1979 Colchester Borough Council election

1979 Colchester Borough Council election

20 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council 31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	73.9% (31.2%)
First party Second party   Party Conservative Labour Last election 37 seats, 53.1% 21 seats, 41.7% Seats won 13 6 Seats after 36 21 Seat change 1 Popular vote 30,316 22,644 Percentage 50.2% 37.5% Swing 2.9% 4.2%   Third party Fourth party   Party Tiptree Residents Independent Last election 1 seat1, 2.2% 1 seat, 0.0% Seats won 1 0 Seats after 2 1 Seat change 1 Popular vote 2,541 0 Percentage 4.2% 0.0% Swing 2.0% N/A
Winner of each seat at the 1979 Colchester Borough Council election
Council control before election Conservative Council control after election Conservative

Elections to Colchester Borough Council were held in 1979 alongside other local elections across the country.

Summary

1979 Colchester Borough Council election[1]
Party		This election			Full council			This election
		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Conservative	13	1	65.0	23	36	60.0	30,316	50.2	–2.9
	Labour	6		30.0	15	21	35.0	22,644	37.5	–4.2
	Tiptree Residents	1	1	5.0	1	2	3.3	2,541	4.2	+2.0
	Independent	0		0.0	1	1	1.7	0	0.0	±0.0
	Liberal	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	4,867	8.1	+5.1

Ward results

Berechurch

Berechurch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. Howe	1,941	48.0	+7.5
	Conservative	V. Worth	1,388	34.3	–1.2
	Liberal	Martin Hunt	716	17.7	–6.3
Majority			553	13.7	+8.7
Turnout			4,045	73.5	+31.9
Registered electors			5,611
	Labour hold		Swing	3.9

Castle

Castle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Dunn	1,643	46.6	–10.3
	Conservative	A. Beevers	1,457	41.3	+4.4
	Liberal	William Spyvee	425	12.1	+5.9
Majority			186	5.3	–14.7
Turnout			3,525	73.7	+23.3
Registered electors			4,861
	Labour hold		Swing	7.4

Copford & Eight Ash Green

Copford & Eight Ash Green

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Wilde	1,139	73.0	–3.6
	Labour	V. McAndrew	422	27.0	+3.6
Majority			717	45.9	–7.3
Turnout			1,561	78.5	+30.9
Registered electors			2,012
	Conservative hold		Swing	3.6

Great & Little Horksley

Great & Little Horksley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Knighton	1,086	78.1	N/A
	Labour	J. Coombes	305	21.9	N/A
Majority			781	56.2	N/A
Turnout			1,391	80.7	N/A
Registered electors			1,744
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Great Tey

Great Tey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Browning	912	80.6	N/A
	Labour	Jean Quinn	220	19.4	N/A
Majority			692	61.1	N/A
Turnout			1,132	78.7	N/A
Registered electors			1,451
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Harbour

Harbour

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. Smith	2,019	53.5	–2.9
	Conservative	M. Coyne	1,756	46.5	+2.9
Majority			263	7.0	–5.9
Turnout			3,775	77.1	+28.3
Registered electors			4,971
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	2.9

Lexden

Lexden

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C. Sargeant	1,942	61.9	–19.6
	Liberal	Ian Trusler	690	22.0	N/A
	Labour	R. Lown	504	16.1	–2.4
Majority			1,252	39.9	–23.1
Turnout			3,136	80.1	+31.9
Registered electors			3,969
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Mile End

Mile End

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Fulton	1,619	60.5	–7.3
	Labour	Tim Oxton	1,059	39.5	+7.3
Majority			560	20.9	–14.7
Turnout			2,678	75.8	+30.9
Registered electors			3,579
	Conservative hold		Swing	7.3

New Town

New Town

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Williams	2,052	60.8	+4.2
	Conservative	L. Leader	1,323	39.2	+2.0
Majority			729	21.6	+2.2
Turnout			3,375	75.3	+30.6
Registered electors			4,548
	Labour hold		Swing	1.1

No Liberal candidate as previous (–6.2).

