# 1978 Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council election

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 | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | D Turner | 2053 |
| | Conservative | J Boden | 712 |
| | National Front | B Hyde | 142 |
| | WAR | S Davis | 64 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1341 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Bilston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | C Barber | 1518 |
| | Labour | P Richards | 1345 |
| | National Front | G McNally | 297 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 73 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Blakenhall :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 137 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Bushbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Mrs J Beddoes | 1286 |
| | Conservative | Mrs I Bickley | 807 |
| | WAR | C J Reynolds | 248 |
| | National Front | J Robinson | 153 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 479 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Eastfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | K Purchase | 2015 |
| | Conservative | Mrs R Smith | 929 |
| | National Front | G Cooper | 258 |
| | Liberal | C Hallmark | 171 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1086 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Ettingshall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | E Bold | 1292 |
| | Conservative | H Davies | 569 |
| | National Front | P Rollason | 158 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 723 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Graiseley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | F Ledsam | 2195 |
| | Conservative | P Smith | 1253 |
| | National Front | Mrs M Robinson | 228 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 942 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Low Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | D Hickman | 1362 |
| | Conservative | Mrs J Hickman | 902 |
| | National Front | D Johnson | 178 |
| | Liberal | L Maclean | 113 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 460 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Merry Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | B Clarke | 3458 |
| | Labour | R Haynes | 1284 |
| | WAR | Mrs E M Powell | 205 |
| | National Front | B Percival | 203 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2174 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Oxley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | F Haley | 1309 |
| | WAR | R Stickland | 1225 |
| | Labour | P Bateman | 1063 |
| | National Front | Mrs C Thomas | 132 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 693 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Park :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1197 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Parkfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | G Howells | 1553 |
| | Conservative | B Carpenter | 591 |
| | National Front | J Thomas | 194 |
| | WAR | B V Read | 45 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 962 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Penn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | A Bickley | 3638 |
| | Labour | J Fenby | 597 |
| | WAR | R J Thomas | 228 |
| | National Front | J Keating | 163 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3041 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
St Peters :
| Party | 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 | Labour hold | Swing |
Spring Vale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Mrs M Pointon | 2030 |
| | Conservative | J Lockley | 1447 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 583 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Tettenhall Regis :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2074 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Tettenhall Wightwick :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1752 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Wednesfield Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | W Wootton | 2007 |
| | Labour | H Turner | 1219 |
| | National Front | G Jones | 246 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 788 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Wednesfield North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | G Jones | 2121 |
| | Labour | A Morey | 1865 |
| | National Front | S Mcnally | 320 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 256 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Wednesfield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | J Davis | 1748 |
| | Labour | Mrs C Nicholls | 1457 |
| | National Front | J Dutton | 182 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 291 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |