- Source: 1978 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 1978 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council elections
- 1973 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- St Helens Borough Council
- Wigan
- 2003 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2004 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2006 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 1979 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
- 2008 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election
Elections to Wigan Council were held on 4 May 1978, 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%.
Election result
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections: