5 Increase5.6
Liberal J. Jenkins 124 4.1 Decrease2.0
Majority 323 10.8 Decrease6.1
Registered electors 8,168
Turnout 36.6 Decrease5.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Decrease3.1

[2]

No. 12 (New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren)

New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Moir 4,176 63.7 Increase10.6
Liberal N. Thomas 1,856 28.3 Decrease9.6
Labour W. Edwards 525 8.0 Decrease1.0
Majority 2,320 35.4 Increase20.2
Registered electors 14,454
Turnout 45.4 Increase0.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase10.1

[2]

No. 13 (North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street)

North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jack Redhead 2,651 75.5 Increase16.8
Labour B. Lloyd 591 16.8 Increase0.6
Liberal J. Barton 270 7.7 Decrease17.3
Majority 2,060 58.7 Increase25.0
Registered electors 11,546
Turnout 30.4 Decrease3.2
Conservative hold Swing Increase12.5

[2]

No. 14 (Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville)

Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Phoebe Bentzien 2,187 58.0 Decrease0.4
Conservative M. Kemble 1,248 33.1 Decrease3.1
Liberal P. Mawdsley 143 3.8 Decrease1.7
National Front John Fishwick 131 3.5 New
Communist R. Harris 59 1.6 New
Majority 939 24.9 Increase2.7
Registered electors 11,223
Turnout 33.6 Increase0.2
Labour hold Swing Increase1.4

[2]

Bebington

No. 15 (Higher Bebington and Woodhey)

Higher Bebington and Woodhey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Theaker 3,285 71.2 Decrease4.7
Labour Audrey Moore 921 20.0 Decrease4.1
Liberal Penelope Globy 410 8.9 New
Majority 2,364 51.2 Decrease0.6
Registered electors 10,181
Turnout 45.3 Decrease4.2
Conservative hold Swing Decrease0.3

[2]

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

Park-New Ferry-North Bromborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Price 2,082 52.2 Increase4.8
Conservative T. Stacey 1,905 47.8 Increase4.0
Majority 177 4.4 Increase0.8
Registered electors 9,828
Turnout 40.6 Increase2.3
Labour hold Swing Increase0.4

[2]

No. 17 (South Bromborough and Eastham)

South Bromborough and Eastham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Phillip Gilchrist 3,729 58.1 Increase20.1
Conservative B. Davies 1,749 27.3 Decrease8.7
Labour R. Dunning 940 14.6 Decrease11.4
Majority 1,980 30.8 N/A
Registered electors 13,985
Turnout 45.9 Decrease2.0
Liberal gain from Labour Swing Increase14.4

[2][5]

No. 18 (Lower Bebington and Poulton)

Lower Bebington and Poulton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Zowe 3,630 65.3 Decrease5.8
Labour R. Woods 1,015 18.2 Decrease0.5
Liberal Thomas Harney 918 16.5 Increase6.3
Majority 2,615 47.1 Decrease5.3
Registered electors 14,163
Turnout 39.3 Decrease6.5
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.7

[2][6]

Hoylake

No. 19 (Caldy and Frankby)

Caldy and Frankby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Lloyd 3,523 74.5 Increase2.2
Liberal B. Crosby 562 11.9 Decrease5.0
Labour John McCabe 454 9.6 Decrease1.2
Independent J. Ellison 191 4.0 New
Majority 2,961 62.6 Increase7.2
Registered electors 13,589
Turnout 34.8 Decrease3.4
Conservative hold Swing Increase3.6

[2]

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

Central-Hoose-Meols-Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Whitehurst 4,051 86.0 Increase16.2
Labour David Jackson 660 14.0 Increase7.2
Majority 3,391 72.0 Increase25.6
Registered electors 12,150
Turnout 38.8 Decrease5.5
Conservative hold Swing Increase12.8

[2]

Wirral

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

Barnston-Gayton-Heswall-Oldfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P. Wilson 3,859 91.1 Increase5.8
Labour P. Wallace 375 8.9 Increase4.5
Majority 3,484 82.2 Increase7.2
Registered electors 11,581
Turnout 36.6 Decrease6.8
Conservative hold Swing Increase3.6

[2]

No. 22 (Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston)

Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Fletcher 2,514 79.2 Increase14.1
Labour H. Ellis-Thomas 661 20.8 Increase2.9
Majority 1,853 58.4 Increase11.2
Registered electors 10,048
Turnout 31.6 Decrease6.7
Conservative hold Swing Increase5.6

[2]

Notes

• italics denote the sitting councillor • bold denotes the winning candidate

  1. ^ % of total refers to % of wards won.
  2. ^ Elected to serve a 4-year term.
  3. ^ Elected to serve a 2-year term.

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Election Summaries 1978". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Election Results 1973-2012 (Pg. 3 and 4)" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Councillor Walter Smith". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Councillor Phil Gilchrist". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  6. ^ "Councillor Tom Harney". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.

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.

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