# 1998 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1998 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in England. This election was held on the same day as other local elections.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Seats |
| Labour | 41 |
| Conservative | 16 |
| Liberal Democrats | 8 |
| Ind. Lib Dem | 1 |

## Election results
### Overall election result

Overall result compared with 1996.
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election results, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Party | Party | Stood | Elected | Gained | Unseated | Net | % of total | % | No. | Net % |
| | Labour | 24 | 13 | 0 | 0 | | 59.1 | 42.1 | 29,075 | 6.8 |
| | Conservative | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | | 27.3 | 33.1 | 22,856 | 2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | | 13.6 | 21.4 | 14,740 | 1.3 |
| | Green | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.8 | 1,925 | 2.1 |
| | Socialist Labour | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.6 | 435 | N/A |

## Ward results
### Bebington

Bebington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kathryn Shaughnessy | 1,933 | 46.8 | 0.9 |
| | Conservative | H. Gow | 1,757 | 42.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Dyer | 333 | 8.1 | 0.1 |
| | Green | Ann Jones | 104 | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 176 | 4.3 | 0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,693 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.7 | 4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.5 | |

### Bidston

Bidston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Nock | 1,009 | 72.5 | 15.9 |
| | Socialist Labour | Alec McFadden | 183 | 13.1 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Tomlinson | 155 | 11.1 | 0.5 |
| | Green | Robert Mitchell | 45 | 3.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 826 | 59.3 | 17.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,994 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 17.4 | 6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 8.7 | |

### Birkenhead

Birkenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Christian | 1,351 | 79.1 | 8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Williams | 357 | 20.9 | 8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 994 | 58.2 | 17.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,892 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 17.3 | 7.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 8.9 | |

### Bromborough

Bromborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Witter | 1,742 | 59.8 | 5.3 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Hall | 640 | 22.0 | 4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | M. Bolton | 412 | 14.1 | 3.7 |
| | Green | J. Jones | 120 | 4.1 | 1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,102 | 37.8 | 9.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,662 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.4 | 6.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.7 | |

### Clatterbridge

Clatterbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Cummings | 2,344 | 48.5 | 3.4 |
| | Labour | C. Riley | 1,578 | 32.7 | 4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Isabel Moon | 792 | 16.4 | 0.8 |
| | Green | Michael Harper | 115 | 2.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 766 | 15.9 | 8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,814 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.0 | 5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 4.2 | |

### Claughton

Claughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Foulkes | 1,600 | 55.8 | 4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | A. Molyneux | 637 | 22.2 | 9.6 |
| | Conservative | K. Wise | 455 | 15.9 | 1.5 |
| | Socialist Labour | Michael Cullen | 99 | 3.5 | New |
| | Green | S. Johnson | 76 | 2.7 | 0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 963 | 33.6 | 13.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,644 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 26.9 | 10.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 6.9 | |

### Eastham

Eastham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Harney | 2,419 | 62.2 | 2.9 |
| | Labour | Jean Stapleton | 937 | 24.1 | 0.5 |
| | Conservative | M. Hunt | 462 | 11.9 | 1.6 |
| | Green | Brian Gibbs | 72 | 1.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,482 | 38.1 | 2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,083 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.1 | 3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 1.2 | |

### Egerton

Egerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barney Gilfoyle | 1,293 | 58.6 | 16.7 |
| | Conservative | Cyrus Ferguson | 351 | 15.9 | 2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Lloyd | 250 | 11.3 | 3.5 |
| | Green | Catherine Page | 161 | 7.3 | 3.8 |
| | Socialist Labour | Nicholas Kearns | 153 | 6.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 942 | 42.7 | 19.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,461 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 21.1 | 7.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 9.6 | |

### Heswall

Heswall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Hodson | 2,850 | 61.6 | 1.3 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Rowlands | 2,647 | – | – |
| | Labour | L. Flanaghan | 1,016 | 22.0 | 4.5 |
| | Labour | A. Terry | 900 | – | – |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward Norton | 610 | 13.2 | 9.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Wilkins | 556 | – | – |
| | Green | Garnette Bowler | 151 | 3.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,834 | 39.6 | 1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,214 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.7 | 2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | – | |

### Hoylake

Hoylake :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Ellis | 2,536 | 63.6 | 8.1 |
| | Labour | E. Harrison | 817 | 20.5 | 7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | A. Richards | 472 | 11.8 | 4.9 |
| | Green | Allen Burton | 160 | 4.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,719 | 43.1 | 15.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,130 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.4 | 3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.7 | |

