1980 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

'All-out' elections to the Wigan Council were held on 1 May 1980, following extensive boundary changes and entirely new wards, yet retaining the number of 24 wards with three seats each for a total of 72 seats. The results were comparable to the 1973 election (also an election where all 72 seats were up for vote), with Labour rewarded a crushing majority in seats for approaching 60% of the vote with their main competitors, the Conservatives, falling to under 30%. The Liberals seen their highest representation yet by way of winning all three seats in Langtree.

Map of the results of the 1980 Wigan council election.

A former Labour councillor who'd represented the just-abolished ward 19 (encompassing central/north Hindley) since the council's creation fought the Hindley ward as an Independent Labour. Overall turnout fell to the slightly higher than usual number of 36.2% from the general election turnout of 75.7% last year, with all wards recording at least one competitor - although that meant in a number of wards Labour were unopposed for one or two of the seats.[1]

Election result

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Wigan Local Election Result 1980
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 64 0 0 0 88.9 55.7 48,775 +3.5
  Conservative 5 0 0 0 6.9 29.0 23,954 -8.9
  Liberal 3 0 0 0 4.2 6.8 5,634 +1.8
  Residents 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 2,498 +1.7
  Independent Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.5 1,265 +1.5
  Communist 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 159 +0.1
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 149 +0.2

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 56 64
Conservatives 14 5
Liberals 1 3
Independent 1 0
Total 72 72
Working majority  40   56 

