1976 United Kingdom local elections


Local elections were held in the United Kingdom on 6 May 1976. Elections were for one third of the seats on Metropolitan borough councils and for all seats on Non-Metropolitan district councils in England; and for all seats on the Welsh district councils.
The elections were the first electoral test for the new Prime Minister James Callaghan, and were a major reverse for the ruling Labour Party. The opposition Conservative party made large gains of seats and control of councils at the expense of both Labour and the Liberal Party.
The Conservatives easily gained control of their principal target council, Birmingham. The new administration in the city pledged to reintroduce the sale of council houses, which had been stopped by the previous Labour-controlled council. Control of another five metropolitan borough councils were gained by the Conservatives at Labour's expense. The party also gained numerous non-metropolitan districts, including large towns and cities such as Derby, Exeter, Ipswich, Leicester, Luton, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Peterborough and York.
Major English councils held by Labour included Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
Break-away groups from the official Labour Party achieved success in two districts. The Lincoln Democratic Labour Association retained control of the city council. The association had been formed following the expulsion of local member of parliament, Dick Taverne from the party. In Blyth Valley the Independent Labour Party gained nine seats from the official Labour candidates. The ILP were supporters of Eddie Milne, former MP for Blyth. Milne had been expelled from Labour in April 1974. Labour lost control of North East Derbyshire, where all the party's seats in Clay Cross passed to Ratepayer candidates. The town had been the scene of a dispute between the former urban district council and the government over the Housing Finance Act.
The Liberals lost control of their only local authority, Liverpool City Council. Labour became the largest party on the council, which was under no overall control.
In Wales, the dominant position of Labour was overturned. Major Labour losses were Cardiff and Newport to the Conservatives, Swansea to Ratepayers and Merthyr Tydfil to Plaid Cymru.

Summary of results

England

Metropolitan boroughs

DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalIndependentOtherControlDetails
BarnsleySouth Yorkshire139 5 0Ratepayers 11

Independent Labour 4 		Labour holdDetails
BirminghamWest Midlands66 52 800Conservative gain from LabourDetails
BoltonGreater Manchester43 20 2 4 0Conservative holdDetails
BradfordWest Yorkshire61 27 5 00Conservative holdDetails
BuryGreater Manchester36 11 1 00Conservative holdDetails
CalderdaleWest Yorkshire34 13 4 00Conservative holdDetails
CoventryWest Midlands26 28 000Labour holdDetails
DoncasterSouth Yorkshire17 35 04 Ratepayers 3

Democratic Labour 1		Labour holdDetails
DudleyWest Midlands37 26 2 0Independent Socialist 1Conservative gain from LabourDetails
GatesheadTyne and Wear13 59 4 1 Rent and Ratepayers 1Labour holdDetails
KirkleesWest Yorkshire38 25 9 0 0Conservative gain from LabourDetails
KnowsleyMerseyside17 42 2 0Kirkby Householders Federation 2Labour holdDetails
LeedsWest Yorkshire50 38 8 00Conservative gain from NOCDetails
LiverpoolMerseyside17 4240 00NOCDetails
ManchesterGreater Manchester4554000Labour holdDetails
Newcastle upon TyneTyne and Wear29 44 3 +120Labour holdDetails
North TynesideTyne and Wear28 44 8 40Labour holdDetails
OldhamGreater Manchester28 20 8 10Labour lose to NOCDetails
RochdaleGreater Manchester31 19 10 00Conservative gain from NOCDetails
RotherhamSouth Yorkshire645030Labour holdDetails
St HelensMerseyside19 25 100Labour holdDetails
SalfordGreater Manchester24 38 20Tenants & Ratepayers 2 LabourDetails
SandwellWest Midlands39 51 000Labour holdDetails
SeftonMerseyside432131Ratepayers 1Conservative holdDetails
SheffieldSouth Yorkshire22 63 5 00LabourDetails
SolihullWest Midlands34 12 1Independent Resident 4 0Conservative holdDetails
South TynesideTyne and Wear434 30Progressive 24 Labour holdDetails
StockportGreater Manchester39 11 7 3 0Conservative holdDetails
SunderlandTyne and Wear26 49 210Labour holdDetails
TamesideGreater Manchester29 22 20Independent Labour 1Conservative gain from LabourDetails
TraffordGreater Manchester47 12 4 00Conservative holdDetails
WakefieldWest Yorkshire15 42 02Ratepayer 7 Labour holdDetails
WalsallWest Midlands2028 13 Ratepayers 7

