# 1978 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council election

Elections to City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council were held on 4 May 1978, with one third of council up for election as well as an extra vacancy in Shipley: Central, North & East. The election resulted in the Conservatives retaining control with voter turnout at 38.3%.

## Election result

Bradford Local Election Result 1978 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 18 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 56.2 | 49.2 | 61,930 | +0.8% |
| Labour | 13 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 40.6 | 38.7 | 48,771 | +4.5% |
| Liberal | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3.1 | 8.8 | 11,110 | +0.9% |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 2,619 | -5.2% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 790 | +0.6% |
| Socialist Unity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 456 | +0.4% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 204 | +0.2% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Conservatives | 61 | 60 |
| | Labour | 26 | 28 |
| | Liberals | 5 | 4 |
| | Independent Labour | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 93 | 93 | 93 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 29 | 27 |

## Ward results

Allerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barbara Curtis | 2,803 | 58.4 | +6.4 |
| | Labour | J. Whiteside | 1,529 | 31.9 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal | K. Buckley | 361 | 7.5 | +1.1 |
| | National Front | A. Smith | 106 | 2.2 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,274 | 26.5 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,799 | 36.1 | −5.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.3 | |
Baildon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Lightowler | 2,989 | 55.9 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | P. Clarke | 1,320 | 24.7 | +6.7 |
| | Liberal | Kathleen Greenwood | 1,040 | 19.4 | −9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,669 | 31.2 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,349 | 46.7 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Bingley: Central, East, North & West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Chapman | 3,139 | 62.2 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | B. Lynch | 1,311 | 26.0 | +5.8 |
| | Liberal | I. Ross | 598 | 11.8 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,828 | 36.2 | −5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,048 | 41.8 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 | |
Bolton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Wooler | 1,748 | 47.8 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | E. Steed | 1,381 | 37.7 | +9.8 |
| | Liberal | J. Moran | 415 | 11.3 | −6.9 |
| | National Front | Elsie Barcook | 116 | 3.2 | −8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 367 | 10.0 | −4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,660 | 34.5 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.1 | |
Bowling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Kearns | 1,551 | 60.1 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | D. Conquest | 917 | 35.5 | −0.9 |
| | National Front | S. Collins | 113 | 4.4 | −13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 634 | 24.6 | +15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,581 | 33.5 | +1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.5 | |
Bradford Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Walter Johnson | 2,295 | 49.7 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Tyler | 1,672 | 36.2 | +3.3 |
| | Socialist Unity | R. Goldberg | 456 | 9.9 | +9.9 |
| | National Front | S. Wood | 194 | 4.2 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 623 | 13.5 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,617 | 42.5 | −3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.2 | |
Clayton, Ambler Thorn & Queensbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Irene Cookland | 3,566 | 61.8 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | D. Hopkins | 2,040 | 35.4 | +2.1 |
| | National Front | Joan Wood | 164 | 2.8 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,526 | 26.4 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,770 | 35.1 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
Craven: Silsden, Addingham, Kildwick & Steeton with Eastburn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Barker | 2,299 | 59.1 | −13.0 |
| | Labour | D. Wright | 1,509 | 38.8 | +10.9 |
| | National Front | Alice Fairew | 82 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 790 | 20.3 | −23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,890 | 40.7 | −7.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -11.9 | |
Denholme, Cullingworth, Bingley South & Wilsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Emily Hall | 3,277 | 74.1 | −5.7 |
| | Labour | Pauline Wall | 817 | 18.5 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal | Susan Clemence | 329 | 7.4 | +7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,460 | 55.6 | −3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,423 | 42.4 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0 | |
Eccleshill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | S. Swallow | 1,805 | 45.5 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | A. Dewhirst | 1,710 | 43.1 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal | P. Sugden | 340 | 8.6 | −6.4 |
| | National Front | T. Hawthorn | 113 | 2.8 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 2.4 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,968 | 37.7 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -1.6 | |
Great Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Dennison | 2,154 | 49.5 | −2.9 |
| | Labour | R. Stork | 2,057 | 47.3 | +10.7 |
| | National Front | A. Cureton | 136 | 3.1 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 97 | 2.2 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,347 | 41.2 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.8 | |
Haworth, Oakworth & Oxenhope :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Hodgson | 2,497 | 56.7 | −9.7 |
| | Labour Co-op | H. Binns | 1,496 | 34.0 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | H. Mortimer | 407 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,001 | 22.7 | −10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,400 | 37.6 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.0 | |
Heaton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. King | 2,775 | 57.3 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | M. Ajeeb | 1,527 | 31.5 | +6.6 |
| | Liberal | Mary Howard | 392 | 8.1 | +1.6 |
| | National Front | G. Wright | 150 | 3.1 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,248 | 25.8 | −8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,844 | 44.5 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.3 | |
Idle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | P. Hockney | 3,863 | 93.6 | +59.0 |
| | National Front | A. Farrow | 264 | 6.4 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,599 | 87.2 | +85.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,127 | 35.4 | −5.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +28.6 | |
