UK local government election
1968 Manchester City Council election ← 1967 9 May 1968 (1968-05-09 ) 1969 →
41 of 152 seats to Manchester City Council 76 seats needed for a majority First party Second party Party Conservative Labour Seats before 80 72 Seats won 33 8 Seats after 91 61 Seat change 11 11 Popular vote 82,538 38,785 Percentage 62.4% 29.3%
Map of results of 1968 election
Leader of the Council before election Conservative
Leader of the Council after election Conservative
Elections to Manchester City Council were held on Thursday, 9 May 1968. One third of the councillors seats were up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a three-year term of office. The Conservative Party retained overall control of the council.[ 1] [ 2]
Election result Results of the 1968 Manchester City Council election Party Votes Seats Full Council Conservative Party 82,538 (62.4%) 33 (80.5%) 11 91 (59.9%) Labour Party 38,785 (29.3%) 8 (19.5%) 11 61 (40.1%) Liberal Party 9,465 (7.2%) 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) Communist Party 1,175 (0.9%) 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) Union Movement 183 (0.1%) 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) Independent 63 (0.01%) 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%)
Full council
Ward results
Alexandra Park Alexandra Park (2 vacancies) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. B. Chapman 3,475 69.3 Conservative M. Flynn 3,428 68.3 Liberal E. O. Tomlinson 1,147 22.9 Liberal F. Griffiths 1,104 22.0 Labour E. McKeon 394 7.9 Majority 2,281 45.4 Turnout 5,016 Conservative hold Swing Conservative hold Swing
All Saints' All Saints' Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour H. Conway* 309 52.3 Conservative F. Hewerdine 282 47.7 Majority 27 4.6 Turnout 591 Labour hold Swing
Ardwick Ardwick Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative G. Taylor 666 57.9 Labour K. J. Hill* 484 42.1 Majority 182 15.8 Turnout 1,150 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Baguley Baguley Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative I. K. Paley* 3,438 58.5 Labour F. H. Price 2,055 35.0 Liberal K. N. Medhurst 379 6.5 Majority 1,383 23.5 Turnout 5,872 Conservative hold Swing
Barlow Moor Barlow Moor Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative B. Moore* 1,977 57.9 Liberal R. H. Hargreaves 948 27.8 Labour D. G. Ford 490 14.3 Majority 1,029 30.1 Turnout 3,415 Conservative hold Swing
Benchill Benchill Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative B. Williams* 3,112 61.4 Labour R. L. Griffiths 1,815 35.8 Communist M. Taylor 142 2.8 Majority 1,297 25.6 Turnout 5,069 Conservative hold Swing
Beswick Beswick Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour J. G. Birtles* 922 62.2 Conservative R. Lilley 560 37.8 Majority 362 24.4 Turnout 1,482 Labour hold Swing
Blackley Blackley Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative W. Harper* 2,798 72.0 Labour A. E. Halliday 623 16.0 Liberal J. M. Ashley 463 11.9 Majority 2,175 56.0 Turnout 3,884 Conservative hold Swing
Bradford Bradford Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative D. Silverman 1,963 53.0 Labour J. E. Jackson* 1,645 44.4 Communist D. Maher 97 2.6 Majority 318 8.6 Turnout 3,705 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Burnage Burnage Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative H. Platt* 2,842 68.5 Labour J. F. Lilley 799 19.3 Liberal S. B. Downs 508 12.2 Majority 2,043 49.2 Turnout 4,149 Conservative hold Swing
Cheetham Cheetham Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative A. J. Walker 1,171 58.6 Labour J. Broderick* 702 35.1 Communist H. Ogden 126 6.3 Majority 469 23.5 Turnout 1,999 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Chorlton-cum-Hardy Chorlton-cum-Hardy Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative A. D. Ashley* 3,843 86.3 Labour A. Holland 609 13.7 Majority 3,234 72.6 Turnout 4,452 Conservative hold Swing
Collegiate Church Collegiate Church Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour R. F. Delahunty* 712 54.2 Conservative V. Taylor 535 40.8 Communist E. A. Whinney 66 5.0 Majority 177 13.4 Turnout 1,313 Labour hold Swing
Crumpsall Crumpsall Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative F. R. Butler* 3,794 60.0 Labour F. Balcombe 2,528 40.0 Majority 1,266 20.0 Turnout 6,322 Conservative hold Swing
Didsbury Didsbury Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative D. Lee* 4,207 78.2 Labour D. Beetham 637 11.8 Liberal S. Rose 540 10.0 Majority 3,570 66.4 Turnout 5,384 Conservative hold Swing
Gorton North Gorton North Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative G. H. Gilbertson 2,172 52.5 Labour W. Lister 1,786 43.2 Communist R. Felton 179 4.3 Majority 386 9.3 Turnout 4,137 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Gorton South Gorton South Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative L. H. Nield 1,764 56.8 Labour G. Conquest* 1,343 43.2 Majority 421 13.6 Turnout 3,107 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Harpurhey Harpurhey Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative E. F. Thornhill 1,332 59.0 Labour E. Grant* 924 41.0 Majority 408 18.0 Turnout 2,256 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Hugh Oldham Hugh Oldham Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour J. B. Ogden* 562 58.1 Conservative V. R. Catton 347 35.9 Liberal J. R. Clements 58 6.0 Majority 215 22.2 Turnout 967 Labour hold Swing