Independent Labour 1		Labour lose to NOCDetails
WiganGreater Manchester14 56 11 0Labour holdDetails
WirralMerseyside4218600Conservative holdDetails
WolverhamptonWest Midlands24 34 00Ratepayers 2 Labour holdDetails
Totals1064 1199 154 3068 -

District councils

A

† New ward boundaries

B

† New ward boundaries

C

† New ward boundaries

D

† New ward boundaries

E

† New ward boundaries

F

† New ward boundaries

G

† Ward boundary changes

H

† New ward boundaries

I

K

† New ward boundaries

L

† New ward boundaries

M

† New ward boundaries

N

O

† New ward boundaries

P

† New ward boundaries

R

† New ward boundaries

S

† New ward boundaries

T

† New ward boundaries

U

† New ward boundaries

V

† New ward boundaries

W

† New ward boundaries

Y

Totals

Wales

District councils

DistrictCountyConservativeLabourLiberalPlaid CymruIndependentOtherControl
AberconwyGwynedd6 23030 0Independent hold
Alyn and DeesideClwyd822 607Ratepayers 2 Labour lose to NOC
AfanWest Glamorgan011 001 Tenants Association 6

Ratepayers 12 		Labour lose to NOC
ArfonGwynedd05 013 23 0Independent hold
Blaenau GwentGwent1265396Labour hold
BrecknockPowys81610290Independent hold
CardiffSouth Glamorgan44 29 000Ratepayers 2 Conservative gain from Labour
CarmarthenDyfed061 029 0Independent hold
CeredigionDyfed03 7 2 30 1 vacancyIndependent hold
ColwynClwyd16 06 011 0Conservative gain from Independent
Cynon ValleyMid Glamorgan0023 9 2 Communist 1
Others 3		Labour hold
DelynClwyd2 15 1 2 16Ratepayers 4NOC
DinefwrDyfed013 02 17 0Independent gain from Labour
DwyforGwynedd1006 22 0Independent hold
GlyndŵrClwyd0300300Independent hold
IslwynGwent016 07 9 Ratepayers 6

Independent Socialist 1

Others 1 		Labour lose to NOC
LlanelliDyfed024 2 1 6 0Labour hold
Lliw ValleyWest Glamorgan019 05 8 0Labour hold
MeirionyddGwynedd03 08 28 0Independent hold
Merthyr TydfilMid Glamorgan08 021 1Ratepayers 2

Independent Labour 1 		Plaid Cymru gain from Labour
MonmouthGwent30 7 0020Conservative hold
MontgomeryPowys1131 44 1 vacancyIndependent hold
NeathWest Glamorgan017 03 4Ratepayers 9 Labour hold
NewportGwent26 22 0 03 0Conservative gain from Labour
OgwrMid Glamorgan13 29 113 Ratepayers 10 Labour hold
PreseliDyfed0000430Independent hold
RadnorPowys0000310Independent hold
RhonddaMid Glamorgan1 21 02 3 Ratepayers 5
Communist 1		Labour hold
RhuddlanClwyd1 01133 0Independent hold
Rhymney ValleyMid Glamorgan019 023 2Ratepayers 4Labour lose to NOC
South PembrokeshireDyfed0000 31 0Independent hold
SwanseaWest Glamorgan117013Ratepayers 29Ratepayers gain from Labour
Taff-ElyMid Glamorgan1 24 4 8 5 Tenants and Residents 3

Ratepayers 2 		Labour lose to NOC
TorfaenGwent1240110Ratepayers 6

Communist 1		Labour hold
Vale of GlamorganSouth Glamorgan33 10 0060Conservative gain from NOC
Wrexham MaelorClwyd7 20 22 140Labour lose to NOC
Ynys Môn Gwynedd0501 39 0Independent hold
Totals211 427 66 123 584 116