# 1982 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to the Wigan Council were held on Thursday, 6 May 1982, with one third of the council up for election. The newly formed Alliance made three gains, replacing the Conservatives as the main opposition to Labour. The Alliance massively increased upon the Liberals' past participation, contesting every ward, in marked contrast to a year in which candidate variety fell to a low, with only the former Labour councillor, standing again as Independent Labour in Hindley ward, not representing the three aforementioned choices. Overall turnout was down 2.6% to 33.6%.

## Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1982 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 18 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 75.0 | 50.5 | 39,122 | -8.7% |
| Alliance | 4 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 16.7 | 29.2 | 22,670 | +22.4% |
| Conservative | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.3 | 18.9 | 14,692 | -10.1% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 1,031 | -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 |
| | Labour | 64 | 61 |
| | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 3 | 6 |
| | Conservatives | 5 | 5 |
| Total | Total | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 56 | 50 |

## Ward results

Abram :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | I. McCartney | 2,447 | 73.9 | −0.0 |
| | Alliance | M. O'Halloran | 507 | 15.3 | +15.3 |
| | Conservative | J. Abrahams | 356 | 10.8 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,940 | 58.6 | +10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,310 | 33.0 | +4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.6 | |
Ashton-Golborne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Lea | 1,452 | 53.7 | −15.5 |
| | Alliance | K. Higham | 638 | 23.6 | +23.6 |
| | Conservative | T. Lydon | 616 | 22.8 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 814 | 30.1 | −8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,706 | 28.8 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -19.5 | |
Aspull-Standish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | M. Rutherford | 1,867 | 42.5 | +23.3 |
| | Labour | A. Hitchmough | 1,558 | 35.5 | −11.5 |
| | Conservative | J. Holland | 967 | 22.0 | −11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 309 | 7.0 | −6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,392 | 43.6 | −2.9 |
| | Alliance gain from Labour | Alliance gain from Labour | Swing | +17.4 | |
Atherton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L. Sumner | 1,758 | 54.7 | −22.1 |
| | Alliance | W. Jones | 814 | 25.3 | +25.3 |
| | Conservative | M. Sharland | 640 | 19.9 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 944 | 29.4 | −24.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,212 | 33.6 | −5.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -23.7 | |
Bedford-Astley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Prytharch | 1,627 | 43.7 | −13.9 |
| | Alliance | B. Aitken | 1,116 | 30.0 | +30.0 |
| | Conservative | C. Hampson | 982 | 26.4 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 511 | 13.7 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,725 | 38.3 | −3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -21.9 | |
Beech Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Pullin | 1,603 | 56.0 | −17.9 |
| | Alliance | S. Jeffers | 804 | 28.1 | +28.1 |
| | Conservative | J. Wolstenholme | 457 | 16.0 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 799 | 27.9 | −19.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,864 | 32.1 | −0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -23.0 | |
Bryn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Lyons | 1,768 | 51.0 | −23.5 |
| | Alliance | J. Walter | 1,107 | 32.0 | +31.9 |
| | Conservative | M. Jones | 589 | 17.0 | −8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 661 | 19.1 | −30.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,464 | 35.5 | +6.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -27.7 | |
Hindley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Bray | 1,710 | 48.6 | +0.3 |
| | Independent Labour | C. Priestley | 1,031 | 29.3 | −4.6 |
| | Alliance | W. Hewer | 779 | 22.1 | +22.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 679 | 19.3 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,520 | 37.0 | −2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
Hindley Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Wynn | 1,405 | 48.9 | −17.4 |
| | Alliance | I. Collingwood | 763 | 26.5 | +26.5 |
| | Conservative | D. Culshaw | 706 | 24.6 | +24.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 642 | 22.3 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,874 | 27.3 | +3.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -21.9 | |
Hindsford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Wright | 1,617 | 46.7 | −21.9 |
| | Alliance | S. Icke | 1,305 | 37.7 | +37.7 |
| | Conservative | K. Mercer | 537 | 15.5 | −15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 312 | 9.0 | −28.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,459 | 32.6 | −1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -29.8 | |
Hope Carr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Hession | 1,635 | 42.6 | −14.5 |
