# 1979 Mid Bedfordshire District Council election

Elections to Mid Bedfordshire District Council were held on 3 May 1979, on the same day as the general election, so turnout was higher than usual in district council elections for Mid Bedfordshire. All 53 seats were up for election.

## Result

There were now 53 seats on the council, compared with 49 in 1976. Gains and losses in the results table are compared with the 1976 district council election.
Mid Bedfordshire District Council Election Result 1979 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 31 | +1 | 58.5 | 43.4 | 20,677 | +0.1 |
| Independent | 16 | +2 | 30.2 | 24.3 | 11,563 | +0.3 |
| Labour | 5 | +2 | 9.4 | 24.5 | 11,686 | -1.2 |
| Ind. Conservative | 1 | +1 | 1.9 | 4.4 | 2,086 | +2.8 |
| Liberal | 0 | -1 | 0.0 | 5.4 | 1,631 | -2.0 |

## Ward Results

All results are listed below:
Figures on turnout were taken from Plymouth University's Elections Centre, which gives the number of registered voters, and the percentage turnout for each ward. The number of ballots cast for each ward was calculated from these. Percentage change in turnout is compared with the same ward in the 1976 District Council election.
The percentage of the vote for each candidate was calculated compared with the number of ballots cast in the ward. Note that in a ward with more than one seat, voters were allowed to place as many crosses on the ballot paper as seats. The percentage change for each candidate is compared with the same candidate in the 1976 District Council election.
Candidates who were members of the council before the election are marked with an asterisk.

### Ampthill

Ampthill (3 seats, 4,224 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms A Cowell | 1,728 | 51.8 | |
| | Conservative | Ms A Palmer* | 1,566 | 46.9 | +7.8 |
| | Labour | Ms G Wagstaff | 1,480 | 44.4 | +14.5 |
| | Conservative | B Soaper | 1,399 | 41.9 | |
| | Liberal | Ms M Laycock | 1,141 | 34.2 | |
| | Liberal | J Low | 895 | 26.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,337 | 79.0 | +6.0 |

### Arlesey

Arlesey (2 seats, 2,762 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms A Albon* | 1,227 | 55.1 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative | R Turner | 1,028 | 46.2 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | David Harrowell | 995 | 44.7 | |
| | Labour | J Tizard | 678 | 30.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,226 | 80.6 | +29.5 |

### Aspley

Aspley (2 seats, 2,376 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Ms A Melina | Unopposed | NA | |
| | Independent | W Jaye | Unopposed | NA | |

### Biggleswade Ivel

Biggleswade Ivel (3 seats, 3,931 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms F Killeen* | 1,623 | 51.4 | +18.8 |
| | Labour | L Chambers* | 1,580 | 50.0 | +18.7 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Patricia Rouse* | 1,548 | 49.0 | +19.3 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Ms M Armstrong | 1,331 | 42.2 | +17.5 |
| | Labour | Alistair Costley | 1,077 | 34.1 | +17.0 |
| | Labour | R McIlroy | 857 | 27.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,157 | 80.3 | −1.2 |

### Biggleswade Stratton

Biggleswade Stratton (3 seats, 4,038 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Ms C Cook* | 1,951 | 58.7 | +22.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Bennett* | 1,743 | 52.4 | +25.3 |
| | Labour | Victor Brunt* | 1,448 | 43.6 | +17.1 |
| | Conservative | J Dominey | 1,090 | 32.8 | |
| | Labour | T Bornett | 992 | 29.8 | |
| | Labour | P Milton | 979 | 29.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,324 | 82.3 | +0.8 |

### Blunham

Blunham (1 seat, 1,531 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms E Woods* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Campton & Meppershall

Campton & Meppershall (1 seat, 1,309 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J Buxton* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Clifton & Henlow

Clifton & Henlow (3 seats, 3,599 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Rogers* | 1,556 | 57.4 | +21.5 |
| | Conservative | F Burrows* | 1,495 | 55.1 | +13.1 |
| | Independent | William Cliff* | 1,464 | 54.0 | +32.4 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Cook | 1,314 | 48.4 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,713 | 75.4 | |

### Clophill

Clophill (1 seat, 1,207 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | W Russell* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Cranfield

Cranfield (3 seats, 3,100 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | J Hawksby | 1,321 | 55.3 |
| | Independent | J Salisbury* | 1,312 | 55.0 |
| | Conservative | R Palmer | 1,167 | 48.9 |
| | Conservative | J Sullivan | 726 | 30.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,387 | 77.0 |

### Flitton, Greenfield & Pulloxhill

Flitton, Greenfield & Pulloxhill (1 seat, 1,297 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms J Eells* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Flitwick East

