1978 Hammersmith London Borough Council election

The 1978 Hammersmith Council election took place on 4 May 1978 to elect members of Hammersmith London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election, with an extra two wards and 10 fewer councillors - and the council went in no overall control.[2]

1978 Hammersmith Borough Council election[1]
← 1974 4 May 1978 1982 →

All 50 seats to Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council
26 seats needed for a majority
Turnout47.6% (Increase6.3%)
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Party Conservative Labour Liberal
Last election 10 seats, 35.5% 48 seats, 56.0% 2 seats, 7.0%
Seats won 24 24 2
Seat change Increase14 Decrease24 Steady
Popular vote 24,048 22,296 2,521
Percentage 47.6% 45.6% 3.9%
Swing Increase11.1% Decrease11.0% Decrease3.1%

Map of the results of the 1978 Hammersmith council election. Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

Council control before election


Labour

Council control after election


No overall control

Background

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The number of council seats was reduced from 60 to 50 - with the new council comprising 19 two seat wards, and 4 three seat wards.

Both Labour and the Conservatives fielded a full slate of 50 candidates.

The Liberal Party ran 20 candidates across 15 wards - an increase from the 19 candidates they fielded in 1974.

The National Front fielded 14 candidates across 7 wards - gaining an average of 81 votes each. Across London the National Front ran 602 candidates - pulling in an average of 151 votes each.

The 'Save London Alliance' ran 18 candidates across 12 wards in a variety of alliances with 'West Kensington Environment' (9 candidates), 'Ratepayers Association' (2 candidates), 'Glenthorne Road Campaign' (1 candidate) and without additional alliance (6 candidates). Across London 80 other candidates stood under the 'Save London Alliance' banner.

In the White City & Shepherd's Bush ward three candidates stood for 'Socialist Unity' - a further 9 candidates across London stood for the same party.

In the same ward a single candidate stood for the Workers Revolutionary Party - the party fielded a further 15 candidates across London.

In an era when candidates could choose their party designation without reference to an officially registered entity - one person in the Broadway ward ran under the 'Retired Garage Proprietor' banner. He finished just ahead of the National Front and Save London Alliance candidates.

One candidate in the Coleshill ward stood as an 'Independent Conservative' - across London, four other candidates used the same party name.

In the Wormholt ward a single candidate stood for the 'British United Party' - two other candidates across London used the same banner.

Whilst Communist Party fielded 97 candidates across London at these elections - none stood in Hammersmith.

No candidates in Hammersmith listed themselves as 'Independent' at this election.

A total of 159 candidates put themselves forward for the 50 available seats - an increase from the 145 candidates who contested the 60 seats in 1974.

Election result

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The Conservative Party won 24 seats and the Labour Party also won 24 seats. With just two seats, the Liberal Party held the balance of power with no party in overall control.[2]

The two Liberal councillors voted with the Conservatives and removed Labour, after 8 years in control of Hammersmith.[3][unreliable source?][4]

Ward results

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Addison

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Addison (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Belsham, Frances E.J 1,095
Conservative Chase, Simon G. 1,062
Labour Cunningham, Edward D. 1,037
Labour Moriarty, Denis E.H. 918
National Front Cresswell, Jocelyn 60
National Front Cox, Albert L. 51
Save London Alliance Fogarty, Michael J.E. 46
Turnout % %

Avonmore

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Avonmore (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Putnam, John C. 1,222
Conservative Wylie, John C. 1,139
Labour Basterfield, Diana 627
Labour Norridge, Adrian M. 608
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Powell, Isobel 130
Liberal Orr, Michael W.M. 106
Turnout % %

Broadway

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Broadway (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Knott, Simon H.J.A. 916
Liberal Mulcahy, Robert 693
Labour Hanscomb, Louis 566
Labour Wicks, Josephine A. 509
Conservative Martin, Elizabeth A. 428
Conservative Robertson, David J. 402
Retired Garage Proprietor Keats, Joseph C. 58
National Front Chambers, Eamon M 50
National Front Sturman, David 49
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Patriotis, Costas 26
Turnout % %

Brook Green

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Brook Green (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hennessy, John A. 1,416
Conservative Smith, William C. 1,384
Labour Young, John A. 758
Labour Burke, Patrick 754
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Copplestone, Frederick T. 89
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Molony, John F. 88
Turnout % %

Colehill

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Colehill (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hitchings, Ann M 1,177
Conservative Killick, Robert C. 1,175
Labour Prentice, Gordon 1,089
Labour Widdowson, Robert 977
Ind. Conservative Perrin, Raymond A. 228
Liberal Carroll, Moira 89
Turnout % %

College Park & Old Oak

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College Park & Old Oak (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ing, Frank W 1,117
Labour Fenelon, Margaret 1,065
Labour Silverman, Melvyn 1,038
Conservative Herbert, Fredrick P.A. 950
Conservative Gordon, Helen T. 935
Conservative Maze, Brian I. 901
National Front Morris, Eric A. 135
National Front Mullett, Horace 113
Turnout % %

Coningham

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Coningham (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Crawford, Ethel F. 1,235
Labour Bull, James 1,205
Labour Wicks, Leslie J. 1,136
Conservative Thorne, Brenda 932
Conservative Clarke, Richard J. 915
Conservative Thorne, Christopher G. 915
Turnout % %

Crabtree

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Crabtree (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Howe, Kim G.F.B. 1,211
Conservative Pearce, John 1,185
Labour Evans, John G. 830
Labour Banfield, Dorothy J. 829
Liberal Bevan, David G. 122
Turnout % %

