1975 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

Main article: 1975 United Kingdom local elections
1975 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
← 1973 1 May 1975 (1975-05-01) 1976 →
22 of 66 seats (One Third)
to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
34 seats needed for a majority
Turnout36.7% (Decrease4.4%)[1]
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
Lab
Blank
Leader Malcolm Thornton Bill Wells Gruff Evans
Party Conservative Labour Liberal
Leader's seat North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street Leasowe Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland
Last election 29 seats,
42.9% 		24 seats,
32.6% 		13 seats,
22.6%
Seats before 29 24 13
Seats won 16 5 1
Seats after 36 21 9
Seat change Increase7 Decrease3 Decrease3
Popular vote 51,547 23,603 18,570
Percentage 54.7% 25.0% 19.7%
Swing Increase11.8% Decrease7.6% Decrease2.9%
Map of results of 1975 election
Leader of the Council before election

Malcolm Thornton (Conservative)
No Overall Control

Leader of the Council after election

Malcolm Thornton
Conservative

The 1975 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 1975 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 36 Increase7
Labour 21 Decrease3
Liberal 9 Decrease4

[3]

Election results

Overall election result

Overall result compared with 1973.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election results, 1975
Party Candidates Votes
Stood Elected Gained Unseated Net % of total % No. Net %
  Conservative 22 16 7 0 Increase7 72.7 54.7 51,547 Increase11.8
  Labour 21 5 0 3 Decrease3 22.7 25.0 23,603 Decrease7.6
  Liberal 19 1 0 4 Decrease4 4.5 19.7 18,570 Decrease2.9
  National Front 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.3 249 N/A
  Communist 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.2 200 Steady
  Independent 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.1 107 N/A

[1][2]

Ward results

Results compared directly with the last local election in 1973.

Birkenhead

No. 1 (Argyle-Clifton-Holt)

Argyle-Clifton-Holt
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Smith 1,096 44.6 Decrease28.2
Liberal D. Boxer 954 38.8 New
Conservative L. Peers 410 16.7 Decrease10.5
Majority 142 5.8 Decrease39.8
Registered electors 8,590
Turnout 28.6 Increase4.5
Labour hold Swing Decrease19.9

[2]

No. 2 (Bebington and Mersey)

Bebington and Mersey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative L. Welsh 1,108 44.8 Increase7.1
Labour A. Price 944 38.1 Decrease6.6
Liberal G. Quinn 423 17.1 Decrease0.5
Majority 164 6.7 N/A
Registered electors 7,958
Turnout 31.1 Decrease3.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Increase6.9

[2]

No. 3 (Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland)

Cathcart-Claughton-Cleveland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal A. Jones 1,641 43.3 Decrease10.5
Conservative R. Stretch 1,172 30.9 Increase7.4
Labour Walter Smith 979 25.8 Increase3.0
Majority 469 12.4 Decrease17.9
Registered electors 9,882
Turnout 38.4 Decrease7.1
Liberal hold Swing Decrease9.0

[2][4]

No. 4 (Devonshire and Egerton)

Devonshire and Egerton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative K. Allen 1,644 38.2 Increase7.4
Liberal Roy Perkins 1,603 37.3 Decrease5.0
Labour J. MacDougall 1,052 24.5 Decrease2.4
Majority 41 0.9 N/A
Registered electors 12,378
Turnout 34.7 Decrease6.8
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase6.2

[2]

No. 5 (Gilbrook and St James)

Gilbrook and St James
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Roberts 1,369 57.1 Decrease2.8
Liberal K. Henron 531 22.2 Decrease8.4
Conservative H. Kirkby 496 20.7 Increase11.2
Majority 838 34.9 Increase5.6
Registered electors 8,654
Turnout 27.7 Decrease10.1
Labour hold Swing Increase2.8

[2]

No. 6 (Grange and Oxton)

Grange and Oxton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Hodkinson 2,293 50.1 Increase17.1
Liberal G. Edwards 1,520 33.2 Decrease17.3
Labour A. Jones 764 16.7 Increase0.2
Majority 773 16.9 N/A
Registered electors 12,602
Turnout 36.3 Decrease6.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase17.2

[2]

No. 7 (Prenton)

Prenton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Porter 3,088 55.3 Increase3.6
Labour J. Pennington 1,504 26.9 Decrease15.6
Liberal J. Edwards 997 17.8 New
Majority 1,584 28.4 Increase19.2
Registered electors 15,605
Turnout 35.8 Increase1.2
Conservative hold Swing Increase9.6

[2]

No. 8 (Upton)

Upton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Roberts 3,134 55.3 Increase8.7
Labour Bernard Gilfoyle 1,885 33.3 Decrease11.0
Liberal S. Gayford 448 7.9 New
Communist G. Hughes 200 3.5 Increase0.3
Majority 1,249 22.0 Increase20.1
Registered electors 20,752
Turnout 27.3 Decrease1.8
Conservative hold Swing Increase10.1

[2]

Wallasey

No. 9 (Leasowe)

Leasowe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ken Fox 1,590 51.6 Decrease18.8
Conservative J. Merrill 1,383 44.9 Increase15.3
Independent G. Smith 107 3.5 New
Majority 207 6.7 Decrease34.1
Registered electors 11,733
Turnout 26.3 Decrease0.1
Labour hold Swing Decrease17.1

[2]

No. 10 (Marlowe-Egremont-South Liscard)