Ilkley: Ben Rhydding, Ilkley North, South & West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Wright | 2,797 | 71.2 | +20.2 |
| | Liberal | Rebecca Jones | 1,130 | 28.8 | +28.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,667 | 42.4 | +40.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,927 | 40.3 | −6.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.3 | |
Ilkley: Burley, Holme & Menston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Smith | 2,443 | 63.5 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | C. Hunter | 852 | 22.1 | +9.4 |
| | Liberal | Carton Svensgaard | 552 | 14.3 | −8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,591 | 41.4 | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,847 | 49.5 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.2 | |
Keighley: Keighley Central, East & South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | H. Peacock | 2,332 | 52.7 | +6.1 |
| | Conservative | D. Robertshaw | 1,682 | 38.0 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal | Judith Brooksbank | 301 | 6.8 | +0.5 |
| | National Front | J. Dawson | 106 | 2.4 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 650 | 14.7 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,421 | 41.4 | +0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.2 | |
Keighley: Morton & Keighley North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Womersley | 1,542 | 50.0 | −15.2 |
| | Labour | S. Bowen | 908 | 29.5 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal | G. Sims | 548 | 17.8 | +17.8 |
| | National Front | Kate Ingham | 83 | 2.7 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 634 | 20.6 | −18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,081 | 40.1 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.1 | |
Keighley: North West & West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Thorne | 2,465 | 49.1 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Hilda Harrison | 2,447 | 48.8 | +2.6 |
| | National Front | K. O'Neill | 105 | 2.1 | −4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18 | 0.4 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,017 | 42.7 | −1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
Laisterdyke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Fieldhouse | 1,670 | 68.0 | +10.6 |
| | Conservative | H. Thorne | 786 | 32.0 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 884 | 36.0 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,456 | 32.0 | −0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
Little Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Hameed | 1,449 | 45.8 | −11.8 |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Warrilow | 1,024 | 32.4 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal | N. Baggley | 346 | 10.9 | +10.9 |
| | Independent Labour | M. Mirza | 204 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| | National Front | G. Brown | 140 | 4.4 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 425 | 13.4 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,163 | 28.6 | −0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.5 | |
Manningham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | H. Baines | 2,109 | 54.5 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | S. Bailey | 1,093 | 28.2 | −9.7 |
| | Independent | R. Shahid | 369 | 9.5 | +9.5 |
| | Liberal | Anne Smithson | 167 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| | National Front | R. Fairey | 134 | 3.5 | −7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,016 | 26.2 | +14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,872 | 36.3 | +1.8 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.4 | |
Odsal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Medler | 2,196 | 59.0 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | J. Bruce | 1,524 | 41.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 672 | 18.1 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,720 | 35.6 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
Shipley: Central, North & East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | N. Free | 2,477 | 59.3 | +9.6 |
| | Labour | B. Chadwick | 2,465 | | |
| | Conservative | D. Cooke | 1,697 | 40.7 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | M. Hollings | 1,694 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 768 | 18.7 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,174 | 39.3 | +4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
Shipley: South & West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | S. Arthur | 3,104 | 71.6 | +1.3 |
| | Labour | P. Lancaster | 1,233 | 28.4 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,871 | 43.2 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,337 | 42.8 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3 | |
Thornton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Chapman | 2,392 | 62.4 | +14.6 |
| | Labour | R. Holroyde | 1,146 | 29.9 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal | J. Pearson | 191 | 5.0 | −7.5 |
| | National Front | F. Harris | 103 | 2.7 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,246 | 32.5 | +8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,832 | 37.8 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.1 | |
Tong :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Senior | 2,160 | 64.8 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | J. Owen | 1,047 | 31.4 | +7.1 |
| | National Front | G. Robinson | 127 | 3.8 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,113 | 33.4 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,334 | 27.6 | +0.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.4 | |
Undercliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Goodyear | 1,932 | 53.6 | +16.0 |
| | Conservative | M. Stanley | 1,507 | 41.8 | +1.7 |
| | National Front | D. Matson | 165 | 4.6 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 425 | 11.8 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,604 | 41.8 | +1.0 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.1 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Hussain | 2,005 | 58.9 | +16.5 |
| | Conservative | D. Baggley | 747 | 22.0 | −1.5 |
| | Independent | A. Patel | 421 | 12.4 | +12.4 |
| | Liberal | C. Hill | 130 | 3.8 | −18.6 |
| | National Front | T. Brown | 99 | 2.9 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,258 | 37.0 | +18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,402 | 41.3 | +1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.0 | |
Wibsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | F. Hillam | 2,210 | 60.1 | +12.5 |
| | Labour | F. Bastow | 1,347 | 36.6 | +6.5 |
| | National Front | D. Brown | 119 | 3.2 | −7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 863 | 23.5 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,676 | 35.0 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
Wyke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Seal | 2,619 | 62.4 | −16.2 |
| | Conservative | K. Porter | 1,575 | 37.5 | +37.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,044 | 24.9 | −32.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,194 | 35.5 | +11.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -26.9 | |