1979 United Kingdom local elections

Local elections were held in the United Kingdom on 3 May 1979 (the same day as the general election). The results provided some source of comfort to the Labour Party, who recovered some lost ground from local election reversals in previous years, despite losing the general election to the Conservative Party on the same day. The Liberals also gained councillors and a council.

Labour gained 766 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 7,410.

The Conservatives lost 423 seats, leaving them with 12,222 councillors.

The Liberal Party gained 136 seats and finished with 1,059 councillors.

Changes in council control were as follows;

Labour gain from no overall control: Bassetlaw, Carlisle, Hartlepool, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Tyneside

Labour gain from Conservative: Barrow-in-Furness, Coventry, Derby, Ipswich, Nottingham, Sandwell, Tameside, Welwyn Hatfield

Labour lose to no overall control: Thurrock

Conservative lose to no overall control: Birmingham, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Kirklees, Leeds, Pendle, Rochdale, Rugby, Warrington, Wyre Forest

Conservative gain from no overall control: Adur, Stratford-on-Avon

Conservative gain from Independent: Hart

Conservative gain from Democratic Labour: Lincoln

Liberal gain from no overall control: Medina

Independent lose to no overall control: South Lakeland, West Lindsey

England

Metropolitan boroughs

Whole council In 6 metropolitan boroughs the whole council was up for election, due to new ward boundaries, following electoral boundary reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Council Previous control Result DetailsBarnsley ‡ holdDetailsBury ‡ holdDetailsOldham ‡ holdDetailsSandwell ‡ gainDetailsSefton ‡ holdDetailsSolihull ‡ holdDetails

‡ New ward boundaries

Third of council 30 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council Previous control Result DetailsBirmingham gainDetailsBolton holdDetailsBradford holdDetailsCalderdale holdDetailsCoventry gainDetailsDoncaster holdDetailsDudley holdDetailsGateshead holdDetailsKirklees gainDetailsKnowsley holdDetailsLeeds gainDetailsLiverpool holdDetailsManchester holdDetailsNewcastle upon Tyne holdDetailsNorth Tyneside holdDetailsRochdale gainDetailsRotherham holdDetailsSalford holdDetailsSheffield holdDetailsSouth Tyneside gainDetailsSt Helens holdDetailsStockport holdDetailsSunderland holdDetailsTameside gainDetailsTrafford holdDetailsWakefield holdDetailsWalsall holdDetailsWigan holdDetailsWirral holdDetailsWolverhampton holdDetails

District councils

Whole council In 252 districts the whole council was up for election.