| | Conservative | E. Manson | 1,169 | 30.4 | −12.5 |
| | Alliance | D. Ode | 1,037 | 27.0 | +27.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 466 | 12.2 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,841 | 40.3 | −4.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Rowlandson | 1,597 | 72.0 | −5.9 |
| | Alliance | P. Coleman | 470 | 21.2 | +21.2 |
| | Conservative | J. Michaels | 150 | 6.8 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,127 | 50.8 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,217 | 26.8 | +1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.5 | |
Langtree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | P. Davies | 1,852 | 50.9 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | T. Morris | 1,074 | 29.5 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | M. Clark | 715 | 19.6 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 778 | 21.4 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,641 | 36.0 | −13.8 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
Leigh Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P. Smith | 2,002 | 72.4 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | S. Emerton | 389 | 14.1 | −8.2 |
| | Alliance | B. Miners | 375 | 13.6 | +13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,613 | 58.3 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,766 | 30.9 | −4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.3 | |
Leigh East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Harper | 1,694 | 61.7 | +6.1 |
| | Alliance | P. Knowles | 1,053 | 38.3 | +38.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 641 | 23.3 | +12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,747 | 27.6 | −8.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -16.1 | |
Lightshaw :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Sherratt | 1,988 | 53.4 | −13.3 |
| | Conservative | A. Taylor | 915 | 24.6 | −8.7 |
| | Alliance | J. Marsden | 822 | 22.1 | +22.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,073 | 28.8 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,725 | 37.4 | −12.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.3 | |
Newtown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Bridge | 1,717 | 65.5 | −12.4 |
| | Alliance | N. Brenson | 535 | 20.4 | +20.4 |
| | Conservative | S. Warren | 368 | 14.0 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,182 | 45.1 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,620 | 28.4 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -16.4 | |
Norley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | N. Turner | 1,961 | 79.9 | −1.7 |
| | Alliance | B. Woolley | 320 | 13.0 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | T. Simms | 174 | 7.1 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,641 | 66.8 | −4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,455 | 28.8 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.2 | |
Orrell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Hitchen | 1,522 | 40.1 | +1.6 |
| | Labour | W. Cowley | 1,289 | 34.0 | −1.6 |
| | Alliance | W. Hudson | 983 | 25.9 | +20.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 233 | 6.1 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,794 | 38.4 | −9.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
Swinley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | C. Giles | 1,710 | 47.0 | −7.5 |
| | Labour | C. Cooke | 1,080 | 29.7 | +3.8 |
| | Alliance | A. Short | 850 | 23.4 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 630 | 17.3 | −11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,640 | 39.9 | +5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.6 | |
Tyldesley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | G. Pickthall | 1,759 | 51.0 | +34.5 |
| | Labour | J. Burke | 1,692 | 49.0 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 1.9 | −30.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,451 | 36.2 | −5.1 |
| | Alliance gain from Labour | Alliance gain from Labour | Swing | +21.6 | |
Whelley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Pendleton | 1,724 | 57.0 | −17.6 |
| | Alliance | G. Derbyshire | 931 | 30.8 | +30.8 |
| | Conservative | F. Sidebotham | 368 | 12.2 | −13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 793 | 26.2 | −23.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,023 | 33.7 | +2.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -24.2 | |
Winstanley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | J. Fitzpatrick | 1,418 | 40.8 | +24.9 |
| | Labour | E. Naylor | 1,081 | 31.1 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | T. Peet | 974 | 28.0 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 337 | 9.7 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,473 | 33.2 | −7.5 |
| | Alliance gain from Labour | Alliance gain from Labour | Swing | +15.6 | |
Worsley Mesnes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | H. Milligan | 1,643 | 63.3 | −12.7 |
| | Alliance | C. Hughes | 565 | 21.8 | +21.8 |
| | Conservative | R. Rogers | 388 | 14.9 | −9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,078 | 41.5 | −10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,596 | 26.7 | −1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -17.2 | |