Ward results

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Abram[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Bennett 2,125 74.0 N/A
Labour N. Cumberbatch 2,028
Labour A. Miller 2,002
Conservative M. Jones 747 26.0 N/A
Majority 1,378 48.0 N/A
Turnout 2,872 28.1 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ashton-Golborne[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Jones 2,054 69.2 N/A
Labour J. Hilton 2,042
Labour R. McEntegart 2,008
Conservative W. Corless 915 30.8 N/A
Conservative M. Gambles 855
Majority 1,139 38.4 N/A
Turnout 2,969 31.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Aspull-Standish[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Singer 2,188 47.0 N/A
Labour W. Mason 2,055
Labour A. Hitchmough 1,934
Conservative J. Wild 1,575 33.8 N/A
Conservative E. Slevin 1,390
Conservative J. Holland 1,375
Liberal M. Rutherford 893 19.2
Liberal J. Leeuwangh 758
Liberal P. Knowles 723
Majority 613 13.2 N/A
Turnout 4,656 46.5 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Atherton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Clarke 2,866 76.9 N/A
Labour J. Sumner 2,791
Labour L. Sumner 2,601
Conservative M. Sharland 862 23.1 N/A
Conservative B. France 752
Majority 2,004 53.8 N/A
Turnout 3,728 38.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Bedford-Astley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Jones 2,342 57.5 N/A
Labour H. Hayes 2,226
Labour J. Prytharch 2,165
Conservative S. Johnson 1,728 42.5 N/A
Conservative C. Hampson 1,539
Conservative S. Emerton 1,510
Majority 614 15.1 N/A
Turnout 4,070 41.6 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Beech Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Bishop 2,134 73.9 N/A
Labour J. Maloney 1,960
Labour G. Pullin 1,955
Conservative A. Atherton 754 26.1 N/A
Conservative J. Lawson 727
Conservative J. Wilkinson 653
Majority 1,380 47.8 N/A
Turnout 2,888 32.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Bryn[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Lockett 2,028 74.6 N/A
Labour A. Heckles 1,820
Labour R. Lyons 1,800
Conservative D. Gambles 691 25.4 N/A
Conservative C. Michaels 635
Majority 1,337 49.2 N/A
Turnout 2,719 29.0 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Hindley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Robinson 1,799 48.2 N/A
Labour T. Isherwood 1,725
Labour J. Bray 1,382
Independent Labour C. Priestley 1,265 33.9 N/A
Conservative T. Sharples 667 17.9 N/A
Majority 534 14.3 N/A
Turnout 3,731 39.7 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Hindley Green[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Harrison 1,665 66.3 N/A
Labour R. McAllister 1,552
Labour T. Wynn 1,474
Residents J. Venables 846 33.7 N/A
Majority 819 32.6 N/A
Turnout 2,511 23.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Hindsford[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Devlin 2,473 68.7 N/A
Labour S. Little 2,426
Labour A. Wright 2,392
Conservative E. Valentine 1,128 31.3 N/A
Conservative H. Davies 1,091
Majority 1,345 37.4 N/A
Turnout 3,601 33.9 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Hope Carr[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Roberts 2,391 57.1 N/A
Labour F. Newton 2,378
Labour J. Hession 2,239
Conservative B. Powell 1,800 42.9 N/A
Conservative R. Goodwin 1,726
Conservative D. Powell 1,713
Majority 591 14.1 N/A
Turnout 4,191 44.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Ince[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Banks 1,651 78.0 N/A
Labour R. Taylor 1,439
Labour A. Rowlandson 1,437
Conservative C. Jones 466 22.0 N/A
Majority 1,185 56.0 N/A
Turnout 2,117 25.7 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Langtree[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. Pigott 2,348 46.7 N/A
Liberal E. Hill 1,786
Liberal P. Davies 1,722
Labour J. Hardy 1,516 30.1 N/A
Labour T. Morris 1,336
Labour D. Standring 1,202
Conservative M. Frost 1,169 23.2 N/A
Majority 832 16.5 N/A
Turnout 5,033 49.8 N/A
Liberal win (new seat)
Liberal win (new seat)
Liberal win (new seat)
Leigh Central[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Macdonald 2,309 72.7 N/A
Labour P. Hull 2,204
Labour P. Smith 2,112
Conservative M. Stott 706 22.2 N/A
Conservative G. Byrne 701
Communist H. Kedward 159 5.0 N/A
Majority 1,603 50.5 N/A
Turnout 3,174 35.2 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Leigh East[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Riley 1,987 55.5 N/A
Labour D. Caley 1,874
Labour T. Harper 1,869
Conservative M. Wood 1,591 44.5 N/A
Conservative H. Yates 1,501
Conservative K. Price 1,477
Majority 396 11.1 N/A
Turnout 3,578 36.1 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Lightshaw[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Holt 2,541 66.7 N/A
Labour B. Strett 2,538
Labour B. Strett 2,511
Conservative T. Thompson 1,268 33.3 N/A
Conservative A. Emmett 1,248
Conservative J. Harrison 1,189
Majority 1,273 33.4 N/A
Turnout 3,809 49.9 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Newtown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Peet 2,017 77.9 N/A
Labour M. Milligan 2,004
Labour J. Bridge 1,956
Conservative D. Hill 571 22.1 N/A
Majority 1,446 55.9 N/A
Turnout 2,588 27.5 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Norley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E. Maddocks 2,237 81.6 N/A
Labour J. Smith 2,129
Labour N. Turner 2,070
Conservative M. Hill 279 10.2 N/A
Liberal G. Foster 226 8.2 N/A
Liberal P. Gibbons 184
Majority 1,958 71.4 N/A
Turnout 2,742 31.5 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Orrell[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative F. Fairbairn 1,809 38.5 N/A
Labour R. Capstick 1,674 35.6 N/A
Conservative J. Hitchen 1,552
Conservative M. Fox 1,546
Labour E. Nickeas 1,517
Labour J. Roberts 1,377
Residents R. Kemp 978 20.8 N/A
Liberal K. Mason 242 5.1 N/A
Majority 35 2.9 N/A
Turnout 47,03 47.7 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Swinley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. France 1,739 54.5 N/A
Conservative G. Lewthwaite 1,698
Conservative C. Giles 1,633
Labour M. Pendleton 827 25.9 N/A
Labour K. Green 818
Labour H. Antill 797
Liberal B. Barber 627 19.6 N/A
Liberal A. Robinson 507
Liberal J. Grayson 463
Majority 912 28.6 N/A
Turnout 3,193 34.7 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Tyldesley East[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Woodcock 2,200 57.8 N/A
Labour F. Walker 2,154
Labour J. Burke 2,099
Conservative K. Hampson 980 25.7 N/A
Conservative J. Davies 929
Liberal G. Pickthall 626 16.4 N/A
Liberal L. Seal 615
Liberal J. Seal 609
Majority 1,220 32.1 N/A
Turnout 3,806 41.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Whelley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Coyle 2,069 74.6 N/A
Labour M. Pratt 2,026
Labour W. Pendleton 2,012
Conservative G. Whittle 703 25.4 N/A
Conservative D. Fitton 681
Majority 1,366 49.3 N/A
Turnout 2,772 31.4 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Winstanley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Whittle 1,582 37.5 N/A
Labour G. Taberner 1,528
Labour E. Naylor 1,487
Conservative A. Foster 1,144 27.1 N/A
Conservative J. Michaels 1,068
Conservative E. Bell 1,067
Residents C. Hughes 674 16.0 N/A
Liberal K. Higham 672 15.9 N/A
Liberal J. Fitzpatrick 657
Independent G. Barlow 149 3.5 N/A
Majority 438 10.4 N/A
Turnout 4,221 40.8 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Worsley Mesnes[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W. Brogan 2,100 76.0 N/A
Labour J. Baldwin 2,017
Labour H. Milligan 1,946
Conservative A. Edwards 662 24.0 N/A
Conservative R. Rogers 641
Conservative J. Unsworth 565
Majority 1,438 52.0 N/A
Turnout 2,762 28.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.