1978 Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council election

1978 local election in England

The 1978 Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council election for the City of Wolverhampton Council was held on Thursday 4 May.

Following the elections no single party had overall control of Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council, the WAR candidates voted with Labour at the mayor making a few weeks later but control passed to the Conservative group following the February 1979 Low Hill by election when the Conservatives gained a seat from Labour.

The 1978 election is notable in that two future Wolverhampton Members of Parliament, Dennis Turner (Bilston East) and Ken Purchase (Eastfield) were both elected to the council.

A vacant seat in St Peters meant two seats were contested in that ward.

The composition of the council prior to the election was:

Labour 33
Conservative 24
Wolverhampton Association of Ratepayers 2
Vacancy 1

The composition of the council following the election was:

Labour 29
Conservative 29
Wolverhampton Association of Ratepayers 2

Election results

Source:

Bilston East
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	D Turner	2053
	Conservative	J Boden	712
	National Front	B Hyde	142
	WAR	S Davis	64
Majority			1341
	Labour hold		Swing

Bilston North
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	C Barber	1518
	Labour	P Richards	1345
	National Front	G McNally	297
Majority			73
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Blakenhall
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	J Carpenter	1896
	Labour	B Jones	1761
	Liberal	M Parsley	292
	National Front	Mrs J Johnson	346
	WAR	J Hewes	179
Majority			137
	Conservative hold		Swing

Bushbury
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Mrs J Beddoes	1286
	Conservative	Mrs I Bickley	807
	WAR	C J Reynolds	248
	National Front	J Robinson	153
Majority			479
	Labour hold		Swing

Eastfield
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	K Purchase	2015
	Conservative	Mrs R Smith	929
	National Front	G Cooper	258
	Liberal	C Hallmark	171
Majority			1086
	Labour hold		Swing

Ettingshall
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	E Bold	1292
	Conservative	H Davies	569
	National Front	P Rollason	158
Majority			723
	Labour hold		Swing

Graiseley
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	F Ledsam	2195
	Conservative	P Smith	1253
	National Front	Mrs M Robinson	228
Majority			942
	Labour hold		Swing

Low Hill
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	D Hickman	1362
	Conservative	Mrs J Hickman	902
	National Front	D Johnson	178
	Liberal	L Maclean	113
Majority			460
	Labour hold		Swing

Merry Hill
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	B Clarke	3458
	Labour	R Haynes	1284
	WAR	Mrs E M Powell	205
	National Front	B Percival	203
Majority			2174
	Conservative hold		Swing

Oxley
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	F Haley	1309
	WAR	R Stickland	1225
	Labour	P Bateman	1063
	National Front	Mrs C Thomas	132
Majority			693
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Park
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	W Morrison	2044
	Labour	S Lydon	847
	Liberal	R Gray	479
	National Front	Mrs C Simpson	120
	WAR	Miss K Johnston	84
Majority			1197
	Conservative hold		Swing

Parkfield
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	G Howells	1553
	Conservative	B Carpenter	591
	National Front	J Thomas	194
	WAR	B V Read	45
Majority			962
	Labour hold		Swing

Penn
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	A Bickley	3638
	Labour	J Fenby	597
	WAR	R J Thomas	228
	National Front	J Keating	163
Majority			3041
	Conservative hold		Swing

St Peters
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	I Claymore	2424
Labour	S S Duhra	2143
Conservative	Mrs G Hodson	759
Conservative	J Inglis	609
National Front	J Bladon	154
WAR	J Smith	120
National Front	J Spencer	110
Labour hold		Swing

Spring Vale
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Mrs M Pointon	2030
	Conservative	J Lockley	1447
Majority			583
	Labour hold		Swing

Tettenhall Regis
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	S Morton	2807
	WAR	Mrs J Gunter	733
	Labour	M Powis	399
	National Front	Mrs M Ryan	140
	Ind. Conservative	J Cartwright	117
Majority			2074
	Conservative hold		Swing

Tettenhall Wightwick
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	R Watson	3177
	Labour	M Smith	685
	Liberal	Mrs S Ascott	248
	National Front	S Hammond	191
	WAR	T Rathbone	99
Majority			1752
	Conservative hold		Swing

Wednesfield Heath
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	W Wootton	2007
	Labour	H Turner	1219
	National Front	G Jones	246
Majority			788
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Wednesfield North
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	G Jones	2121
	Labour	A Morey	1865
	National Front	S Mcnally	320
Majority			256
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Wednesfield South
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	J Davis	1748
	Labour	Mrs C Nicholls	1457
	National Front	J Dutton	182
Majority			291
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

References

Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Wolverhampton City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

v t e Council elections in the West Midlands
Birmingham	1873 1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2022
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Sandwell	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Solihull	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Walsall	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Wolverhampton	1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
West Midlands County Council	1973 1977 1981 Abolished
Mayor	2017 2021 2024
See also: Wards Boundary changes

v t e (1977 ←) 1978 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1979)
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