1978 Manchester City Council election

Elections to Manchester 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 Labour Party retained overall control of the council.^[1]

Election result

Manchester Council Election Result 1978

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	19	1	2	-1	57.6	47.8	61,969	+2.7%
	Conservative	14	2	1	+1	42.4	45.3	58,717	-2.3%
	Liberal	0	0	0	0	0.0	5.9	7,708	-0.4%
	National Front	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.5	636	+0.5%
	Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.2	277	+0.1%
	Socialist Unity	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.1	139	+0.1%
	Workers Revolutionary	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0	34	+0.0%

After the election, the composition of the council was as follows:

Party		Seats	+/-
	Labour	53	-1
	Conservative	46	+1
	Labour hold

Ward results

Alexandra

Alexandra

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Flynn*	2,895	59.9	−1.4
	Labour	G. M. Gorton	1,249	25.8	+7.5
	Liberal	D. Hewitt	689	14.3	−4.9
Majority			1,646	34.1	−8.0
Turnout			4,833	37.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.4

Ardwick

Ardwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Barrett*	2,102	70.5	+1.6
	Conservative	W. R. Swan	783	26.3	−4.8
	Liberal	D. Nicholson	96	3.2	+3.2
Majority			1,319	44.2	+6.5
Turnout			2,981	27.7
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.2

Baguley

Baguley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Done	3,536	56.4	+3.6
	Conservative	P. Fitzsimons	2,737	43.6	+0.5
Majority			799	12.8	+3.1
Turnout			6,273	46.1
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.5

Barlow Moor

Barlow Moor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Tucker*	2,136	63.9	+7.7
	Labour	A. Manning	1,208	36.1	+0.1
Majority			928	27.8	+7.6
Turnout			3,344	32.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.8

Beswick

Beswick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S. Silverman	1,746	77.3	+1.9
	Conservative	J. Cartland	370	16.4	−2.8
	National Front	A. Tatton	81	3.6	+3.6
	Liberal	J. Thomson	63	2.8	−2.6
Majority			1,376	60.9	+4.7
Turnout			2,260	27.7
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.3

Blackley

Blackley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Loxley	2,508	52.2	+6.5
	Labour	J. I. Owen*	2,143	44.6	−9.7
	Liberal	V. Towers	153	3.2	+3.2
Majority			365	7.6	−0.9
Turnout			4,804	43.2
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+8.1

Bradford

Bradford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Gilmore*	2,398	58.8	+5.2
	Conservative	L. Hockey	1,490	36.6	−6.4
	National Front	J. Hulse	139	3.4	+3.4
	Communist	M. Murray	49	1.2	+1.2
Majority			908	22.3	+11.7
Turnout			4,076	33.3
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.8

Brooklands

Brooklands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Y. Emery*	3,027	56.8	+7.3
	Labour	J. Wilner	2,298	43.2	−1.8
Majority			729	13.6	+9.1
Turnout			5,325	40.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.5

Burnage

Burnage

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Howarth*	2,647	60.6	+1.1
	Labour	K. Robinson	1,724	39.4	+7.1
Majority			950	21.7	−5.5
Turnout			4,371	37.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.0

Charlestown

Charlestown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Kelly*	2,146	48.4	−3.3
	Conservative	C. Maffei	2,002	45.2	+3.0
	Liberal	N. Towers	155	3.5	−2.6
	National Front	W. E. Caffrey	91	2.1	+2.1
	Communist	S. Cole	40	0.9	+0.9
Majority			144	3.2	−6.3
Turnout			4,434	44.5
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.1

Cheetham

Cheetham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Broderick*	1,482	66.6	+4.1
	Conservative	F. Meaden	743	33.4	−4.1
Majority			739	33.2	+8.2
Turnout			2,225	28.5
	Labour hold		Swing	+4.1

Chorlton

Chorlton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Sanders*	2,769	62.0	−2.9
	Labour	K. Cropper	1,387	31.1	+6.2
	Liberal	J. Commons	308	6.9	−3.3
Majority			1,382	31.0	−8.9
Turnout			4,464	38.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.5

Collegiate Church

Collegiate Church

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Balcombe*	843	63.1	−0.8
	Conservative	S. R. Newth	416	31.1	+4.5
	Liberal	M. A. Plesch	78	5.8	−2.1
Majority			427	32.0	−5.3
Turnout			1,337	28.2
	Labour hold		Swing	-2.6

Crossacres

Crossacres

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. L. Griffiths*	2,877	59.5	−0.1
	Conservative	A. Spencer	1,418	29.3	+0.5
	Liberal	H. Griffiths	537	11.1	−0.5
Majority			1,459	30.2	−0.6
Turnout			4,832	35.3
	Labour hold		Swing	-0.3

Crumpsall

Crumpsall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Fildes*	2,183	53.9	−3.6
	Labour	G. Stringer	1,517	37.5	+4.0
	Liberal	J. Cookson	286	7.1	−1.9
	Communist	S. Ward	61	1.5	+1.5
Majority			666	16.5	−7.5
Turnout			4,047	35.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.8

Didsbury

Didsbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Hill*	3,902	68.0	+2.9
	Labour	Eddie Newman	1,304	22.7	+2.9
	Liberal	J. T. Mitchell	534	9.3	−4.7
Majority			2,598	45.3	−0.0
Turnout			5,740	44.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.9

