Before (end of 1977) (78 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 59 · Conservative 13 · The Liberal Party 4 · Other 2
After (end of 1978) (78 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 56 · Conservative 14 · The Liberal Party 5 · Other 3
Ward results
Birtley2 seats · turnout 43.4%
| E. Parkinson | LIB | 2,747 |
| P. Murnane | LIB | 2,632 |
| J. Hattam | Labour | 2,297 |
| J. Lee | Labour | 2,284 |
| J. Bugless | Conservative | 625 |
| S. Johnson | Conservative | 569 |
No. 10 (Blaydon)1 seat · turnout 39.0%
| R. Rudge | Labour | 1,042 |
| B. Brown | Conservative | 979 |
| F. Dixon | Ind Lab | 93 |
No. 14 (Felling: North & Central)1 seat · turnout 36.0%
| D. Hardy | Labour | 1,096 |
| S. Livingstone | RES | 901 |
| A. Clayton | Conservative | 561 |
No. 2 (Gateshead: Bensham Claremont & Chandles)2 seats · turnout 29.3%
| W. Collins | Labour | 1,514 ✓ |
| A. Bone | Labour | 1,508 ✓ |
| P. Jackson | Conservative | 986 |
| M. Moor | Conservative | 950 |
No. 7 (Gateshead: Shipcote)1 seat · turnout 39.1%
| D. Clelland | Labour | 1,071 |
| J. Forster | Conservative | 938 |