In 153 districts there were new ward boundaries, following electoral boundary reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Council Previous control Result DetailsAdur ‡ gainDetailsAllerdale ‡ holdDetailsAlnwick ‡ gainDetailsAmber Valley ‡ holdDetailsArun holdDetailsAshfield holdDetailsAshford gainDetailsAylesbury Vale gainDetailsBabergh ‡ holdDetailsBarrow-in-Furness ‡ gainDetailsBasildon ‡ holdDetailsBassetlaw ‡ gainDetailsBeaconsfield holdDetailsBerwick-upon-Tweed holdDetailsBeverley ‡ holdDetailsBlaby holdDetailsBlackburn ‡ holdDetailsBlackpool holdDetailsBlyth Valley ‡ gainDetailsBolsover ‡ holdDetailsBoothferry gainDetailsBoston ‡ holdDetailsBournemouth ‡ holdDetailsBracknell ‡ holdDetailsBraintree ‡ gainDetailsBreckland ‡ gainDetailsBridgnorth ‡ holdDetailsBrighton holdDetailsBristol holdDetailsBroadland ‡ holdDetailsBromsgrove ‡ holdDetailsBroxtowe holdDetailsCanterbury ‡ holdDetailsCaradon holdDetailsCarlisle gainDetailsCarrick ‡ gainDetailsCastle Morpeth holdDetailsCastle Point ‡ holdDetailsCharnwood holdDetailsChelmsford holdDetailsCheltenham gainDetailsCherwell ‡ holdDetailsChester ‡ holdDetailsChesterfield ‡ holdDetailsChester-le-Street ‡ holdDetailsChichester ‡ holdDetailsChiltern holdDetailsChristchurch ‡ holdDetailsCleethorpes ‡ holdDetailsCopeland ‡ gainDetailsCorby gainDetailsCotswold ‡ holdDetailsCraven ‡ holdDetailsCrawley ‡ holdDetailsCrewe and Nantwich ‡ holdDetailsDacorum ‡ holdDetailsDarlington ‡ gainDetailsDartford holdDetailsDaventry ‡ holdDetailsDerby ‡ gainDetailsDerwentside ‡ holdDetailsDover ‡ holdDetailsDurham ‡ gainDetailsEasington ‡ holdDetailsEast Cambridgeshire holdDetailsEast Devon ‡ holdDetailsEast Hampshire ‡ holdDetailsEast Hertfordshire ‡ holdDetailsEast Lindsey holdDetailsEast Northamptonshire ‡ holdDetailsEast Staffordshire ‡ gainDetailsEden ‡ holdDetailsEpping Forest ‡ holdDetailsEpsom and Ewell holdDetailsErewash ‡ holdDetailsExeter holdDetailsFenland holdDetailsForest Heath ‡ gainDetailsForest of Dean holdDetailsFylde holdDetailsGedling holdDetailsGillingham ‡ holdDetailsGlanford ‡ gainDetailsGloucester ‡ holdDetailsGosport ‡ holdDetailsGravesham ‡ holdDetailsGreat Yarmouth holdDetailsGrimsby ‡ gainDetailsGuildford holdDetailsHambleton ‡ holdDetailsHarborough holdDetailsHart gainDetailsHartlepool gainDetailsHastings ‡ holdDetailsHereford ‡ holdDetailsHigh Peak ‡ gainDetailsHinckley and Bosworth holdDetailsHolderness holdDetailsHorsham ‡ holdDetailsHove ‡ holdDetailsHyndburn ‡ holdDetailsIpswich ‡ gainDetailsKennet holdDetailsKerrier ‡ gainDetailsKettering ‡ holdDetailsKingston upon Hull holdDetailsKingswood holdDetailsLancaster ‡ holdDetailsLangbaurgh gainDetailsLeicester gainDetailsLeominster ‡ holdDetailsLewes holdDetailsLichfield ‡ holdDetailsLincoln ‡ gainDetailsLuton holdDetailsMacclesfield ‡ holdDetailsMaidstone ‡ holdDetailsMaldon ‡ holdDetailsMalvern Hills ‡ holdDetailsMansfield ‡ holdDetailsMedina ‡ gainDetailsMedway ‡ holdDetailsMelton ‡ holdDetailsMendip ‡ gainDetailsMid Bedfordshire ‡ holdDetailsMid Devon ‡ holdDetailsMid Suffolk ‡ holdDetailsMid Sussex gainDetailsMiddlesbrough ‡ holdDetailsNew Forest holdDetailsNewark and Sherwood ‡ gainDetailsNewbury holdDetailsNewcastle-under-Lyme ‡ gainDetailsNorth Bedfordshire holdDetailsNorth Cornwall ‡ holdDetailsNorth Devon holdDetailsNorth Dorset holdDetailsNorth East Derbyshire ‡ gainDetailsNorth Hertfordshire ‡ holdDetailsNorth Kesteven ‡ holdDetailsNorth Norfolk ‡ holdDetailsNorth Shropshire holdDetailsNorth Warwickshire ‡ gainDetailsNorth West Leicestershire gainDetailsNorth Wiltshire holdDetailsNorth Wolds gainDetailsNorthampton ‡ holdDetailsNorthavon holdDetailsNorwich ‡ holdDetailsNottingham gainDetailsNuneaton ‡ holdDetailsOadby and Wigston ‡ holdDetailsOswestry holdDetailsOxford ‡ holdDetailsPenwith ‡ holdDetailsPlymouth ‡ holdDetailsPoole holdDetailsPortsmouth holdDetailsPurbeck ‡ holdDetailsReading holdDetailsRedditch holdDetailsReigate and Banstead ‡ holdDetailsRestormel holdDetailsRibble Valley holdDetailsRichmondshire ‡ holdDetailsRother gainDetailsRugby ‡ gainDetailsRushcliffe holdDetailsRushmoor ‡ holdDetailsRutland ‡ holdDetailsRyedale holdDetailsSalisbury holdDetailsScarborough ‡ holdDetailsScunthorpe ‡ holdDetailsSedgefield holdDetailsSedgemoor ‡ holdDetailsSelby ‡ gainDetailsSevenoaks ‡ holdDetailsShepway ‡ holdDetailsSlough holdDetailsSouth Derbyshire ‡ holdDetailsSouth Hams ‡ holdDetailsSouth Herefordshire ‡ holdDetailsSouth Holland ‡ holdDetailsSouth Kesteven ‡ gainDetailsSouth Lakeland ‡ gainDetailsSouth Norfolk ‡ gainDetailsSouth Northamptonshire gainDetailsSouth Oxfordshire holdDetailsSouth Ribble holdDetailsSouth Shropshire holdDetailsSouth Staffordshire ‡ holdDetailsSouth Wight ‡ holdDetailsSouthampton ‡ holdDetailsSpelthorne ‡ holdDetailsSt Albans ‡ holdDetailsSt Edmundsbury ‡ holdDetailsStafford ‡ holdDetailsStaffordshire Moorlands holdDetailsStevenage ‡ holdDetailsStockton-on-Tees ‡ gainDetailsStoke-on-Trent ‡ holdDetailsStratford-on-Avon ‡ gainDetailsStroud holdDetailsSuffolk Coastal holdDetailsSurrey Heath holdDetailsSwale ‡ holdDetailsTaunton Deane ‡ holdDetailsTeesdale holdDetailsTeignbridge ‡ holdDetailsTendring holdDetailsTest Valley gainDetailsTewkesbury holdDetailsThanet ‡ holdDetailsThe Wrekin ‡ holdDetailsThurrock ‡ gainDetailsTonbridge and Malling ‡ holdDetailsTorbay holdDetailsTorridge ‡ holdDetailsTynedale gainDetailsUttlesford holdDetailsVale of White Horse ‡ holdDetailsVale Royal holdDetailsWansbeck holdDetailsWansdyke holdDetailsWarrington ‡ gainDetailsWarwick holdDetailsWaveney holdDetailsWaverley holdDetailsWealden holdDetailsWear Valley gainDetailsWellingborough holdDetailsWest Derbyshire ‡ holdDetailsWest Devon ‡ holdDetailsWest Dorset holdDetailsWest Lindsey ‡ gainDetailsWest Norfolk holdDetailsWest Oxfordshire ‡ holdDetailsWest Somerset ‡ holdDetailsWest Wiltshire gainDetailsWeymouth and Portland ‡ holdDetailsWimborne holdDetailsWindsor and Maidenhead holdDetailsWokingham ‡ holdDetailsWoodspring ‡ holdDetailsWorcester ‡ holdDetailsWorthing holdDetailsWychavon ‡ holdDetailsWycombe holdDetailsWyre ‡ holdDetailsWyre Forest ‡ gainDetailsYeovil gainDetailsYork ‡ holdDetails

