The 1976 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 6 May 1976, at the same time as other local elections across England and Wales. All 48 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council were up for election.
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All 48 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council 25 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The election saw the Conservatives take a majority of the seats on the council, which had previously been under no overall control, being led by a Conservative minority administration. The Conservative group leader, Bob Flatman, continued to serve as leader of the council after the election.[1] The Labour group leader, John Goldsmith, lost his seat and was replaced as group leader by Bill Miller.[2]
Overall results edit
The overall results were as follows:[3]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 30 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 62.5 | 49.8 | 19,994 | +7.1 | |
Labour | 11 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 22.9 | 28.8 | 11,566 | -4.0 | |
Independent | 5 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 10.4 | 12.3 | 4,938 | -7.3 | |
Ratepayers | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 2,082 | +2.1 | |
Liberal | 0 | 0.0 | 3.9 | 1,545 | +2.1 |
Ward results edit
The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election. A double dagger (‡) indicates a sitting councillor contesting a different ward.[3][4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Nora Burgess* | 1,240 | 40.3 | -0.1 | |
Conservative | Roger Gazely | 873 | 28.4 | +2.7 | |
Conservative | John Barton* | 839 | |||
Labour | George York* | 716 | 23.3 | -3.8 | |
Labour | Stanley Watson | 628 | |||
Labour | Roger McFall | 607 | |||
Conservative | Alfred Bickell | 511 | |||
Liberal | Ronald Littleford (Ron Littleford) |
248 | 8.1 | +1.2 | |
Turnout | 46.4 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,631 | ||||
Independent hold | Swing | -1.4 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Audrey Carss* | 1,038 | 55.2 | +2.4 | |
Labour | Jim Reilly* | 957 | |||
Labour | David Kendall | 902 | |||
Conservative | Raymond Shanks | 841 | 44.8 | +18.6 | |
Conservative | John Wallace | 836 | |||
Conservative | Andree Boddington | 714 | |||
Turnout | 49.0 | ||||
Registered electors | 3,835 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -8.1 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Ingram | 1,063 | 64.0 | +7.0 | |
Conservative | David Roberts | 1,048 | |||
Labour | Keith Ruff | 450 | 27.1 | -15.9 | |
Labour | Brian Abrahams | 408 | |||
Liberal | George Fisher | 148 | 8.9 | +8.9 | |
Liberal | Christopher Freel | 115 | |||
Turnout | 47.0 | ||||
Registered electors | 3,534 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +11.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Stanley Flatman* (Bob Flatman) |
1,372 | 74.3 | +14.8 | |
Conservative | Derek Alfred Doel* | 1,272 | |||
Conservative | Michael John Frederick Hillman ‡ | 1,212 | |||
Labour | William Edward Harmer | 322 | 17.4 | +1.0 | |
Labour | Doris Marian Reilly | 311 | |||
Labour | Crystal Anne Toleman | 294 | |||
Liberal | Jane Elizabeth Brine | 152 | 8.2 | -15.8 | |
Liberal | Handel Thomas Robert Leonard | 152 | |||
Turnout | 41.9 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,406 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.9 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ratepayers | Kenneth William Logan* (Ken Logan) |
1,555 | 42.5 | +10.4 | |
Ratepayers | Brian Robert Worbey | 1,276 | |||
Labour | Frederick George Peacock (Fred Peacock) |
1,106 | 30.2 | -6.5 | |
Conservative | Frederick Stanley Scott (Fred Scott) |
1,001 | 27.3 | -3.9 | |
Labour | John Henry Goldsmith* | 812 | |||
Labour | Martin John Stears | 726 | |||
Turnout | 57.4 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,380 | ||||
Ratepayers hold | Swing | +8.5 | |||
Ratepayers gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Beryl Faith Wearmouth* | 1,726 | 80.2 | +26.9 | |
Conservative | Stephen Arthur Whaley | 1,597 | |||
Conservative | Betty May Goble | 1,594 | |||
Labour | Walter Patrick Guymer | 425 | 19.8 | +7.7 | |
