1976 North Hertfordshire District Council election
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All 48 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council 25 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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.