# 1975 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 1 May 1975, with one third of the council up for the election - although only 21 seats were contested, as Labour were unopposed in Ward 12, 21 and 24. Labour suffered six losses on the night - five to the Conservatives and one to the Liberals - with a gain from the sole Independent in Ward 23 as consolation. Overall turnout fell by nearly a quarter, to 27%.

## Election result

Wigan Council Election Result 1975 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 16 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 66.7 | 49.2 | 25,697 | -11.3% |
| Conservative | 7 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 29.2 | 40.8 | 21,270 | +12.4% |
| Liberal | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 6.8 | 3,550 | +6.8% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 1,302 | -5.6% |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 345 | +0.5% |
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 | 66 | 61 |
| | Conservatives | 5 | 10 |
| | Liberals | 0 | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 60 | 50 |

## Ward results

Ward 1 (Lindsay-Scholes-Whelley) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Pratt | 1,728 | 64.1 | −9.5 |
| | Conservative | C. Giles | 966 | 35.9 | +9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 762 | 28.2 | −19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,694 | 29.0 | −9.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -9.5 | |
Ward 2 (Poolstock-Worsley Mesnes) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Townley | 1,049 | 65.6 | −16.0 |
| | Conservative | J. Atherton | 550 | 34.4 | +16.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 499 | 31.2 | −32.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,599 | 17.1 | −10.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -16.0 | |
Ward 3 (Gidlow-Swinley-Whitley) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | W. France | 2,417 | 64.5 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | M. Pendleton | 862 | 23.0 | −17.3 |
| | Liberal | K. Mason | 467 | 12.5 | +12.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,555 | 41.5 | +22.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,746 | 32.3 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +11.0 | |
Ward 4 (Beech Hill and Marsh Green) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | N. Turner | 1,478 | 71.6 | −8.9 |
| | Conservative | ?. Gormally | 586 | 28.4 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 892 | 43.2 | −17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,064 | 22.1 | −9.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.9 | |
Ward 5 (Highfield and Lamberhead) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Smith | 1,189 | 51.1 | −17.0 |
| | Conservative | T. Peet | 982 | 42.2 | +10.3 |
| | Communist | ?. Dowd | 157 | 6.7 | +6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 207 | 8.9 | −27.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,328 | 21.5 | −9.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.6 | |
Ward 6 (Newtown and Rose Hill) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Mulligan | 1,116 | 68.5 | −13.1 |
| | Conservative | C. Boyle | 513 | 31.5 | +13.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 603 | 37.0 | −26.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,629 | 18.6 | −6.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.1 | |
Ward 7 (Hope Carr) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | ?. Hurst | 1,535 | 59.4 | +16.0 |
| | Labour | J. Jones | 1,048 | 40.6 | −16.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 487 | 18.9 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,583 | 37.5 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +16.0 | |
Ward 8 (St Pauls and St Peters) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Bridge | 817 | 55.4 | −19.1 |
| | Conservative | J. Davies | 566 | 38.4 | +20.5 |
| | Communist | J. Blackburn | 91 | 6.2 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 251 | 17.0 | −39.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,474 | 16.8 | −5.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -19.8 | |
Ward 9 (Etherstone and St Marys) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | H. Yates | 1,310 | 54.6 | +15.3 |
| | Labour | ?. Tonks | 991 | 41.3 | −19.4 |
| | Communist | H. Kedward | 97 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 319 | 13.3 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,398 | 25.7 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +17.3 | |
Ward 10 (Lilford-St Josephs-St Thomas) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Wood | 1,853 | 65.0 | +18.2 |
| | Labour | J. Prytharch | 997 | 35.0 | −18.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 856 | 30.0 | +23.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,850 | 31.3 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +18.2 | |
Ward 11 (Golborne St Thomas and Lowton) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. Roberts | 2,095 | 58.8 | −14.9 |
| | Conservative | T. Thompson | 1,469 | 41.2 | +14.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 626 | 17.6 | −29.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,564 | 34.5 | −4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -14.9 | |
Ward 12 (Golborne Heath Park and Ashton) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Miller | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 13 (Ashton-in-Makerfield North and West) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Lyons | 1,186 | 72.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal | P. Scully | 453 | 27.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 733 | 44.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,639 | 21.7 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 14 (Ashton-in-Makerfield Central and East) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | ?. Worsley | 1,103 | 51.4 | +51.4 |
| | Labour | G. Fairhurst | 1,043 | 48.6 | −21.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 60 | 2.8 | −37.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,146 | 26.6 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +36.5 | |
Ward 15 (Standish with Langtree and Shevington) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Hardy | 1,346 | 35.7 | +2.4 |
| | Independent | G. Dewhurst | 1,302 | 34.5 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | J. Lawson | 754 | 20.0 | +0.0 |
| | Liberal | ?. Young | 369 | 9.8 | +9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 1.2 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,771 | 35.2 | −15.7 |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | -1.5 | |
Ward 16 (Aspull) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | H. Lowe | 1,302 | 59.2 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal | ?. Lammas | 897 | 40.8 | +40.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 405 | 18.4 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,199 | 22.2 | −16.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -23.1 | |
Ward 17 (Atherton North East) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Skitt | 1,517 | 54.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | M. Williams | 1,025 | 36.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | ?. Hicks | 261 | 9.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 492 | 17.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,803 | 29.8 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 18 (Atherton South West) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Grundy | 1,258 | 64.5 | +26.5 |
| | Labour | G. Horrabin | 693 | 35.5 | −11.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 565 | 29.0 | +20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,951 | 30.1 | −9.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +18.9 | |
Ward 19 (Hindley Central and North) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Robinson | 1,087 | 64.6 | −11.4 |
| | Conservative | ?. Haseldene | 596 | 35.4 | +11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 491 | 29.2 | −22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,683 | 22.2 | −11.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -11.8 | |
Ward 20 (Hindley South East and West) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Culshaw | 1,346 | 51.7 | +15.2 |
| | Labour | S. Hardy | 1,256 | 48.3 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 90 | 3.5 | −23.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,602 | 25.5 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +15.2 | |
Ward 21 (Ince-in-Makerfield) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Banks | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Ward 22 (Orrell and Billinge) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | F. Fairbairn | 2,554 | 63.3 | +29.5 |
| | Labour | J. Fitzpatrick | 1,482 | 36.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,072 | 26.6 | +22.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,036 | 34.8 | −9.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +15.4 | |
Ward 23 (Tyldesley - Shakerley) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Wright | 1,415 | 58.8 | −12.0 |
| | Conservative | ?. Hodkinson | 990 | 41.2 | +41.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 425 | 17.7 | −23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,405 | 29.4 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -26.6 | |
Ward 24 (Tyldesley - Astley Green and Blackmoor) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | F. Hampson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |