Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Stockport South was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 1,125 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Stockport South from 1950 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1950–1979
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1950
Arnold Babb Gridley (Conservative)
19,079
45.7%
Harry Ponsonby (Labour)
2,182 (5.2 pts)
86.9%
1951
Arnold Babb Gridley (Conservative)
22,075
54.2%
Frank Bibby (Labour)
3,400 (8.3 pts)
84.2%
1955
Harold Macdonald Steward (Conservative)
20,698
55.5%
Ernest Alfred Cecil Roberts (Labour)
4,086 (10.9 pts)
79.0%
1959
Harold Macdonald Steward (Conservative)
20,522
53.3%
Stanley Orme (Labour)
2,540 (6.6 pts)
81.5%
1964
Maurice Orbach (Labour)
16,755
44.6%
Harold Macdonald Steward (Conservative)
3,037 (8.1 pts)
81.8%
1966
Maurice Orbach (Labour)
19,456
55.8%
Clive Howson (Conservative)
4,069 (11.7 pts)
76.7%
1970
Maurice Orbach (Labour)
16,747
46.5%
Clive Howson (Conservative)
2,068 (5.7 pts)
73.3%
Feb 1974
Maurice Orbach (Labour)
15,722
41.9%
David Edwards (Conservative)
3,098 (8.3 pts)
79.2%
Oct 1974
Maurice Orbach (Labour)
16,281
45.9%
William Lewisham (Conservative)
4,220 (11.9 pts)
74.3%
1979
Tom McNally (Labour)
16,910
45.1%
Frederic Skidmore (Conservative)
1,125 (3.0 pts)
77.4%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1950
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Arnold Babb Gridley
Conservative
19,079
45.7%
Yes
Harry Ponsonby
Labour
16,897
40.5%
No
Reginald Hewitt
Liberal
5,778
13.8%
No
1951
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Arnold Babb Gridley
Conservative
22,075
54.2%
Yes
Frank Bibby
Labour
18,675
45.8%
No
1955
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Macdonald Steward
Conservative
20,698
55.5%
Yes
Ernest Alfred Cecil Roberts
Labour
16,612
44.5%
No
1959
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Macdonald Steward
Conservative
20,522
53.3%
Yes
Stanley Orme
Labour
17,982
46.7%
No
1964
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Maurice Orbach
Labour
16,755
44.6%
Yes
Harold Macdonald Steward
Conservative
13,718
36.5%
No
Donald Ferguson Kerr
Liberal
7,107
18.9%
No
1966
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Maurice Orbach
Labour
19,456
55.8%
Yes
Clive Howson
Conservative
15,387
44.2%
No
1970
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Maurice Orbach
Labour
16,747
46.5%
Yes
Clive Howson
Conservative
14,679
40.7%
No
Trevor Gordon Jones
Liberal
4,613
12.8%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Maurice Orbach
Labour
15,722
41.9%
Yes
David Edwards
Conservative
12,624
33.6%
No
Christopher Carter
Liberal
9,182
24.5%
No
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Maurice Orbach
Labour
16,281
45.9%
Yes
William Lewisham
Conservative
12,061
34.0%
No
Christopher Carter
Liberal
7,160
20.2%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Tom McNally
Labour
16,910
45.1%
Yes
Frederic Skidmore
Conservative
15,785
42.1%
No
John Quayle
Liberal
4,458
11.9%
No
Robert Murphy
National Front
374
1.0%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Stockport South has been contested at 10 general elections on record since 1950. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Stockport South in the 1979 general election?
Labour won Stockport South in 1979 with 16,910 votes (45.1%), a majority of 1,125 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Stockport South since 1950?
Since 1950, Stockport South has been won by: Conservative, Labour.
What was the closest result in Stockport South?
The closest result on record for Stockport South was 1979, when Labour beat Conservative by just 1,125 votes (3.0 percentage points).