Prettygate

Prettygate

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	F. Klayter	2,173	54.1	–14.6
	Labour	B. Sawyer	1,091	27.2	–4.1
	Liberal	M. Fisher	750	18.7	N/A
Majority			1,082	27.0	–8.7
Turnout			4,014	82.7	+37.1
Registered electors			4,924
	Conservative hold		Swing	5.3

Pyefleet

Pyefleet

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Parsonson	768	75.9	+0.9
	Labour	J. Jopling	244	24.1	–0.9
Majority			524	51.8	+1.8
Turnout			1,012	83.5	+22.3
Registered electors			1,225
	Conservative hold		Swing	0.9

Shrub End

Shrub End

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Frank Wilkin	1,818	57.5	–1.8
	Conservative	M. Nicholls	1,345	42.5	+1.8
Majority			473	15.0	–3.6
Turnout			3,163	57.2	+24.4
Registered electors			5,601
	Labour hold		Swing	1.8

St. Andrews

St. Andrews

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Braddy	2,668	55.2	–11.8
	Conservative	T. McArdle	1,570	32.5	–0.5
	Liberal	Y. Holley	597	12.3	N/A
Majority			1,098	22.7	–11.3
Turnout			4,835	66.8	+35.9
Registered electors			7,341
	Labour hold		Swing	2.1

St. Annes

St. Annes

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Pawsey	1,649	50.1	+7.0
	Labour	J. Fraser	1,644	49.9	–7.0
Majority			5	0.2	N/A
Turnout			3,293	76.3	+34.0
Registered electors			4,389
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	7.0

St. Johns

St. Johns

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	B. West	1,782	64.3	–6.4
	Labour	C. Graves	991	35.7	+6.4
Majority			791	28.5	–12.8
Turnout			2,773	80.6	+33.9
Registered electors			3,481
	Conservative hold		Swing	6.4

St. Marys

St. Marys

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Spendlove	2,137	59.6	–6.5
	Labour	K. Taylor	819	22.9	+2.0
	Liberal	R. Baker	628	17.5	+4.5
Majority			1,318	36.8	–8.4
Turnout			3,584	75.9	+30.9
Registered electors			4,790
	Conservative hold		Swing	4.3

Stanway

Stanway

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Holloway	1,528	53.8	–0.5
	Labour	D. Rose	800	28.1	–17.6
	Liberal	M .Livermore	514	18.1	N/A
Majority			728	25.6	+17.0
Turnout			2,842	78.7	+30.5
Registered electors			3,661
	Conservative hold		Swing	9.6

Tiptree

Tiptree

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Tiptree Residents	J. Webb	2,541	58.0	+20.8
	Conservative	C. Cansdale	1,294	29.5	–19.3
	Liberal	I. Thurgood	547	12.5	N/A
Majority			1,247	28.5	N/A
Turnout			4,382	77.5	+42.1
Registered electors			5,653
	Tiptree Residents gain from Conservative		Swing	20.1

No Labour candidate as previous (–13.2).

West Mersea

West Mersea

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Williams	2,645	83.5	–4.0
	Labour	J. Hockenhull	523	16.5	+4.0
Majority			2,131	67.1	–8.0
Turnout			3,177	74.0	+37.3
Registered electors			4,238
	Conservative hold		Swing	4.0

Wivenhoe

Wivenhoe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Last	1,889	51.1	+5.1
	Labour	M. Dunne	1,811	48.9	–5.1
Majority			78	2.1	N/A
Turnout			3,700	75.3	+31.7
Registered electors			5,004
	Conservative hold		Swing	5.1

References

1. Colin Rallings; Michael Thrasher. "Colchester Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). www.electionscentre.co.uk. The Election Centre, Plymouth University.