1979 Guildford Borough Council election

The third Guildford Borough Council full-council elections were held on 3 May 1979, the same day as the General Election. The Conservatives retained control over the council winning 34 of the 45 seats. This represented a net loss of one seat from the 1976 elections. Labour retained all 6 councillors in its two strongholds Stoke and Westborough. The Liberals won 3 seats, a net gain of one seat from the 1976 elections. The Independents won 2 seats.

Measured from a party point of view, four wards changed hands partly or wholly in 1979, compared to the previous full-council elections in 1976. In two of those wards the councillors stayed the same but fought under a different party label. In Tongham a councillor who had been elected as an Independent Conservative in 1976 was reelected as a Conservative in 1979. The reverse occurred in Lovelace where a councillor who had been elected as a Conservative in 1976 was reelected as an Independent in 1979.

The Liberals lost their only seat in Holy Trinity ward to the Conservatives, but gained two of the three seats in Stoughton ward from the Conservatives.

Results[edit]

^[1]

Ash (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	JG Ades	3157
	Conservative	Mrs RC Hall	2957
	Conservative	RK Arnett	2864
	Labour	Mrs J Curwell	1849
	Labour	PD Green	1669
	Labour	AR Roberts	1627
Majority			1015
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ash Vale (top 2 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Mrs JB Golding	1830
	Conservative	Mrs MJ Lloyd-Jones	1748
	Labour	ML Hawkins	743
	Labour	BJK Thompson	695
Majority			1005
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Christchurch (top 2 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	J Twining	2429
	Conservative	A Hodges	2428
	Labour	Ms S Arber	455
Majority			1973
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Clandon & Horsley (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	M Whittingdale	3448
	Conservative	G Greenhead	3281
	Conservative	D May	3237
	Liberal	F Oxford	1760
	Labour	Ms D Dyer	604
	Labour	H Richards	523
Majority			1477
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Effingham (only 1 candidate elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	P Tyrwhitt-Drake	1075
	Liberal	P McCarthy	338
	Labour	Miss F Lines	157
Majority			737
	Conservative hold		Swing

Friary & St. Nicolas (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	RE Blundell	1854
	Conservative	Mrs J Harris	1775
	Conservative	DS Cobbet	1736
	Conservative	SE Moss	1592
	Liberal	RJ Marks	1564
	Liberal	Mrs B O'Hara	1438
	Labour	BK Chesterton	731
	Labour	DG Hopkins	687
	Labour	AF Daborn	659
Majority			144
	Liberal hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Holy Trinity ^[2](top 2 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	J Boyce	1845
	Conservative	Mrs E Cobbett	1693
	Liberal	G Maynard	1197
	Liberal	D O'Donghue	1049
	Labour	J Dale	282
	Labour	Mrs J Daborn	231
Majority			496
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Lovelace (only 1 candidate elected)^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	R Amis	1040
	Independent	L Donoghue	355
Majority			685
	Independent gain from Conservative		Swing

Merrow & Burpham (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	RHG Beatrip	2694
	Conservative	SR Brearley	2542
	Conservative	Mrs MO Uniacke	2385
	Liberal	AR Dakers	1340
	Liberal	CJ Oliver	1320
	Labour	G Hall	1088
	Labour	MP Hill	1078
	Labour	MP Hornsby-Smith	1066
Majority			1045
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Normandy (only 1 candidate elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	AA Cook	1080
	Labour	PJ Dyson	647
Majority			433
	Conservative hold		Swing

Onslow (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Mrs B Woodhatch	1660
	Conservative	K Johns	1625
	Conservative	B Parke	1607
	Liberal	Mrs L Strudwick	1049
	Liberal	S Hemelryk	1010
	Liberal	K Borthwick	1008
	Labour	J Cox	844
	Labour	Mrs C Rogers	805
	Labour	Mrs L Harper	754
Majority			558
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Pilgrims (top 2 candidate elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	JP Moore	1668
	Conservative	MAHM Williamson	1596
	Labour	Mrs JL Godward	432
	Labour	GE Dinnage	384
Majority			1164
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Pirbright (only 1 candidate elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Mrs CF Cobley	819
	Labour	MC Yates	214
Majority			605
	Conservative hold		Swing

Send (top 2 candidates elected)
	Candidate	Votes
Conservative	S Roberts	returned unopposed
Conservative	G Smith	returned unopposed
Conservative hold		Swing
Conservative hold		Swing

Shalford (only 1 candidate elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Mrs ECS Stewart	1067
	Independent	GA Goulty	533
	Liberal	L Grugeon	330
	Labour	GH Herrington	304
Majority			534
	Conservative hold		Swing