Labour | Stewart Patrick Faulkner | 360 | |||
Labour | Harold Alexander Smith | 336 | |||
Turnout | 52.0 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,137 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +9.6 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Bill Miller* | 1,467 | 47.1 | -15.7 | |
Labour | David Evans | 1,461 | |||
Labour | Donald Kitchiner* (Don Kitchiner) |
1,458 | |||
Labour | Rodney Playford | 1,435 | |||
Conservative | William Charles Bifield (Charles Bifield) |
1,288 | 41.4 | +4.2 | |
Conservative | Walter Gurney | 1,276 | |||
Conservative | Barry Jackson | 1,196 | |||
Conservative | Dominic Alphonsus Murphy | 1,091 | |||
Independent | Roger Leach | 358 | 11.5 | +11.5 | |
Turnout | 48.9 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,366 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -10.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ernest Brown* (Ernie Brown) |
1,374 | 67.5 | -7.8 | |
Labour | David Arthur Griffiths* | 1,322 | |||
Labour | Reginald Hall* | 1,301 | |||
Conservative | Jean May Sherwood | 662 | 32.5 | +7.8 | |
Conservative | Pauline Margaret Wood | 637 | |||
Conservative | Richard Edward Markiewicz | 619 | |||
Turnout | 44.9 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,535 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -7.8 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Raynor Bloxham (Ray Bloxham) |
1,182 | 53.2 | +12.7 | |
Conservative | Roland Baker | 1,156 | |||
Conservative | Paul Shipman | 1,136 | |||
Labour | Mamie Briercliffe* | 1,041 | 46.8 | -12.7 | |
Labour | David Gallard* | 1,020 | |||
Labour | Ian Mantle* | 933 | |||
Turnout | 57.8 | ||||
Registered electors | 3,846 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +12.7 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Clifford John Marshall* | 1,011 | 65.5 | +11.0 | |
Conservative | Geoffrey Peter Woods (Geoff Woods) |
921 | |||
Labour | Headley Valentine Parkins | 533 | 34.5 | -11.0 | |
Labour | Ormond Paul Simpson | 517 | |||
Turnout | 66.8 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,311 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +11.0 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Gregory Burrows | 1,786 | 83.0 | +23.1 | |
Conservative | Robert Saunders* (Bob Saunders) |
1,742 | |||
Labour | Henry Fuller | 366 | 17.0 | +2.9 | |
Turnout | 55.1 | ||||
Registered electors | 3,906 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +10.1 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Francis John Smith* (John Smith) |
1,998 | 39.2 | +2.6 | |
Independent | George William Stevens* | 1,673 | 32.8 | -9.9 | |
Independent | Patricia Rule* (Pat Rule) |
1,672 | |||
Independent | Phillip Leslie Gray* | 1,350 | |||
Conservative | Terence Botfield | 1,258 | |||
Conservative | Christopher McMichael | 1,124 | |||
Conservative | Howard Marshall | 1,095 | |||
Labour | Robert Douglas Beckwith | 815 | 16.0 | -4.8 | |
Labour | Alan Evans | 767 | |||
Labour | Peter Ball | 675 | |||
Liberal | Hazel Priscilla Lord | 615 | 12.1 | +12.1 | |
Labour | Michael William Kernaghan | 603 | |||
Liberal | Anthony Perkins | 406 | |||
Turnout | 52.8 | ||||
Registered electors | 9,661 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.3 | |||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Evans* | 950 | 69.3 | +34.9 | |
Conservative | John Stapleton | 926 | |||
Labour | John Schofield | 420 | 30.7 | +16.6 | |
Labour | John Summers | 307 | |||
Turnout | 53.2 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,575 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +9.2 | |||
Conservative gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Esther Brookes* | 781 | 55.1 | -0.4 | |
Conservative | Ian Rose* | 662 | |||
Independent | Fraser William Field | 511 | 36.1 | +3.7 | |
Labour | Nigel Pratt | 125 | 8.8 | -3.3 | |
Labour | Anthony Pettit (Tony Pettit) |
108 | |||
Turnout | 55.0 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,576 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.1 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Gilbert | 1,542 | 76.8 | -0.7 | |
Conservative | Leslie Rabbitts | 1,523 | |||
Conservative | John Raffell* | 1,523 | |||
Labour | Pauline Oakley | 466 | 23.2 | +0.7 | |
Labour | Frances Mary Polly | 464 | |||
Labour | Jennifer Fitzpatrick | 387 | |||
Turnout | 49.5 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,057 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Denis Wallace Charles Winch* | unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 2,052 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gordon Cartwright Dumelow* | 727 | 48.0 | +7.8 | |
Conservative | Alfred James Grosse* | 555 | |||
Ratepayers | Anthony Tomlinson | 527 | 34.8 | +14.7 | |
Ratepayers | Ronald Charles Gilbert | 309 | |||
Labour | Martin Harvey Lisles | 262 | 17.3 | -4.3 | |
Turnout | 53.6 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,828 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -3.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Brian Feaver | 1,191 | 35.4 | +7.9 | |
Independent | Ronald Alfred Lodge* (Ron Lodge) |
1,156 | 34.3 | -3.3 | |
Conservative | John Charles Jackson | 1,038 | |||
Conservative | Mary Middleton | 972 | |||
Labour | Raymond Cousins | 640 | 19.0 | -16.0 | |
Labour | Clive Hugh Godfrey | 549 | |||
Labour | Anthony James Brown | 518 | |||
Liberal | Sarah Ann Lowe | 382 | 11.3 | +11.3 | |
Turnout | 53.6 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,285 | ||||
Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | +5.6 | |||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Changes 1976–1979 edit
Five by-elections were held on 6 April 1978, following the simultaneous resignations of five Conservative councillors on 13 February 1978. All five seats were retained by the Conservatives.[5][6][7]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Fred Scott | 787 | 48.9 | -15.1 | |
Labour | Martin Stears | 659 | 40.9 | +13.8 | |
National Party | Bob Aylott | 63 | 3.9 | +3.9 | |
Liberal | Sarah Low | 55 | 3.4 | -5.5 | |
Ratepayers | Jack Swain | 46 | 2.9 | +2.9 | |
Turnout | 46.3 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -14.5 |
The Hitchin Bearton by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor David Ingram, citing business reasons.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stuart Grantham | 1,036 | 59.0 | -21.3 | |
Ratepayers | Bert Moore | 448 | 25.5 | +25.5 | |
Labour | John Joshua | 273 | 15.5 | -4.2 | |
Turnout | 41.8 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -23.4 |
The Hitchin Highbury by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Stephen Arthur Whaley, who had moved away from the district.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Keith Emsall | 1,091 | 48.7 | -4.4 | |
Labour | Ian Mantle | 1,039 | 46.4 | -0.4 | |
Liberal | Ian McGinlay | 109 | 4.9 | +4.9 | |
Turnout | 54.9 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0 |
The Letchworth Wilbury by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Roland Baker, who also resigned from the party citing disillusionment with Conservative party policy.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Sheldrick | 841 | 74.8 | +5.5 | |
Labour | John Schofield | 283 | 25.2 | -5.5 | |
Turnout | 40.1 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 |
The Ward 13 by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor John Stapleton, who had moved away from the district.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bob Wilkerson | 922 | 89.6 | +34.5 | |
Labour | Peter Ball | 107 | 10.4 | +1.6 | |
Turnout | 46.5 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +16.5 |
The Ward 14 by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Ian Rose, citing business reasons.
References edit
- ^ Hogg, Andrew (13 May 1976). "Tories take charge of North Herts!". The Comet. Hitchin. p. 5.
- ^ "Labour's leader loses seat". The Comet. Hitchin. 13 May 1976. p. 1.
- ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Your future council". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 29 April 1976. p. 12.
- ^ "Guns open up in council elections". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 16 February 1978. p. 1.
- ^ "Five to resign from council". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 9 February 1978. p. 1.
- ^ "Tories hold all five seats in by-election". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 13 April 1978. p. 21.