# 1976 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 6 May 1976, with one third of the seats up for election. Four Conservative gains and an Independent in Ward 23 regaining a seat reduced Labour's working majority to 40 seats. Two seats (Ward 4 and Ward 21) went uncontested, and turnout rose to 34.0% - a return to 1973 levels after a sizeable fall the previous year.

## Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1976 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 17 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 70.8 | 51.3 | 35,499 | +2.1 |
| Conservative | 6 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 25.0 | 40.8 | 28,260 | 0.0 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2,038 | +0.4 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.9 | 2,732 | -2.9 |
| ER | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 392 | +0.6 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 309 | -0.3 |
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 | 61 | 56 |
| | Conservatives | 10 | 14 |
| | Liberals | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 50 | 40 |

## Ward results

Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Coyle | 1,927 | 63.1 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | C. Giles | 1,126 | 36.9 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 801 | 26.2 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,053 | 33.1 | +4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | H. Milligan | 1,419 | 62.5 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative | J. Atherton | 536 | 23.6 | −10.8 |
| | Liberal | J. Forster | 314 | 13.8 | +13.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 883 | 38.9 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,269 | 24.7 | +7.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Lewthwaite | 2,655 | 69.2 | +4.7 |
| | Labour | M. Pendleton | 1,187 | 30.8 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,478 | 38.4 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,852 | 33.4 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.5 | |
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Eckersley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. Maddocks | 1,544 | 53.4 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | T. Peet | 1,348 | 46.6 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 6.8 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,892 | 26.4 | +4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Bridge | 1,483 | 62.0 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative | M. Wright | 670 | 28.0 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | J. Fitzpatrick | 240 | 10.0 | +10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 813 | 34.0 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,393 | 27.4 | +8.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.5 | |
Ward 7 (Hope Carr) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | B. Powell | 1,770 | 56.2 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | J. Jones | 1,377 | 43.8 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 393 | 12.5 | −6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,147 | 44.9 | +7.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -3.1 | |
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P. Hull | 1,336 | 58.9 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | J. Davies | 842 | 37.1 | −1.3 |
| | Communist | H. Kedward | 92 | 4.1 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 494 | 21.8 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,270 | 25.8 | +9.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Riley | 1,674 | 51.6 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | H. Davies | 1,477 | 45.5 | −9.1 |
| | Communist | J. Blackburn | 96 | 3.0 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 197 | 6.1 | −7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,247 | 35.3 | +9.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.6 | |
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | S. Johnson | 1,905 | 52.6 | −12.4 |
| | Labour | P. Smith | 1,595 | 44.0 | +9.0 |
| | Communist | M. Fitzpatrick | 121 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 310 | 8.6 | −21.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,621 | 40.1 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -10.7 | |
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Morgan | 2,409 | 58.7 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | T. Thompson | 1,696 | 41.3 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 713 | 17.4 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,105 | 39.7 | +5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.1 | |
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Taylor | 2,395 | 70.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | J. Harrison | 1,015 | 29.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,380 | 40.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,410 | 37.9 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Lockett | 1,648 | 67.6 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal | P. Scully | 789 | 32.4 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 859 | 35.2 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,437 | 32.0 | +10.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.8 | |
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Jones | 1,655 | 52.4 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | M. Ball | 915 | 29.0 | +29.0 |
| | Liberal | D. Gauld | 586 | 18.6 | −32.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 740 | 23.4 | +20.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,156 | 37.9 | +11.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -12.6 | |
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | G. Dewhurst | 1,534 | 36.0 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | J. Healen | 1,509 | 35.4 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | M. Wardle | 1,222 | 28.7 | +8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 0.6 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,265 | 38.8 | +3.6 |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | +0.9 | |
Ward 16 (Aspull) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Mason | 1,540 | 45.1 | −14.0 |
| | Conservative | E. Slevin | 1,424 | 41.7 | +41.7 |
| | Liberal | P. Gibbons | 448 | 13.1 | −27.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 3.4 | −15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,412 | 34.2 | +12.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -27.8 | |
Ward 17 (Atherton North East) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L. Sumner | 2,121 | 66.5 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | E. Sweeney | 1,068 | 33.5 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,053 | 33.0 | +15.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,189 | 33.5 | +3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
Ward 18 (Atherton South West) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Williams | 1,431 | 59.3 | −5.2 |
| | Labour | P. Needham | 981 | 40.7 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 450 | 18.6 | −10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,412 | 37.7 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.2 | |
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Isherwood | 1,410 | 66.7 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | R. Park | 704 | 33.3 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 706 | 33.4 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,114 | 28.1 | +5.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. MacAllister | 1,573 | 49.8 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | T. Whitfield | 1,231 | 39.0 | −12.7 |
| | Liberal | B. Slinger | 355 | 11.2 | +11.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 342 | 10.8 | +7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,159 | 30.0 | +4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.1 | |
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Rowlandson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | F. Garner | 1,897 | 44.1 | −19.2 |
| | Labour | S. Waring | 1,507 | 35.0 | −1.6 |
| | Independent | N. Somers | 504 | 11.7 | +11.7 |
| | ER | A. Atherton | 392 | 9.1 | +9.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 390 | 9.1 | −17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,300 | 32.5 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -8.8 | |
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Devlin | 1,761 | 53.7 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative | F. Mellor | 1,516 | 46.3 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 245 | 7.4 | −10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,277 | 38.5 | +9.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.0 | |
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | C. Hampson | 1,802 | 55.4 | N/A |
| | Labour | F. Walker | 1,448 | 44.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 354 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,250 | 42.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | N/A | |