# 1979 Cambridge City Council election

The 1979 Cambridge City Council election took place on 3 May 1978 to elect members of Cambridge City Council in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

## Summary
### Election result

1979 Cambridge City Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 5 | 2 | 35.7 | 15 | 20 | 47.6 | 21,358 | 38.0 | –8.4 |
| | Labour | 7 | 1 | 50.0 | 11 | 18 | 42.9 | 21,936 | 39.0 | –1.1 |
| | Liberal | 2 | 1 | 14.3 | 1 | 3 | 7.1 | 12,898 | 22.9 | +15.4 |
| | Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 2.4 | N/A | N/A | –5.8 |
| | Communist | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 59 | 0.1 | –0.2 |

## Ward results
### Abbey

Abbey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Doris Howe* | 2,006 | 59.9 | –7.2 |
| | Conservative | Edna Jones | 945 | 28.2 | –4.7 |
| | Liberal | Bernard Greaves | 400 | 11.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,061 | 31.7 | –2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,351 | 70.0 | +43.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,789 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.3 | |

### Arbury

Arbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Cowell | 1,797 | 44.9 | –8.8 |
| | Conservative | Patrick Harris | 1,566 | 39.2 | –7.1 |
| | Liberal | Robert Arbon | 636 | 15.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 231 | 5.8 | –1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,999 | 71.8 | +28.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,566 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.9 | |

### Castle

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Pickles | 2,148 | 49.9 | +28.1 |
| | Conservative | John Powley* | 1,153 | 26.8 | –17.2 |
| | Labour | Edwin Mortlock | 1,003 | 23.3 | –10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 995 | 23.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,304 | 72.5 | +31.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,936 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | 22.7 | |

### Cherry Hinton

Cherry Hinton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Howard | 1,804 | 44.2 | –3.8 |
| | Conservative | John West* | 1,683 | 41.3 | –10.7 |
| | Liberal | Charles Burch | 591 | 14.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,078 | 77.8 | +29.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,244 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 3.5 | |

### Coleridge

Coleridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Burling* | 1,730 | 45.3 | –3.2 |
| | Labour | Gordon Douglas | 1,480 | 38.8 | –3.8 |
| | Liberal | Philip Mitchell | 606 | 15.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 250 | 6.6 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,816 | 74.7 | +35.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,108 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.3 | |

### East Chesterton

East Chesterton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sidney Reid* | 2,057 | 47.2 | –11.1 |
| | Labour | Richard Wall | 1,605 | 36.8 | –4.9 |
| | Liberal | Anita Anderson | 699 | 16.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 452 | 10.4 | –6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,361 | 70.3 | +35.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,204 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.1 | |

### Kings Hedges

Kings Hedges :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Clarissa Kaldor | 1,544 | 52.3 | –3.9 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline George | 944 | 32.0 | –1.6 |
| | Liberal | Brian Badcock | 462 | 15.7 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 600 | 20.3 | –2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,950 | 70.5 | +35.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,184 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.2 | |

### Market

Market :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lavena Hawes* | 2,273 | 47.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Michael O'Hannan | 1,276 | 26.5 | –2.3 |
| | Labour | Mike Gunn | 1,263 | 26.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 997 | 20.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,812 | 66.0 | +27.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,231 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Newnham

Newnham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R Cohen | 2,273 | 47.2 | –1.9 |
| | Conservative | P Osbourne | 1,276 | 26.5 | –5.8 |
| | Liberal | V Alford | 1,263 | 26.2 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 997 | 20.7 | +3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,812 | 71.6 | +26.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,720 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.0 | |

### Petersfield

Petersfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roger Thornely* | 1,899 | 48.9 | –1.0 |
| | Conservative | Bridget Tasker | 1,372 | 35.3 | –6.6 |
| | Liberal | Joye Rosentiel | 613 | 15.8 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 527 | 13.6 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,884 | 65.1 | +25.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,967 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.8 | |

### Queens Edith

Queens Edith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sylvia Dolby* | 2,317 | 51.4 | –18.9 |
| | Labour | Ethel Shepherd | 1,199 | 26.6 | –3.1 |
| | Liberal | Alan Newman | 990 | 22.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,118 | 24.8 | –15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,506 | 76.1 | +39.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,918 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.9 | |

### Romsey

Romsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert May | 1,891 | 49.3 | –0.1 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Clarke | 1,193 | 31.1 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Waite | 748 | 19.5 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 698 | 18.2 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,832 | 68.0 | +33.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,639 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.6 | |

### Trumpington

Trumpington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elaine Wheatley | 2,019 | 51.9 | –10.2 |
| | Labour | Stephen Watts | 1,067 | 27.4 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal | David Green | 747 | 19.2 | +6.5 |
| | Communist | David Mowton | 59 | 1.5 | –0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 952 | 24.5 | –14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,892 | 70.1 | +31.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,549 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.3 | |

### West Chesterton

West Chesterton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | P Reed* | 1,827 | 49.9 | –17.5 |
| | Labour | J Elliott | 1,105 | 30.2 | –3.6 |
| | Liberal | A Gore | 726 | 19.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 722 | 19.7 | –13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,658 | 69.1 | +32.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,294 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.0 | |