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1979 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election

← 1978

3 May 1979 (1979-05-03)

1980 →

23 of 63 seats
to Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
32 seats needed for a majority

	First party	Second party	Third party

Leader	Jonathan Taylor	Richard Mee	John Phillipson
Party	Conservative	Labour	Liberal
Leader's seat	Brooklands	Sale Moor	St. Anne's
Last election	19 seats, 58.5%	4 seats, 27.9%	0 seats, 13.4%
Seats before	54	9	0
Seats won	15	6	2
Seats after	48	13	2
Seat change	6	4	2
Popular vote	58,913	40,095	30,793
Percentage	45.4%	30.9%	23.7%
Swing	13.1%	3.0%	10.3%

Map of results of 1979 election

Leader of the Council before election

Jonathan Taylor
Conservative

Leader of the Council after election

Jonathan Taylor
Conservative

Elections to Trafford Council were held on Thursday, 3 May 1979, on the same day as the 1979 UK General Election. One third of the council was up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a four-year term of office, expiring in 1983. The Conservative Party retained overall control of the council.^[1]

Election result

Party	Votes		Seats			Full Council
Conservative Party	58,913 (45.4%)	13.1	15 (65.2%)	15 / 23	6	48 (76.2%)	48 / 63
Labour Party	40,095 (30.9%)	3.0	6 (26.1%)	6 / 23	4	13 (20.6%)	13 / 63
Liberal Party	30,793 (23.7%)	10.3	2 (8.7%)	2 / 23	2	2 (3.2%)	2 / 63
Communist Party	41 (0.0%)	0.2	0 (0.0%)	0 / 23	0	0 (0.0%)	0 / 63

↓
13	2	48

Ward results

No.1 (Altrincham South West)

Altrincham South West
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. E. A. Whitehurst*	2,384	53.2	-1.2
	Liberal	M. C. Booth	2,093	46.8	+29.6
Majority			291	6.5	-19.5
Turnout			4,477	69.5	+36.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.2 (Altrincham East)

Altrincham East
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Taylor*	3,608	50.6	-6.5
	Liberal	J. R. Richardson	3,516	49.4	+18.1
Majority			92	1.3	-10.3
Turnout			7,124	76.4	+38.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.3 (Altrincham North)

Altrincham North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. M. L. Burton*	2,336	45.6	-10.0
	Labour	E. Smith	1,555	30.3	+4.7
	Liberal	B. Gaylard	1,236	24.1	+5.3
Majority			781	15.2	+1.6
Turnout			5,127	77.3	+41.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.4 (Timperley)

Timperley (2 vacancies)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. K. Toft	2,756	50.6	-18.6
	Conservative	W. J. Watkins	2,550	46.8	-22.4
	Liberal	R. Bowker	2,190	40.2	N/A
	Labour	B. Brotherton	1,718	31.5	+0.7
	Labour	P. Pollard	1,680	30.8	0
Majority			360	6.6	-24.6
Turnout			5,449	65.7	+34.5
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.5 (Mersey-St. Mary’s)

Mersey-St. Mary's
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. P. Bannister*	3,873	54.4	-5.0
	Liberal	E. Critchlow	2,055	28.9	+2.7
	Labour	C. Younghusband	1,186	16.7	+2.3
Majority			1,818	25.6	-7.6
Turnout			7,114	78.6	+37.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.6 (St. Martin’s)

St. Martin's
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. Brownhill*	4,198	47.3	-15.6
	Labour	G. Woodburn	2,554	28.8	+7.6
	Liberal	G. C. Kinsey	2,127	24.0	+10.4
Majority			1,644	18.5	-23.2
Turnout			8,879	75.0	+39.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.7 (Sale Moor)

Sale Moor
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. H. Merry	2,319	46.4	-6.1
	Conservative	A. Rhodes*	1,935	38.7	-8.8
	Liberal	J. S. Green	743	14.9	+14.9
Majority			384	7.7	+2.7
Turnout			4,997	75.2	+34.3
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

No.8 (St. Anne’s)

St. Anne's
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. M. Phillipson	2,657	41.7	+4.9
	Conservative	A. D. Barker	2,486	39.0	-8.5
	Labour	H. Pollard	1,228	19.3	+3.6
Majority			171	2.7	-8.0
Turnout			6,371	75.3	+34.9
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

No.9 (Brooklands)

Brooklands
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Taylor*	uncontested
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.10 (Talbot North)

Talbot North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. C. Cronshaw*	3,339	56.5	-5.0
	Conservative	J. R. Gregory	2,065	34.9	-3.6
	Liberal	W. A. Munden	509	8.6	+8.6
Majority			1,274	21.5	-1.6
Turnout			5,913	69.0	+35.7
	Labour hold		Swing

No.11 (Clifford)

Clifford (2 vacancies)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. S. Maher	2,129	52.1	+2.1
	Labour	A. J. Lloyd	2,066	50.5	+0.5
	Conservative	R. W. Corke*	1,809	44.2	-5.9
	Conservative	M. Shafi	1,154	28.2	-21.9
	Liberal	D. A. Curley	563	13.8	N/A
	Liberal	A. Scanlon	451	11.0	N/A
Majority			257	6.3
Turnout			4,089	60.1	+20.5
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

No.12 (Longford)

Longford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Kelly*	3,091	44.5	-9.2
	Labour	M. E. Cottam	2,852	41.1	+4.6
	Liberal	H. D. Locksley	1,002	14.4	+4.6
Majority			239	3.4	-13.7
Turnout			6,945	72.7	+38.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.13 (Stretford)

Stretford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Walker*	2,480	53.8	-14.7
	Labour	C. Reid	1,608	34.9	+3.4
	Liberal	R. J. Allan	521	11.3	+11.3
Majority			872	18.9	-18.1
Turnout			4,609	78.0	+38.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.14 (Park)

Park
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. R. Davies	2,198	51.7	+1.8
	Conservative	J. A. Schofield*	1,659	39.0	-9.0
	Liberal	C. R. Hedley	354	8.3	+8.3
	Communist	E. H. Hook	41	1.0	-1.1
Majority			539	12.7	+10.8
Turnout			4,252	75.2	+36.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

No.15 (Bowdon)

Bowdon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. B. Humphreys*	3,721	64.7	-12.9
	Liberal	J. A. Willmott	1,250	21.7	+9.4
	Labour	A. D. Johnson	782	13.6	+3.5
Majority			2,471	43.0	-22.3
Turnout			5,753	76.9	+32.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.16 (Hale)

Hale
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	N. W. Barrett*	5,098	69.3	-6.4
	Liberal	J. S. Whittingham	1,361	18.5	+5.0
	Labour	O. J. Spencer	897	12.2	+1.4
Majority			3,737	50.8	-11.4
Turnout			7,356	78.8	+38.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.17 (Partington)

Partington
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	K. Rogers	3,402	61.7	+1.7
	Conservative	M. J. Barltrop*	2,112	38.3	-1.7
Majority			1,290	23.4	+3.4
Turnout			5,514	70.3	+36.9
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

No.18 (Urmston West East)

Urmston West East
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. H. Platt*	3,381	50.8	-8.0
	Labour	D. Horner	1,801	27.1	-1.6
	Liberal	D. E. Unwin	1,469	22.1	+9.6
Majority			1,580	23.8	-6.3
Turnout			6,651	77.7	+43.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.19 (Flixton East Central)

Flixton East Central
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. B. W. Lumby*	4,023	53.3	-18.8
	Labour	J. D. Brown	2,295	30.4	+2.5
	Liberal	R. K. Sangster	1,226	16.3	+16.3
Majority			1,728	22.9	-21.3
Turnout			7,544	80.9	+47.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

No.20 (Flixton West)

Flixton West
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	S. Hodgson	4,748	60.7	+60.7
	Labour	R. A. Tully	3,071	39.3	+1.9
Majority			1,677	21.4	-3.8
Turnout			7,819	75.0	+39.2
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

No.21 (Davyhulme East)

Davyhulme East
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. E. Crosbie*	2,194	50.7	-11.1
	Labour	G. R. Scott	1,415	32.7	+11.9
	Liberal	T. M. Owen	722	16.7	-0.7
Majority			779	18.0	-22.9
Turnout			4,331	79.6	+42.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

By-elections between 1979 and 1980

No.12 (Longford) By-Election 30 August 1979
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	M. E. Cottam	1,187	42.7	+1.6
	Conservative	J. A. Schofield	1,127	40.5	-4.0
	Liberal	H. D. Locksley	466	16.8	+2.4
Majority			60	2.2	-1.2
Turnout			2,780	29.1	-43.6
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

No.20 (Flixton West) By-Election 13 December 1979
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. P. Harding	858	41.3	+41.3
	Labour	A. Stringer	752	36.2	+3.1
	Liberal	L. O'Rourke	466	22.4	-38.3
Majority			106	5.1	-16.3
Turnout			2,076	20.0	-55.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

^ "Trafford M. B. C. Election Results Sheet, 4 May 1979", Trafford M.B.C.(1979).

v t e (1978 ←) 1979 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1980)
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District councils (Wales)	Aberconwy Afan Alyn and Deeside Anglesey - Ynys Môn Arfon Blaenau Gwent Brecknock Cardiff Carmarthen Ceredigion Colwyn Cynon Valley Delyn Dinefwr Dwyfor Glyndŵr Islwyn Llanelli Lliw Valley Meirionnydd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouth Montgomery Neath Newport Ogwr Preseli Radnor Rhondda Rhuddlan Rhymney Valley South Pembrokeshire Swansea Taff-Ely Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham Maelor
Referendums	Scottish devolution Welsh devolution
See also: UK General election European Parliament election

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See also: Wards Boundary changes