### Leasowe

Leasowe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Iris Coates | 1,347 | 71.2 | 5.9 |
| | Conservative | G. Beattie | 296 | 15.7 | 0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susanne Uriel | 248 | 13.1 | 5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,051 | 55.6 | 6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,072 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 20.8 | 9.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.4 | |

### Liscard

Liscard :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Paterson | 1,334 | 57.8 | 6.8 |
| | Conservative | J. Tooke | 569 | 24.7 | 1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | M. Wright | 404 | 17.5 | 5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 765 | 33.2 | 7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,939 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 21.1 | 12.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.0 | |

### Moreton

Moreton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Groves | 1,449 | 53.8 | 6.7 |
| | Conservative | Ian Lewis | 977 | 36.3 | 3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | C. Robertson | 267 | 9.9 | 3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 472 | 17.5 | 9.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,653 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.9 | 9.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 5.0 | |

### New Brighton

New Brighton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Patrick Hackett | 1,729 | 55.7 | 3.6 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Pritchard | 965 | 31.1 | 2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Codling | 310 | 10.0 | 1.8 |
| | Green | George Bowler | 102 | 3.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 764 | 24.6 | 5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,306 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.5 | 4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.9 | |

### Oxton

Oxton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Kelly | 1,913 | 54.7 | 1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Freda Anderson | 1,856 | – | – |
| | Labour | Anna McLaughlin | 804 | 23.0 | 5.5 |
| | Labour | Denise Roberts | 771 | – | – |
| | Conservative | Leonard Moore | 587 | 16.8 | 3.5 |
| | Green | Pamela Mitchell | 193 | 5.5 | 3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,109 | 31.7 | 3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,282 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.1 | 7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 2.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | – | |

### Prenton

Prenton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Thornton | 2,343 | 56.8 | 9.0 |
| | Labour | Ray Pullen | 1,042 | 25.2 | 8.0 |
| | Conservative | David Elderton | 679 | 16.5 | 2.5 |
| | Green | Perle Sheldricks | 63 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,301 | 31.5 | 16.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,320 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.5 | 5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 8.5 | |

### Royden

Royden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Jones | 1,746 | 44.7 | 5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Reisdorf | 1,158 | 29.7 | 8.5 |
| | Labour | R. Pennington | 909 | 23.3 | 5.4 |
| | Green | Barbara Burton | 89 | 2.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 588 | 15.1 | 6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,501 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.2 | 10.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.2 | |

### Seacombe

Seacombe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Jackson | 1,525 | 73.1 | 9.6 |
| | Conservative | L. May | 280 | 13.4 | 5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | R. Ellett | 225 | 10.8 | 1.2 |
| | Green | P. Exley | 56 | 2.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,245 | 59.7 | 13.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,743 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 19.4 | 8.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 6.7 | |

### Thurstaston

Thurstaston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline McKelvie | 2,163 | 53.2 | 2.1 |
| | Labour | A. Beer | 1,417 | 34.9 | 3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Wall | 388 | 9.5 | 0.8 |
| | Green | Percy Hogg | 96 | 2.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 746 | 18.4 | 5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,363 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.9 | 6.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.9 | |

### Tranmere

Tranmere :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Davies | 1,328 | 81.1 | 1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Blaylock | 211 | 12.9 | 6.3 |
| | Green | Angela Upton | 98 | 6.0 | 0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,117 | 68.2 | 4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,380 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 17.5 | 6.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.1 | |

### Upton

Upton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hugh Lloyd | 1,790 | 53.6 | 4.7 |
| | Conservative | John Laing | 1,034 | 31.0 | 0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Redfern | 421 | 12.6 | 1.5 |
| | Green | Joyce Hogg | 94 | 2.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 756 | 22.6 | 5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,375 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.0 | 8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.6 | |

### Wallasey

Wallasey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lesley Rennie | 2,165 | 56.5 | 6.1 |
| | Labour | P. Carrington | 1,125 | 29.3 | 8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Uriel | 415 | 10.8 | 0.6 |
| | Green | George Bowler | 130 | 3.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,040 | 27.1 | 14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.9 | 8.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.5 | |

## Changes between 1998 and 1999

| Date | Ward | Name | Previous affiliation | Previous affiliation | New affiliation | New affiliation | Circumstance |
| June 1998 | Prenton | Ed Cunniffe | | Ind. Lib Dem | | Labour | Defected. |