The 1979 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 3 May 1979 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. All 59 seats on the council were up for election following boundary changes, which created or altered several wards including Broadway, Buckhurst Hill East and West, Chigwell Row, Loughton St. Johns and Loughton St. Mary’s. This made the contest an all-out election, not the usual system where approximately one-third of councillors were elected each year, this would resume in 1980 onwards.
Background
The election occurred on the same day as the 1979 United Kingdom general election, which saw the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher defeat James Callaghan’s Labour government, ending five years of Labour rule. The local polls were also influenced by the wider political climate. In the months preceding the election, Britain experienced the “Winter of Discontent,” marked by widespread strikes among lorry drivers, public sector workers, and grave-diggers. Shortages of food, heating oil, and school closures added to the sense of crisis, culminating in the Callaghan government losing a vote of no confidence in March 1979. Opinion polls throughout early 1979 consistently showed a strong Conservative lead, which carried into both national and local contests.
In Epping Forest, the Conservative Party retained control of the council, consolidating their dominance in rural and suburban wards such as Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, and North Weald Bassett. The Labour Party remained competitive in areas with stronger working-class representation, including Broadway, Debden Green, and Paternoster, where they returned multiple councillors.
Turnout in many wards was notably high, with several exceeding 75%, reflecting the heightened political interest generated by the simultaneous general election. For instance, Buckhurst Hill West recorded a turnout of 78.0%, while Lambourne reached 83.4%. Despite the Labour Party’s national struggles, they managed to hold local ground in certain wards, though the Conservatives’ overall majority on the council was secure.
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