Marlowe-Egremont-South Liscard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hale 3,090 67.9 Increase24.3
Labour Vincent McGee 1,458 32.1 Decrease9.1
Majority 1,632 35.8 Increase33.4
Registered electors 13,083
Turnout 34.8 Decrease2.6
Conservative hold Swing Increase16.7

[2][5]

No. 11 (Moreton and Saughall Massie)

Moreton and Saughall Massie
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Williams 1,552 60.9 Increase20.4
Labour E. Lewis 998 39.1 Decrease8.1
Majority 554 21.8 N/A
Registered electors 7,057
Turnout 36.1 Decrease3.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Increase14.3

No. 12 (New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren)

New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Ievers 4,394 62.9 Increase23.0
Liberal J. Southworth 1,792 25.6 Decrease18.5
Labour M. Hirons 553 7.9 Increase1.9
National Front John Fishwick [n 1] 249 3.6 Decrease6.4
Majority 2,602 37.3 N/A
Registered electors 14,888
Turnout 46.9 Increase7.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase20.8

[2]

No. 13 (North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street)

North Liscard-Upper Brighton Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Thornton 2,909 70.2 Increase28.3
Labour M. Laskier 622 15.0 Decrease0.5
Liberal R. Edge 611 14.8 Decrease19.6
Majority 2,287 55.2 Increase47.7
Registered electors 11,640
Turnout 35.6 Decrease3.9
Conservative hold Swing Increase23.9

[2]

No. 14 (Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville)

Seacombe-Poulton-Somerville
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Wickham 1,618 50.0 Decrease15.8
Conservative R. Atkinson 1,408 43.5 Increase17.6
Liberal E. Taylor 213 6.6 Decrease1.7
Majority 210 6.5 Decrease33.4
Registered electors 12,043
Turnout 26.9 Decrease1.6
Labour hold Swing Decrease16.7

[2]

Bebington

No. 15 (Higher Bebington and Woodhey)

Higher Bebington and Woodhey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Pike 3,197 69.8 Increase15.2
Labour M. Irvine 906 19.8 Decrease5.7
Liberal G. Spencer 476 10.4 Decrease9.5
Majority 2,291 50.0 Increase20.9
Registered electors 10,031
Turnout 45.6 Increase1.7
Conservative hold Swing Increase10.5

[2]

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

Park-New Ferry-North Bromborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour F. Gregory 1,606 46.2 Decrease15.0
Conservative R. Gittins 1,367 39.3 Increase0.5
Liberal W. Walsh 505 14.5 New
Majority 239 6.9 Decrease15.5
Registered electors 9,785
Turnout 35.5 Decrease7.4
Labour hold Swing Decrease7.8

[2]

No. 17 (South Bromborough and Eastham)

South Bromborough and Eastham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Allan 2,723 47.7 Increase11.2
Labour William Lungley 1,882 33.0 Decrease14.2
Liberal Phillip Gilchrist 1,105 19.4 Increase3.1
Majority 841 14.7 N/A
Registered electors 13,301
Turnout 42.9 Increase2.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Increase12.7

[2][6]

No. 18 (Lower Bebington and Poulton)

Lower Bebington and Poulton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dorothy Goodfellow 3,119 61.1 Increase9.5
Liberal Thomas Harney 1,144 22.4 Decrease3.5
Labour D. Roscoe 839 16.4 Decrease6.1
Majority 1,975 38.7 Increase13.0
Registered electors 12,052
Turnout 42.3 Increase2.0
Conservative hold Swing Increase6.5

[2][7]

Hoylake

No. 19 (Caldy and Frankby)

Caldy and Frankby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Reg Cumpstey 3,497 73.2 Decrease3.0
Liberal B. Crosbie 790 16.5 New
Labour J. Seaman 493 10.3 Decrease13.5
Majority 2,707 56.7 Increase4.3
Registered electors 12,575
Turnout 38.0 Increase1.8
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.2

[2]

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

Central-Hoose-Meols-Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Tickle 3,121 55.7 Increase9.2
Liberal J. Thomas 2,486 44.3 Increase2.4
Majority 635 11.4 Increase6.8
Registered electors 11,776
Turnout 47.6 Decrease19.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase3.4

[2]

Wirral

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

Barnston-Gayton-Heswall-Oldfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative V. Robertson 4,001 78.5 Increase12.4
Liberal G. Collins 911 17.9 Decrease10.0
Labour W. Gamet 185 3.6 Decrease2.5
Majority 3,090 60.6 Increase22.4
Registered electors 11,003
Turnout 46.3 Increase1.1
Conservative hold Swing Increase11.2

[2]

No. 22 (Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston)

Irby-Pensby-Thurstaston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Leigh 2,441 59.2 Decrease5.0
Labour S. Dunn 1,260 30.6 Decrease5.2
Liberal A. Conway 420 10.2 New
Majority 1,181 28.6 Increase0.2
Registered electors 9,322
Turnout 44.2 Increase1.3
Conservative hold Swing Increase0.1

[2]

Changes between 1975 and 1976

Date Ward Name Previous affiliation New affiliation Circumstance
September 1975 New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren Kate Wood Liberal Conservative Defected.

Notes

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

  1. ^ Stood as an Ind. Conservative in 1973. Results compared.

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Election Summaries 1975". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 24 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 "Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Election Results 1973-2012 (Pg. 2)" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Retrieved 24 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 3 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Councillor John Hale". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Councillor Phil Gilchrist". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  7. ^ "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.