Stoke (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	GR Bellerby^[4]	3062
	Labour	R Burgess	2429
	Labour	Mrs E Pullan	2263
	Conservative	R Gregory	919
	Conservative	H Harris	888
	Conservative	P Hooper	762
	Liberal	Mrs M Goldstone	649
Majority			1344
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Stoughton (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	CJ Fox	1650
	Conservative	WR Jordan	1595
	Liberal	Mrs S Holroyd	1591
	Liberal	PJ Goldstone	1542
	Conservative	LJ May	1513
	Conservative	RE Price	1441
	Labour	Mrs LA Dollery	786
	Labour	PV Cole	733
	Labour	C Pitt	708
Majority			49
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Tillingbourne (top 2 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Mrs MR Elston	2084
	Conservative	Miss BA Pattman	1915
	Liberal	TN Wills	1288
Majority			627
	Independent hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Tongham ^[5](only 1 candidate elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	PM Davies	431
	Independent	AP Cross	239
	Labour	WR Owen	234
		BHF Cobb	107
		RT Oliver	68
Majority			192
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Westborough (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Mrs D Bellerby	2601
	Labour	J Dale	2189
	Labour	J Patrick	2141
	Conservative	G Scott	1212
	Conservative	R Majoribanks	1187
	Conservative	R Shorto	1092
	Liberal	K Briggs	868
	Liberal	J West	685
	Liberal	Mrs D Nithsdale	672
Majority			929
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Worplesdon (top 3 candidates elected)
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	G Hellicar	2615
	Conservative	F Ross-Symons	2547
	Conservative	Ms C Griffin	2222
	Liberal	P Stokoe	1589
	Independent	H Cater	1426
	Labour	Ms P Yates	978
	Labour	R Shred	893
Majority			633
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

References[edit]

^ Surrey Advertiser May 1979
^ Gains and losses are shown relative to the May 1976 council elections.
^ Although this is described as a gain, the same candidate retained his seat. In 1976 he had stood as a Conservative but in 1979 he stood as an independent, unopposed by any official Conservative candidate.
^ GR Bellerby was more commonly known as Bill Bellerby. He appears in every Surrey Advertiser summary of Guildford BC election results from 1973 to 1991 as either B Bellerby or Bill Bellerby. For example both the 1973 and 1976 results list all other candidates in all the wards in Guildford by initials except one who they list as 'Bill Bellerby'. "Guildford Borough Council - A Compendium of Municipal Election results 1835 to 1974" by Roger Ottewill repeated lists his initials as 'GR Bellerby' and that form is used herein.
^ Although this is described as a gain, the same candidate retained his seat. In 1976 he had stood as an Independent Conservative but in 1979 he stood as an official Conservative candidate.

[1] Surrey Advertiser May 1979

[2] Gains and losses are shown relative to the May 1976 council elections.

[3] Although this is described as a gain, the same candidate retained his seat. In 1976 he had stood as a Conservative but in 1979 he stood as an independent, unopposed by any official Conservative candidate.

[4] GR Bellerby was more commonly known as Bill Bellerby. He appears in every Surrey Advertiser summary of Guildford BC election results from 1973 to 1991 as either B Bellerby or Bill Bellerby. For example both the 1973 and 1976 results list all other candidates in all the wards in Guildford by initials except one who they list as 'Bill Bellerby'. "Guildford Borough Council - A Compendium of Municipal Election results 1835 to 1974" by Roger Ottewill repeated lists his initials as 'GR Bellerby' and that form is used herein.

[5] Although this is described as a gain, the same candidate retained his seat. In 1976 he had stood as an Independent Conservative but in 1979 he stood as an official Conservative candidate.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Council elections in Surrey
Surrey County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1965 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
Elmbridge Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Guildford Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Mole Valley District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Runnymede Borough Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Spelthorne Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Surrey Heath Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Tandridge District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023
Waverley Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Woking Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023
See also: Wards Boundary changes Middlesex County Council elections (1889–1965)

