1973 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1973 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1973 Wigan Council elections for the First Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 10 May 1973, with the entirety of the 72 seat council - three seats for each of the 24 wards - up for vote. It was the first council election as the newly formed metropolitan borough under a new constitution. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and 1st-placed five years until 1978.

1975 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1975 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on in May 1975. The Conservatives retained control of the Council.

1975 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1975 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 1 May 1975, with one third of the council up for the election - although only 21 seats were contested, as Labour were unopposed in Ward 12, 21 and 24. Labour suffered six losses on the night - five to the Conservatives and one to the Liberals - with a gain from the sole Independent in Ward 23 as consolation. Overall turnout fell by nearly a quarter, to 27%.

1976 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1976 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on in May 1976. The Conservatives retained control of the Council.

1976 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1976 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 6 May 1976, with one third of the seats up for election. Four Conservative gains and an Independent in Ward 23 regaining a seat reduced Labour's working majority to 40 seats. Two seats went uncontested, and turnout rose to 34.0% - a return to 1973 levels after a sizeable fall the previous year.

1978 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1978 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on in May 1978. The Conservatives retained control of the Council.

1978 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1978 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 4 May 1878, with one third of the council up for election as well as vacancies in Ward 2 and 17. Previous to the election, a Labour councillor in Ward 9 defected to become an Independent Labour, reducing Labour's majority to 38. This seat was up for vote and became the only Labour gain of the night, as they suffered five losses to the Conservatives, and their majority reduced to 30 - half of what it was in 1973. The election seen a first of all wards being contested, with turnout rising marginally to 34.7%.

1979 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1979 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 3 May 1979 on the same day as the General Election. The Conservatives retained control of the Council by a majority of 1 seat.

1979 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council electionW
1979 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 3 May 1979, with one third of the council up for vote as well as an extra vacancy in Ward 22. The election seen Labour strengthening their grip, with six gains - mostly in the wards they lost seats in at the 1975 election - and one loss. All but one of the gains were from the Conservatives, with the other being from the Liberal's sole seat in Ward 14. A Liberal gain in Ward 15 from Labour kept them represented on the council. Owing to general election on the same day, turnout was significantly up, to 75.7% and all wards were contested - a continuation of the feat started last election.