Flitwick East (2 seats, 3,169 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Randall* | 1,488 | 59.0 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | Jack Cowell | 1,345 | 53.3 | |
| | Labour | Ms F Rolls | 933 | 37.0 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,522 | 79.6 | |

### Flitwick West

Flitwick West (2 seats, 1,989 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A Saxby | Unopposed | NA | |
| | Conservative | Dennis Gale* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Harlington

Harlington (1 seat, 1,770 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | A Giles* | 775 | 52.3 |
| | Independent | E Preston | 344 | 23.2 |
| | Independent | J McFadden | 198 | 13.4 |
| | Labour | L Ragless | 127 | 8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,481 | 83.7 |

### Haynes & Houghton Conquest

Haynes & Houghton Conquest (1 seat, 1,665 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | H Craddock* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Langford

Langford (1 seat, 1,912 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G Gates* | 915 | 56.7 | +18.0 |
| | Labour | A Loney | 677 | 42.0 | +20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,613 | 84.4 | |

### Marston

Marston (2 seats, 3,149 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms C Barnes* | 1,188 | 48.1 | −13.7 |
| | Labour | D Towell | 1,176 | 47.6 | |
| | Conservative | Fiona Chapman* | 927 | 37.5 | −19.5 |
| | Labour | Ms R Martin | 757 | 30.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,469 | 78.4 | |

### Maulden

Maulden (1 seat, 1,875 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Ms I Robinson* | 914 | 60.3 | −26.9 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Howard Lockey | 538 | 35.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,517 | 80.9 | +34.5 |

### Northill

Northill (1 seat, 1,521 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patricia Turner* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Old Warden & Southill

Old Warden & Southill (1 seat, 1,168 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Ms M Hamer-Harries | 439 | 51.8 | +15.8 |
| | Conservative | Ms S Pool | 400 | 47.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 848 | 72.6 | +22.6 |

### Potton

Potton (2 seats, 2,901 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J Ream* | Unopposed | NA | |
| | Independent | F Jakes* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Sandy All Saints

Sandy All Saints (2 seats, 2,527 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alistair Gammell* | 1,262 | 63.4 | +25.8 |
| | Conservative | A Sherwood-King* | 1,203 | 60.4 | +18.5 |
| | Labour | I Kirkwood | 562 | 28.2 | |
| | Labour | Ms J Monahan | 521 | 26.2 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,991 | 78.8 | +11.2 |

### Sandy St Swithuns

Sandy St Swithuns (3 seats, 2,828 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | K Quince* | 1,115 | 50.9 | +10.0 |
| | Conservative | N Davidson | 928 | 42.4 | |
| | Independent | E Smith | 864 | 39.5 | |
| | Labour | L Cameron | 813 | 37.1 | |
| | Labour | P Monahan | 710 | 32.4 | +15.3 |
| | Labour | W Hibbert | 591 | 27.0 | +23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,189 | 77.4 | +9.8 |

### Shefford

Shefford (2 seats, 2,108 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ms A Gouldsbrough | 770 | 45.3 | |
| | Independent | A Smyth | 723 | 42.6 | |
| | Conservative | D Cadman | 677 | 39.8 | +3.2 |
| | Independent | Ms M Faircloth | 497 | 29.3 | +16.2 |
| | Labour | Ms G Emmerson | 212 | 12.5 | +2.6 |
| | Labour | Ms R McIlroy | 196 | 11.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,699 | 80.6 | |

### Shillington & Stondon

Shillington & Stondon (2 seats, 2,588 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | R Roe* | 1,120 | 54.3 |
| | Independent | S Burr | 820 | 39.7 |
| | Conservative | D Simkins | 714 | 34.6 |
| | Conservative | P Parrish | 691 | 33.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,063 | 79.7 |

### Stotfold

Stotfold (3 seats, 4,467 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J Long* | 1,958 | 60.5 | +26.3 |
| | Labour | H Wood | 1,683 | 52.0 | +20.8 |
| | Independent | F Hyde* | 1,600 | 49.4 | +14.6 |
| | Independent | R Watkins | 1,493 | 46.1 | +15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,239 | 72.5 | +19.1 |

### Wensley

Wensley (1 seat, 1,217 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | W Goodyer* | 519 | 51.1 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal | C Riches | 490 | 48.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,016 | 83.5 | |

### Westoning

Westoning (1 seat, 1,188 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jean Kent* | Unopposed | NA | |

### Woburn

Woburn (1 seat, 1,180 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D Woodward* | 562 | 58.5 | +18.2 |
| | Independent | J Ellis | 383 | 39.9 | +11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 961 | 81.4 | +19.6 |

### Wrest

Wrest (1 seat, 1,418 registered voters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | G Wood* | Unopposed | NA | |