‡ New ward boundaries

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

Council Previous control Result DetailsBasingstoke and Deane holdDetailsBath holdDetailsBrentwood holdDetailsBroxbourne holdDetailsBurnley holdDetailsCambridge gainDetailsCannock Chase holdDetailsChorley holdDetailsColchester holdDetailsCongleton holdDetailsEastbourne holdDetailsEastleigh holdDetailsEllesmere Port and Neston holdDetailsElmbridge holdDetailsFareham holdDetailsHalton holdDetailsHarlow holdDetailsHarrogate holdDetailsHavant holdDetailsHertsmere holdDetailsHuntingdon holdDetailsMilton Keynes holdDetailsMole Valley holdDetailsPendle gainDetailsPeterborough holdDetailsPreston holdDetailsRochford holdDetailsRossendale holdDetailsRunnymede holdDetailsShrewsbury and Atcham holdDetailsSouth Bedfordshire holdDetailsSouth Cambridgeshire holdDetailsSouthend-on-Sea holdDetailsTamworth holdDetailsTandridge holdDetailsThamesdown holdDetailsThree Rivers holdDetailsTunbridge Wells holdDetailsWatford holdDetailsWelwyn Hatfield gainDetailsWest Lancashire holdDetailsWinchester gainDetailsWoking holdDetails

Wales

District councils

Council Previous control Result DetailsAberconwy holdDetailsAfan gainDetailsAlyn and Deeside holdDetailsAnglesey - Ynys Môn holdDetailsArfon gainDetailsBlaenau Gwent holdDetailsBrecknock holdDetailsCardiff gainDetailsCarmarthen holdDetailsCeredigion holdDetailsColwyn holdDetailsCynon Valley holdDetailsDelyn gainDetailsDinefwr holdDetailsDwyfor holdDetailsGlyndŵr holdDetailsIslwyn gainDetailsLlanelli holdDetailsLliw Valley holdDetailsMeirionnydd holdDetailsMerthyr Tydfil gainDetailsMonmouth holdDetailsMontgomery holdDetailsNeath holdDetailsNewport gainDetailsOgwr holdDetailsPreseli holdDetailsRadnor holdDetailsRhondda holdDetailsRhuddlan holdDetailsRhymney Valley gainDetailsSouth Pembrokeshire holdDetailsSwansea gainDetailsTaff-Ely gainDetailsTorfaen holdDetailsVale of Glamorgan holdDetailsWrexham Maelor holdDetails

References

Local elections 2006. House of Commons Library Research Paper 06/26. Vote 1999 BBC News Vote 2000 BBC News