title: Margate Birchington
text: # Margate Birchington
  
  Margate Birchington was a ward of Margate Municipal District prior to 1973. When the Municipal District was included in the Thanet District in 1974, Birchington ward elected 5 councillors to the new Borough at the elections of 1973 and 1976.
  
  1973 Election
  
  Margate Birchington ward :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | Bill Dawson | 1,947 | 42.3% | |
  | | Independent | Bill Kemp | 1,516 | 32.9% | |
  | | Conservative | A Whewell | 1,496 | 32.5% | |
  | | Independent | W Wanstall | 1,486 | 32.3% | |
  | | Independent | D Bentley | 1,236 | 32.3% | |
  | | Conservative | C Hibberd | 1,222 | 26.6% | |
  | | Conservative | N Thomas | 1,222 | 26.5% | |
  | | Conservative | L Farrington | 1,166 | 25.3% | |
  | | Conservative | J Tobutt | 1,113 | 24.2% | |
  | | Independent | G Abrahams | 918 | 19.9% | |
  | | Liberal | P Bloore | 806 | 17.5% | |
  | | Liberal | F Macpherson | 732 | 15.9% | |
  | | Liberal | G Williams | 404 | 8.8% | |
  | | Labour | M Lowe | 353 | 7.7% | |
  | | Labour | J Amor | 296 | 6.4% | |
  | | Labour | R Watts | 285 | 6.2% | |
  | | Labour | E Stacey | 260 | 5.6% | |
  | | Labour | A Deas | 241 | 5.24% | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 722,291,271,261,11 | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,602 | 64.9 | 7,085 |
  
  1976 Election
  
  Birchington ward :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | Bill Dawson | 2,030 | 54.6% | +12.3% |
  | | Independent | W Wanstall | 1,829 | 49.2% | +16.9% |
  | | Independent | N Hudson | 1,709 | 45.9% | +26.0% Gain from Conservative |
  | | Independent | Bill Kemp | 1,695 | 45.6% | +12.7% |
  | | Independent | D Bentley | 1,634 | 44.0% | +17.1% |
  | | Conservative | A Whewell | 1,457 | 39.2% | +6.7% Lost to Independent |
  | | Conservative | C Hibberd | 1,213 | 32.6% | +6.0% |
  | | Conservative | H Betts | 1,177 | 31.7% | +5.2% |
  | | Conservative | P Queen | 1,113 | 29.9% | +4.2% |
  | | Conservative | F Buch | 1,091 | 29.4% | +5.2% |
  | | Liberal | P Bloore | 497 | 13.4% | -4.1% |
  | | Liberal | F Macpherson | 462 | 12.4% | -3.5% |
  | | Liberal | H Bradbury | 316 | 8.5% | -0.3% |
  | | Labour | G Smithers | 187 | 5.0% | -2.7% |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 573,372,252,238,177 | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,716 | 59.2 | 6,277 |
  
  The election of 1979 was fought on revised boundaries and Birchington ward had been split between Birchington West and Birchington East, each electing two councillors.
  
  