# 1994 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 5 May 1994, with one third of the seats up for election. Prior to the election, Labour had defended their seats in two by-elections for Abram and Hindley. The election suffered from a mixture of a poor contesting rate and low voter turnout. The number of candidates contesting was just 50, the lowest since 1975, with four wards going unopposed, and Lib Dems back to fighting a half of the seats, and the Conservatives less than two-thirds. The only other opposition standing were three Independent Labour candidates, one of which was the previous - but since deselected - Labour incumbent for the seat being fought in Worsley Mesnes. Voter turnout rose from the previous election's nadir, but at 30.4%, still well below average.
Labour achieved their highest vote share to date, with an overwhelming 70.3% of votes cast. Conversely the Conservatives obtained both their lowest vote share, and lowest vote figure, on record. The Lib Dems, whilst suffering a drop to 16% - a figure below average for results in recent years - witnessed nothing as dramatic. Party seat totals remained unchanged, with Labour and the Lib Dems gaining a seat from each other. The Lib Dem narrowly gained (by just four votes) their third in Beech Hill, turning a ward entirely represented by Labour from the early to mid eighties, into solely Lib Dem for the first time. Labour elsewhere regained a seat in Hope Carr, returning that to entirely Labour.

## Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1994 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 95.8 | 70.3 | 41,704 | +14.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.2 | 16.0 | 9,520 | -4.1% |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 11.3 | 6,729 | -10.2% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 1,343 | +1.4% |
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 | 61 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 8 | 8 |
| | Conservatives | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent Labour | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 50 | 50 |

## Ward results

Abram :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Best | 2,073 | 89.8 | +9.6 |
| | Conservative | J. Wright | 235 | 10.2 | −9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,838 | 79.6 | +19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,308 | 23.9 | +5.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.6 | |
Ashton-Golborne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Bullen | 2,253 | 77.3 | +19.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S. Cooper | 340 | 11.7 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | I. Cunliffe | 320 | 11.0 | −15.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,913 | 65.7 | +34.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,913 | 29.7 | +10.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.6 | |
Aspull-Standish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Hilton | 1,948 | 48.5 | +14.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | L. Chamberlain | 1,633 | 40.7 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative | J. Davies | 432 | 10.8 | −8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 315 | 7.8 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,013 | 37.3 | +5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.7 | |
Atherton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Loundon | 2,033 | 84.6 | +8.2 |
| | Independent Labour | D. Graeme | 370 | 15.4 | −8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,663 | 69.2 | +16.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,403 | 26.1 | +3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.2 | |
Bedford-Astley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | F. Walker | 1,717 | 68.8 | +18.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | G. Mann | 780 | 31.2 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 937 | 37.5 | +13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,497 | 28.7 | +2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
Beech Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | L. Brooks | 1,621 | 48.0 | −15.1 |
| | Labour | T. Bishop | 1,617 | 47.9 | +15.5 |
| | Conservative | J. Cartwright | 138 | 4.1 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4 | 0.1 | −30.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,376 | 37.4 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | -15.3 | |
Bryn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Melling | 2,429 | 86.5 | +11.4 |
| | Conservative | R. Clayton | 380 | 13.5 | −11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,049 | 72.9 | +22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,809 | 28.7 | +7.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.4 | |
Hindley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Shaw | 1,946 | 81.8 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | F. Graham | 434 | 18.2 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,512 | 63.5 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,380 | 24.8 | +6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
Hindley Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Simmons | 2,407 | 86.0 | +28.6 |
| | Conservative | A. Emmett | 390 | 13.9 | −12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,017 | 72.1 | +41.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,797 | 24.6 | +7.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +20.7 | |
Hindsford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Wright | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Hope Carr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Anderson | 1,812 | 50.4 | +12.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | P. Hough | 1,254 | 34.9 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | D. Morris | 526 | 14.6 | −16.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 558 | 15.5 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,592 | 35.6 | +4.9 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +4.4 | |
Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Blackledge | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Langtree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. O'Neill | 2,250 | 57.2 | +21.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | J. Shaw | 1,083 | 27.5 | −18.3 |
| | Conservative | F. Parkinson | 381 | 9.7 | +9.7 |
| | Independent Labour | H. O'Neill | 218 | 5.5 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,167 | 29.7 | +19.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,932 | 34.7 | +3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +19.7 | |
Leigh Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P. Smith | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Leigh East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Harper | 1,870 | 68.6 | +12.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S. Hide | 856 | 31.4 | −12.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,014 | 37.2 | +25.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,726 | 27.1 | +6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +12.7 | |
Lightshaw :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Sherratt | 3,180 | 80.7 | +21.2 |
| | Conservative | C. Duffy | 760 | 19.3 | −21.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,420 | 61.4 | +42.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,940 | 35.8 | +5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +21.2 | |
Newtown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Pye | 1,964 | 85.1 | +12.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | H. Wagner | 183 | 7.9 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | G. Peach | 160 | 6.9 | −7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,781 | 77.2 | +19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,307 | 25.8 | +9.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.2 | |
Norley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | N. Tuner | 1,973 | 85.2 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | B. Turner | 343 | 14.8 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,630 | 70.4 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,316 | 30.4 | +9.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.8 | |
Orrell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Seaward | 2,133 | 70.7 | +19.1 |
| | Conservative | G. Whiston | 884 | 29.3 | −19.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,249 | 41.4 | +38.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,017 | 31.9 | +5.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +19.1 | |
Swinley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Turner | 2,032 | 62.9 | +24.2 |
| | Conservative | M. Winstanley | 1,198 | 37.1 | −15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 834 | 25.8 | +11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,230 | 36.8 | +2.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +20.0 | |
Tyldesley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Wilson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Whelley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Pendleton | 2,125 | 88.4 | +22.3 |
| | Conservative | T. Sharpe | 279 | 11.6 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,846 | 76.8 | +26.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,404 | 28.8 | +8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +13.4 | |
Winstanley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Evans | 2,168 | 64.3 | +11.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | P. Evans | 721 | 21.4 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | M. Green | 483 | 14.3 | −11.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,447 | 42.9 | +15.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,372 | 28.6 | +7.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
Worsley Mesnes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | W. Rotherham | 1,774 | 59.8 | −5.3 |
| | Independent Labour | H. Milligan | 755 | 25.5 | +25.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | W. Sly | 272 | 9.2 | −9.1 |
| | Conservative | T. Sutton | 163 | 5.5 | −11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,019 | 34.4 | −12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,964 | 29.8 | +12.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -15.4 | |