Eel Brook

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Eel Brook (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sandeman, Phillipa M. 1,083
Conservative Lazarus, Richard S. 1,067
Labour Rayner, Richard W. 1,055
Labour Radcliffe, Rosemary A. 1,052
Liberal Simpson, David J. 93
National Front Merrick, John W. 78
Turnout % %

Gibbs Green

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Gibbs Green (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kelly, Frances D. 986
Labour Taylor, Geoffrey 968
Conservative Corbet-Millward, John G. 852
Conservative Wethered, Simon R. 807
Ratepayers Association/ Save London Alliance Dove, Geoffrey A.W. 113
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Dunnet, Sylvia J. 100
Liberal Bonser, Joan 68
Turnout % %

Grove

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Grove (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clark, Stephen P. 984
Labour Clark, Jennifer A. 957
Conservative Claxton, Angela F.I. 937
Conservative Lyons, Raymond M. 856
Glenthorne Road Campaign/ Save London Alliance Kane, Geoffrey H. 215
Turnout % %

Margravine

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Margravine (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Champion, Thomas H. 958
Labour Spiers, William C. 878
Conservative Bell, Andrew R.M. 530
Conservative Moies, Faraj 487
Liberal Bonser, Leonard T. 53
National Front Crane, David W. 51
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Hampton, Rosamund 34
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Rowe, Michael R. 26
Turnout % %

Normand

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Normand (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Caruana, Eleanor J. 1,103
Labour Unwin, Stephen W. 1,095
Conservative Harben, John B. 1,013
Conservative Walsh, Adrian N. 1,007
National Front Gadd, James J. 98
National Front Richards, Brian G. 87
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Burnaby, Charles D.K. 48
Liberal Oxford, Diana C. 43
West Kensington Environment/ Save London Alliance Lamden, Derek 40
Turnout % %

Palace

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Palace (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackson, Andrew R 1,746
Conservative Leishman, Stuart N.B. 1,746
Labour Dimmick, George W. 547
Labour Steinhart, Julia L. 522
Liberal Dowden, Gerald Arthur 126
Liberal Kent, Richard M. 118
Save London Alliance Flower, Sibylla J. 42
Save London Alliance Eliot, Teresa A. 39
Turnout % %

Ravenscourt

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Ravenscourt (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher, Michael B. 1,270
Conservative Jarvis, Clement W. 1,270
Labour Gosling, Eric R. 634
Labour Browne, Ronald E. 588
National Front Pearse, Robert L.J. 41
Turnout % %

Sands End

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Sands End (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Powell, Anthony F.W. 1,134
Labour Feely, Joseph U. 1,129
Conservative Miller, Marjorie C. 678
Conservative Lumsden, Charles J. 670
Liberal Merrall, Robert W. 69
Save London Alliance Hobbs, Linda 53
Turnout % %

Sherbrooke

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Sherbrooke (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Duff, Hugh D. 1,001
Labour Gray, Ian 989
Conservative Hardwick, Geoffrey H.E. 798
Conservative McWilliams, James 726
Ratepayers Association/ Save London Alliance Blackmun, Arthur W. 97
Liberal Allen, Carol M. 63
Save London Alliance Cunningham, Joseph C. 59
Turnout % %

Starch Green

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Starch Green (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hutson, Eric J. 1,061
Conservative Ward, Patricia J. 1,053
Labour Johnson, Rosina M. 934
Labour Jones, Leslie S.A. 894
Turnout % %

Sulivan

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Sulivan (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roche, Sir David O'G. 1,264
Conservative Ibbott, Ernest C. 1,257
Labour Gorter, Hendrick J. 947
Labour Godden, Vera 944
Liberal Rendel, David D. 305
Liberal Roberts, Nia L. 234
Turnout % %

Town

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Town (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative McGregor, Fiona A.R. 1,508
Conservative Warner, Courtney F 1,415
Labour Hilliard, Leslie H. 961
Labour Lock, Andrew R. 912
Liberal Carroll, Vincent 103
Save London Alliance Carter, Aurea J. 94
Turnout % %

Walham

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Walham (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chiesman, Diana P.A. 1,149
Conservative Browne, Nicholas N. 1,121
Labour Start, David A. 947
Labour Sondergaard, Margaret J.N. 924
Liberal Rahman, Shaiki A. 60
Turnout % %

White City & Shepherds Bush

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White City & Shepherds Bush (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Beresford, Randolph 1,593
Labour Braggins, Gwendoline 1,493
Labour De Gory, Peter D. 1,415
Conservative Barnard, Marjorie 607
Conservative Mooney, Susan G. 596
Conservative Sharif, Muhammad 526
Workers Revolutionary Stewart, Calvin L.M. 114
Socialist Unity Hill, Virginia J.M. 96
Socialist Unity Truscott, Catherine 57
Socialist Unity Van Gelderen, Charles 50
Turnout % %

Wormholt

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Wormholt (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Breeze, Alan G. 1,253
Labour Best, Mary S. 1,231
Labour Ingram, Margaret E. 1,137
Conservative Booth, Sydney J.P. 1,121
Conservative Learmouth, Alan R. 974
Conservative Khan, Khalil A.K. 887
Liberal Knott, Josephine 305
Liberal Connaughton, Margaret A. 300
Liberal Cullen, Sean G. 261
National Front Cameron, Alistair I.S. 126
National Front Heale, Martyn C. 108
National Front Sawyer, James 84
British United Party Edwards, Robert H. 54
Turnout % %

References

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  1. ^ "Local Election Summaries 1978". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b "London Borough Council Elections 4 May 1978" (PDF). London Datastore. Greater London Council. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Liberal councillors". Lobster. Archived from the original on 4 August 2004.
  4. ^ "London Boroughs Political Almanac - Hammersmith and Fulham". boroughs50.londoncouncils.gov.uk/. London Councils.