v t e (1978 ←) 1979 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1980)
Metropolitan boroughs	Barnsley Birmingham Bradford Bolton Bury Calderdale Coventry Doncaster Dudley Gateshead Kirklees Knowsley Leeds Liverpool Manchester Newcastle North Tyneside Oldham Rochdale Rotherham Salford Sandwell Sefton Sheffield Solihull South Tyneside St Helens Stockport Sunderland Tameside Trafford Wakefield Walsall Wigan Wirral Wolverhampton
District councils (England)	Adur Allerdale Alnwick Amber Valley Arun Ashfield Ashford Aylesbury Vale Babergh Barrow-in-Furness Basildon Basingstoke and Deane Bassetlaw Bath Beaconsfield Berwick-upon-Tweed Beverley Blaby Blackburn Blackpool Blyth Valley Bolsover Boothferry Boston Bournemouth Bracknell Braintree Breckland Brentwood Bridgnorth Brighton Bristol Broadland Bromsgrove Broxbourne Broxtowe Burnley Cambridge Cannock Chase Canterbury Caradon Carlisle Carrick Castle Morpeth Castle Point Charnwood Chelmsford Cheltenham Cherwell Chester Chesterfield Chester-le-Street Chichester Chiltern Chorley Christchurch Cleethorpes Colchester Congleton Copeland Corby Cotswold Craven Crawley Crewe and Nantwich Dacorum Darlington Dartford Daventry Derby Derwentside Dover Durham Easington East Cambridgeshire East Devon East Hampshire East Hertfordshire East Lindsey East Northamptonshire East Staffordshire Eastbourne Eastleigh Eden Ellesmere Port and Neston Elmbridge Epping Forest Epsom and Ewell Erewash Exeter Fareham Fenland Forest Heath Forest of Dean Fylde Gedling Gillingham Glanford Gloucester Gosport Gravesham Great Yarmouth Grimsby Guildford Halton Hambleton Harborough Harlow Harrogate Hart Hartlepool Hastings Havant Hereford Hertsmere High Peak Hinckley and Bosworth Holderness Horsham Hove Huntingdon Hyndburn Ipswich Kennet Kerrier Kettering Kingston upon Hull Kingswood Lancaster Langbaurgh Leicester Leominster Lewes Lichfield Lincoln Luton Macclesfield Maidstone Maldon Malvern Hills Mansfield Medina Medway Melton Mendip Mid Bedfordshire Mid Devon Mid Suffolk Mid Sussex Middlesbrough Milton Keynes Mole Valley New Forest Newark Newbury Newcastle-under-Lyme North Bedfordshire North Cornwall North Devon North Dorset North East Derbyshire North Hertfordshire North Kesteven North Norfolk North Shropshire North Warwickshire North West Leicestershire North Wiltshire North Wolds Northampton Northavon Norwich Nottingham Nuneaton Oadby and Wigston Oswestry Oxford Pendle Penwith Peterborough Plymouth Poole Portsmouth Preston Purbeck Reading Redditch Reigate and Banstead Restormel Ribble Valley Richmondshire Rochford Rossendale Rother Rugby Runnymede Rushcliffe Rushmoor Rutland Ryedale Salisbury Scarborough Scunthorpe Sedgefield Sedgemoor Selby Sevenoaks Shepway Shrewsbury and Atcham Slough South Bedfordshire South Cambridgeshire South Derbyshire South Hams South Herefordshire South Holland South Kesteven South Lakeland South Norfolk South Northamptonshire South Oxfordshire South Ribble South Shropshire South Staffordshire South Wight Southampton Southend-on-Sea Spelthorne St Albans St Edmundsbury Stafford Staffordshire Moorlands Stevenage Stockton-on-Tees Stoke-on-Trent Stratford-on-Avon Stroud Suffolk Coastal Surrey Heath Swale Tamworth Tandridge Taunton Deane Teesdale Teignbridge Tendring Test Valley Tewkesbury Thamesdown Thanet The Wrekin Three Rivers Thurrock Tonbridge and Malling Torbay Torridge Tunbridge Wells Tynedale Uttlesford Vale of White Horse Vale Royal Wansbeck Wansdyke Warrington Warwick Watford Waveney Waverley Wealden Wear Valley Wellingborough Welwyn Hatfield West Derbyshire West Devon West Dorset West Lancashire West Lindsey West Norfolk West Oxfordshire West Somerset West Wiltshire Weymouth and Portland Wimborne Winchester Windsor and Maidenhead Woking Wokingham Woodspring Worcester Worthing Wychavon Wycombe Wyre Wyre Forest Yeovil York
District councils (Wales)	Aberconwy Afan Alyn and Deeside Anglesey - Ynys Môn Arfon Blaenau Gwent Brecknock Cardiff Carmarthen Ceredigion Colwyn Cynon Valley Delyn Dinefwr Dwyfor Glyndŵr Islwyn Llanelli Lliw Valley Meirionnydd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouth Montgomery Neath Newport Ogwr Preseli Radnor Rhondda Rhuddlan Rhymney Valley South Pembrokeshire Swansea Taff-Ely Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham Maelor
Referendums	Scottish devolution Welsh devolution
See also: UK General election European Parliament election