1976 Guildford Borough Council election

1976 UK local government election Weird formatting May 2019 March 2020 March 2020 The second Guildford Borough Council full-council elections were held on 6 May 1976. The Conservatives retained control of the council with an increased majority, winning 35 of the 45 seats. When Guildford Borough Council was created under the Local Government Act 1972 the electoral wards used were largely based on the wards and parish boundaries which had existed under the two previous councils - Guildford Municipal Borough Council (the town council) and Guildford Rural District Council, which together had been merged to form the new Guildford Borough Council. There had been a slight degree of rewarding in the run up to the 1973 council election.See Guildford Borough Council - A Compendium of Municipal Election Results 1835 to 1974 by Roger Ottewill. For example, the pre 1973 Friary ward and pre 1973 St Nicolas ward were merged into a new Friary & St Nicolas ward. Complete rewarding though would only be completed in time for the 1976 elections.The Borough of Guildford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 The main changes to the electoral wards in the run up to the 1976 elections were as follows - Ash ward (5 councillors) was split into two wards Ash (3 councillors) plus Ash Vale (2 councillors); A new Christchurch ward (2 councillors) was created from part of the Stoke ward and part of the Merrow & Burpham ward;From 1904 to 1933 there had been an electoral ward in this area of Guildford Municipal Borough Council called Christchurch. From 1933 to 1951 its successor ward was known as Merrow & Christchurch. In 1951 the Christchurch ward name disappeared for what would be 25 years - see Twentieth Century Local Election Results Vol 5 Guildford compiled by Roger Ottewill, published by University of Plymouth. As a result of this Merrow & Burpham ward reduced from 5 councillors to 3. However the geographically reduced Stoke ward still retained its 3 councillors; Artington, Compton, Puttenham, Seale and Tongham, Shackleford and Wanborough ward (2 councillors) was split into two wards Tongham (1 councillor), plus Pilgrims (2 councillors). This represented a gain of one councillor for this area; Stoughton saw the number of councillors represent it increase from 2 to 3; Worplesdon also saw the number of councillors represent it increase from 2 to 3; Albury, Shere and St Martha's ward (2 councillors) was renamed Tillingbourne (2 councillors); East Clandon, West Clandon, East Horsley and West Horsley ward (3 councillors) was renamed Clandon and Horsley (3 councillors); and Ripley, Wisley and Ockham ward (1 councillor) was renamed Lovelace (1 councillor). In the 1976 election the Liberals lost three seats reducing their representation from 5 to 2. They lost one councillor in Clandon & Horsley (previously called East Clandon, West Clandon, East Horsley and West Horsley). They lost 2 of their 3 councillors in Friary & St Nicolas. Labour retained all 6 councillors in its two strongholds Stoke and Westborough. The Conservatives increased their number of councillors from 29 to 35, a figure which up to and including 2011 still remained a record for any party in a full Guildford Borough Council election. The Conservatives 6 gains included 3 gains from the Liberals - 2 in Friary & St Nicolas and 1 in Clandon & Horsley. The Conservatives gained 1 seat from an Independent in Tillingbourne (previously known as Aldbury, Shere and St Martha's) and made 2 gains as a result of an increase in the number of councillors representing the Stoughton and Worplesdon wards. A total of 2 independents were elected. Independents lost one councillor in Tillingbourne, but gained one in the new Tongham ward where the elected candidate was described as an Independent Conservative. That Independent Conservative then went on to stand at the next full council election, in 1979, as the official Conservative candidate for the Tongham ward. Results by ward Ash (top 3 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) JG Ades 1543 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs RC Hall 1446 Conservative Party (UK) BM Llewellyn 1412 Labour Party (UK) Mrs J Curwell 753 Labour Party (UK) AR Roberts 701 Labour Party (UK) PD Green 695 659 Ash Vale (top 2 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) Mrs IF Towler 971 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs JB Golding 936 Labour Party (UK) Miss MI Hawkins 319 Labour Party (UK) E Bones 289 617 Christchurch (top 2 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) JP Twining 1552 Conservative Party (UK) AJE Hodges 1531 Labour Party (UK) J Wyer 221 Labour Party (UK) MA Ridgway 213 1310 Clandon & Horsley (top 3 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) DA May 2063 Conservative Party (UK) MF Meredith 1939 Conservative Party (UK) GF Farrar 1688 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs PM Iliff 1528 Liberal Party (UK) WH Pearson 1115 Liberal Party (UK) FA Oxford 951 160 Effingham (only 1 candidate elected) Conservative Party (UK) Col BP Trywhitt-Drake 678 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs JH Ormond 276 402 Friary & St. Nicolas (top 3 candidates elected) Liberal Party (UK) Dr RE Blundell 1074 Conservative Party (UK) DS Cobbett 1052 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs J Harris 1038 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs MF Bateman 1015 Conservative Party (UK) AJ Spanner 970 Liberal Party (UK) RG Marks 957 Labour Party (UK) Mrs J Henman 421 Labour Party (UK) M Mennel 372 Labour Party (UK) Mrs G Lines 353 23 Holy Trinity (top 2 candidates elected) Liberal Party (UK) BAH Banks 1207 Conservative Party (UK) CJK Boyce 1118 Conservative Party (UK) HA Wainwright 1020 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs PJ Maynard 887 98 Lovelace (only 1 candidate elected) Conservative Party (UK) DAG Gibbs unopposed Merrow & Burpham (top 3 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) Mrs MM Walls 1938 Conservative Party (UK) RHG Beatrip 1655 Conservative Party (UK) SG Brearley 1606 Liberal Party (UK) BR Avery 531 Labour Party (UK) D Wynne 513 Liberal Party (UK) AR Dakers 494 Liberal Party (UK) CJ Oliver 471 Labour Party (UK) MP Hill 406 Labour Party (UK) G Hall 396 1075 Normandy (only 1 candidate elected) Conservative Party (UK) AA Cook 670 Labour Party (UK) PJ Dyson 366 304 Onslow (top 3 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) Mrs PE Harding 1332 Conservative Party (UK) TR Hawke 1113 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs BM Woodhatch 1085 Liberal Party (UK) SH Elston 625 Labour Party (UK) J Cox 570 Labour Party (UK) Mrs CA Rogers 498 Labour Party (UK) Mrs LM Harper 495 Liberal Party (UK) AJ Phillips 488 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs L Strudwick 409 460 Pilgrims (top 2 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) JD Harris 1130 Conservative Party (UK) JP Moore 1117 Labour Party (UK) Mrs J Bridgewater 203 Labour Party (UK) C Hardiman 202 814 Pirbright (only 1 candidate elected) Conservative Party (UK) RH Amis unopposed Send (top 2 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) Mrs MH Sanger 945 Conservative Party (UK) SE Roberts 902 Labour Party (UK) Mrs JM Haimes 207 695 Shalford (only 1 candidate elected) Conservative Party (UK) Mrs ECS Stewart 777 Independent (politician) GA Goulty 487 290 Stoke (top 3 candidates elected) Labour Party (UK) GR BellerbyGR 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. 2093 Labour Party (UK) RGK Burgess 1551 Labour Party (UK) Mrs E Pullan 1456 Conservative Party (UK) HE Harris 723 Mr Laurence has the description "(Lab)" printed next to his name in the Surrey Advertiser results of 7/8 May 1976. It is believed that this is a misprint and should read "(Con)". The reason why Mr Laurence is believed to be a Conservative candidate rather than Labour candidate are - a) there are already three other Labour candidates listed in the newspaper for this three ward seat and any party putting up more candidates than positions available would only reduce their average vote and consequently reduce their chance of election which is highly unlikely; b) the number of votes Mr Laurence received fell between the numbers received by the two candidates described in the newspaper as Conservatives, but around 900 fewer votes than would have been expected if he had been a Labour candidate in this ward in this election; and c) there are only two candidates described as Conservatives in the newspaper for this ward in this election and it would be highly unusual in this era in Guildford for the Conservative not to challenge either the Liberals or Labour with their full quota of candidates, although the Conservatives on a number of occasions did not oppose Independents seeking election in Guildford during this era. PM Laurence 577 Conservative Party (UK) JR Williams 552 733 Stoughton (top 3 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) WR Jordan 1298 Conservative Party (UK) LJ May 1259 Conservative Party (UK) RE Price 1220 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs S Holyroyd 780 Liberal Party (UK) GW Maynard 725 Liberal Party (UK) KL Humphries 722 Labour Party (UK) JFahy 669 Labour Party (UK) SW Cosser 570 Labour Party (UK) OJE Sefton 563 440 Tillingbourne (top 2 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) MP Dallyn 1099 Independent (politician) Mrs MR Elston 998 Independent (politician) GA Witheridge 772 Conservative Party (UK) PRJ Rock de Besombes 642 Independent (politician) Mrs M Ellenger 378 226 Tongham (only 1 candidate elected) Independent Conservative PM Davies 184 Independent (politician) RT Oliver 181 3 Westborough (top 3 candidates elected) Labour Party (UK) Mrs DW Bellerby 1473 Labour Party (UK) JB Patrick 1279 Labour Party (UK) JR Dale 1272 Conservative Party (UK) BJ Gibbs 741 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs DM Hall 703 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs EM Cobbett 674 Liberal Party (UK) KG Briggs 518 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs BS Redclift 389 Liberal Party (UK) MWJ Morris 385 531 Worplesdon (top 3 candidates elected) Conservative Party (UK) DW Reeds 1090 Conservative Party (UK) Mrs SE Simkins 1074 Conservative Party (UK) GF Hellicar 1040 Independent (politician) H Cater 836 Liberal Party (UK) PJ Stokoe 575 Liberal Party (UK) Mrs JW Trindles 487 204 Surrey Advertiser 7–8 May 1976 References 1976 Category:1976 English local elections Category:1970s in Surrey Category:May 1976 in the United Kingdom