Levenshulme Levenshulme Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. K. Barber* 2,997 74.2 Labour S. Rimmer 691 17.1 Liberal R. P. Shippen 350 8.7 Majority 2,306 57.1 Turnout 4,038 Conservative hold Swing
Lightbowne Lightbowne Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative H. Pigott* 2,946 61.9 Labour K. Franklin 1,703 35.7 Communist R. Cole 114 2.4 Majority 1,243 26.2 Turnout 4,763 Conservative hold Swing
Longsight Longsight Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative A. Malpas* 1,748 78.1 Labour W. F. Lister 301 13.5 Communist H. Johnson 110 4.9 Union Movement J. R. Marsden 78 3.5 Majority 1,447 64.6 Turnout 2,237 Conservative hold Swing
Miles Platting Miles Platting Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative F. W. Lever 983 52.5 Labour J. S. Goldstone* 888 47.5 Majority 95 5.0 Turnout 1,871 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Moss Side East Moss Side East Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. F. Ridley 1,382 55.8 Labour W. A. Downward* 938 37.9 Liberal M. Howard 157 6.3 Majority 444 17.9 Turnout 2,477 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Moss Side West Moss Side West Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative S. Alexander* 1,622 76.3 Labour S. N. Moxley 329 15.5 Liberal L. J. Howard 176 8.3 Majority 1,293 60.8 Turnout 2,127 Conservative hold Swing
Moston Moston Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative R. H. Hine* 3,099 68.4 Labour G. Halstead 1,432 31.6 Majority 1,667 36.8 Turnout 4,531 Conservative hold Swing
New Cross New Cross Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour E. Donaghue* 903 58.1 Conservative A. Hawkins 650 41.9 Majority 253 16.2 Turnout 1,553 Labour hold Swing
Newton Heath Newton Heath Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative J. Foran 1,510 46.7 Labour C. Tomlinson* 1,452 44.9 Liberal R. Jackson 272 8.4 Majority 58 1.8 Turnout 3,234 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Northenden Northenden Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative T. Mountford* 3,847 62.2 Labour H. Brown 1,584 25.7 Liberal J. Williams 749 12.1 Majority 2,263 36.5 Turnout 6,180 Conservative hold Swing
Old Moat Old Moat Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative G. Robinson* 2,527 68.6 Labour R. K. Litherland 830 22.5 Liberal A. Burns 326 8.9 Majority 1,697 46.1 Turnout 3,683 Conservative hold Swing
Openshaw Openshaw Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour J. Gilmore* 1,757 48.1 Conservative J. L. Traynor 1,668 45.7 Communist N. Gilroy 227 6.2 Majority 89 2.4 Turnout 3,652 Labour hold Swing
Rusholme Rusholme (2 vacancies) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative K. Ollerenshaw* 2,664 77.5 Conservative A. G. Thornhill 2,442 71.1 Labour A. E. Jones 456 13.3 Labour W. Egerton 352 10.2 Liberal S. Lowe 317 9.2 Liberal A. J. Markin 258 7.5 Majority 1,896 55.2 Turnout 3,437 Conservative hold Swing Conservative hold Swing
St. George's St. George's Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour G. Mann* 375 58.6 Conservative J. L. Traynor 265 41.4 Majority 110 17.2 Turnout 640 Labour hold Swing
St. Luke's St. Luke's Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative T. Clinton 908 51.4 Labour W. Massey* 860 48.6 Majority 48 2.7 Turnout 1,768 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
St. Mark's St. Mark's Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour N. Morris* 1,191 49.1 Conservative A. Welsby 1,065 43.9 Union Movement D. S. Lawson 105 4.3 Independent A. W. King 63 2.6 Majority 126 5.2 Turnout 2,424 Labour hold Swing
St. Peter's St. Peter's (2 vacancies) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative R. J. Rubery 810 69.7 Conservative J. Carson* 792 68.2 Labour C. B. Muir 264 22.7 Labour A. S. Goldstone 228 19.6 Liberal J. E. Hargreaves 88 7.8 Majority 528 45.5 Turnout 1,162 Conservative hold Swing Conservative hold Swing
Withington Withington Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative G. W. Young* 2,496 57.3 Liberal K. Pinnock 1,258 28.9 Labour D. G. Clark 603 13.8 Majority 1,238 28.4 Turnout 4,357 Conservative hold Swing
Woodhouse Park Woodhouse Park Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative M. S. Burgoyne 2,411 46.4 Labour M. J. Taylor* 2,309 44.4 Liberal P. Grinyer 367 7.1 Communist E. Holt 114 2.2 Majority 102 2.0 Turnout 5,201 Conservative gain from Labour Swing
References ^ Triumphant Tories race into power at Salford , Manchester Evening News, May 10, 1968, p.18 ^ Tory majority in Manchester increase to 30 , The Guardian, May 10, 1968, p.4