Before (end of 1975) (78 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 65 · Conservative 10 · The Liberal Party 2 · Other 1
After (end of 1976) (78 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 59 · Conservative 13 · The Liberal Party 4 · Other 2
Ward results
Birtley2 seats · turnout 37.1%
| S. King | LIB | 2,674 |
| J. Killen | Labour | 2,054 |
| A. Middleton | Labour | 1,985 |
| R. Elliott | LIB | 1,944 |
| F. McKenna | Independent | 640 |
No. 10 (Blaydon)1 seat · turnout 37.8%
| J. Beaty | Labour | 1,139 |
| R. Brown | Conservative | 903 |
No. 14 (Felling: North & Central)1 seat · turnout 46.7%
| S. Nugent | Labour | 1,760 |
| A. Clayton | Conservative | 756 |
| E. Elliott | RES | 653 |
No. 2 (Gateshead: Bensham Claremont & Chandles)2 seats · turnout 60.9%
| A. Johnson | Labour | 1,559 ✓ |
| P. Murray | Labour | 1,505 ✓ |
| D. Moor | Conservative | 1,223 |
| A. Doud | Conservative | 1,201 |
No. 7 (Gateshead: Shipcote)1 seat · turnout 39.5%
| J. Scott | Conservative | 1,107 |
| S. Bone | Labour | 929 |