Gorton North

Gorton North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. O. Hamnett*	1,856	56.7	−2.7
	Conservative	E. Leadbetter	1,184	36.2	−0.8
	Liberal	J. Ashley	231	7.1	+3.5
Majority			672	20.5	−1.8
Turnout			3,271	37.7
	Labour hold		Swing	-0.9

Gorton South

Gorton South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Conway*	1,619	55.4	−1.4
	Conservative	D. Heywood	1,174	40.2	−3.0
	National Front	N. J. Mead	97	3.3	+3.3
	Workers Revolutionary	A. Willams	34	1.2	+1.2
Majority			445	15.2	+1.7
Turnout			2,924	33.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.8

Harpurhey

Harpurhey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	K. Litherland*	1,341	62.5	+3.9
	Conservative	J. Harding	804	37.5	+0.9
Majority			537	25.0	+3.0
Turnout			2,145	30.9
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.5

Hulme

Hulme

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. V. Marshall*	1,488	57.5	−9.6
	Liberal	P. Thompson	523	20.2	+5.8
	Conservative	W. H. Cox	386	14.9	−3.7
	Socialist Unity	B. Crossman	139	5.4	+5.4
	Communist	R. W. Gwilt	54	2.1	+2.1
Majority			965	37.4	−11.1
Turnout			2,590	29.4
	Labour hold		Swing	-7.7

Levenshulme

Levenshulme

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. K. Barber*	2,001	40.7	−10.9
	Labour	S. Loughlin	1,827	37.2	−1.0
	Liberal	K. Whitmore	1,085	22.1	+13.7
Majority			174	3.5	−9.9
Turnout			4,913	38.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.9

Lightbowne

Lightbowne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. T. Lee*	2,560	55.5	+8.2
	Conservative	N. McHardy	2,051	44.5	−8.2
Majority			509	11.0	+5.5
Turnout			4,611	43.0
	Labour hold		Swing	+8.2

Lloyd Street

Lloyd Street

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Collins*	2,364	53.2	+2.6
	Conservative	A. D. Neville	1,867	42.0	−2.0
	Liberal	P. Davis	212	4.8	+0.5
Majority			497	11.2	+4.6
Turnout			4,443	35.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.3

Longsight

Longsight

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	V. Stevens	2,007	54.1	+2.6
	Conservative	A. Malpas*	1,516	40.9	−7.3
	Liberal	C. R. Brammer	184	5.0	+5.0
Majority			491	13.2	+9.7
Turnout			3,707	34.4
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.9

Miles Platting

Miles Platting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Conquest	1,417	76.3	−3.0
	Conservative	A. E. Halliday	337	18.1	−2.6
	National Front	N. T. G. Wallace	103	5.5	+5.5
Majority			1,080	58.2	−0.4
Turnout			1,857	24.0
	Labour hold		Swing	-0.2

Moss Side

Moss Side

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. E. Talbot*	1,360	70.0	+17.2
	Conservative	S. Hussain	364	18.7	−2.7
	Liberal	L. Ford	220	11.3	+11.3
Majority			996	51.2	+24.3
Turnout			1,944	27.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+9.9

Moston

Moston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Hurley	2,867	55.2	−6.7
	Labour	A. E. Bowden*	2,327	44.8	+6.7
Majority			540	10.4	−13.4
Turnout			5,194	44.5
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	-6.7

Newton Heath

Newton Heath

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	M. J. Taylor*	2,165	57.0	+8.0
	Conservative	L. Clarke	1,636	43.0	−5.3
Majority			529	14.0	+13.3
Turnout			3,801	39.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.6

Northenden

Northenden

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Leigh*	2,697	46.3	−5.2
	Labour	A. J. Spencer	2,546	43.8	+2.2
	Liberal	L. Griffiths	576	9.9	+4.5
Majority			151	2.6	−7.3
Turnout			5,819	46.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.7

Old Moat

Old Moat

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. F. Lavin*	2,314	58.7	+6.1
	Labour	S. Jean	1,558	39.5	+2.2
	Communist	N. J. Gilroy	73	1.9	−0.0
Majority			756	19.2	+3.9
Turnout			3,945	38.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.9

Rusholme

Rusholme

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Pierce*	2,289	55.0	−9.2
	Labour	L. Byrne	1,585	38.1	+5.5
	Liberal	M. J. Hodgson	286	6.9	+6.9
Majority			704	16.9	−14.8
Turnout			4,160	29.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-7.3

Withington

Withington

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. R. Coker*	1,971	42.6	−12.4
	Liberal	A. Jones	1,492	32.2	+13.5
	Labour	F. Yaffe	1,169	25.2	−0.2
Majority			479	10.3	−19.3
Turnout			4,632	38.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-12.9

Woodhouse Park

Woodhouse Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Hall*	2,820	67.5	+8.1
	Conservative	J. C. Ridgard	1,233	29.5	−3.2
	National Front	T. J. Hansen	125	3.0	+3.0
Majority			1,587	38.0	+11.3
Turnout			4,178	37.3
	Labour hold		Swing	+5.6

By-elections between 1978 and 1979

Withington By-Election 16 November 1978

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Audrey Jones	2,137	52.8	+20.6
	Conservative	James Hill	1,297	32.1	−10.5
	Labour	Alfred Home	610	15.1	−10.1
Majority			840	20.8	+10.5
Turnout			4,044	33.9	−4.9
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+15.5

References

1. Manchester City Council Election Results, 2nd Edition, Swarbrick (1993).