Before (end of 1978) (33 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 19 · Labour 12 · Other 2 · The Liberal Party 0
After (end of 1979) (38 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 26 · Conservative 11 · Other 1 · The Liberal Party 0
Ward results
Barrow Island2 seats
| J. Shuttleworth | Labour | 1,511 |
| G. Hartshorn | Labour | 1,451 |
| J. Dawson | Conservative | 587 |
| K. Surphlis | Conservative | 556 |
Central3 seats
| G. Elborough | Labour | 2,053 |
| I. Lucas | Labour | 1,806 |
| H. Gahan | Labour | 1,801 |
| S. Poole | Conservative | 1,011 |
| N. Foster | Conservative | 1,006 |
Dalton North3 seats
| F Baker | Independent | 1,731 ✓ |
| H Richardson | Conservative | 1,318 ✓ |
| F Proudfoot | Labour | 1,230 ✓ |
| J Biggin | Labour | 1,074 |
| Royston Bayliss | Conservative | 1,045 |
| J McGarry | Labour | 1,022 |
Dalton South3 seats
| W Smith | Labour | 1,487 ✓ |
| J Hamilton | Labour | 1,484 ✓ |
| G Dawson | Labour | 1,398 ✓ |
| Jason Frost | Conservative | 1,335 |
| W Duncan | Conservative | 1,251 |
| M Kirkman | Conservative | 1,142 |
Hawcoat3 seats
| J. Joughlin | Conservative | 2,326 |
| J. Fleet | Conservative | 2,298 |
| G. Smith | Conservative | 1,918 |
| J. Garnett | Labour | 985 |
| I. Pickthall | Ind Con | 919 |
| J. Swainson | Labour | 900 |
| W. McWhinnie | Labour | 858 |
Hindpool3 seats
| I. Benn | Labour | 2,095 |
| A. Tait | Labour | 2,016 |
| C. Rainford | Labour | 1,888 |
| E. Harper | Conservative | 908 |
| P. Giles | Conservative | 839 |
| E. Quick | Conservative | 832 |
Newbarns3 seats
| B Mounsey | Labour | 1,656 ✓ |
| J Robertson | Labour | 1,590 ✓ |
| D Griffin | Conservative | 1,572 ✓ |
| R Pycock | Conservative | 1,563 |
| E Willacy | Labour | 1,547 |
| W Chambers | Conservative | 1,508 |
Ormsgill3 seats
| P. Kelleher | Labour | 2,005 |
| J. Smith | Labour | 1,993 |
| J. Symon | Labour | 1,868 |
| J. Browns | Conservative | 1,121 |
| J. Earnshaw | Conservative | 1,079 |
| E. Skelton | Conservative | 1,034 |
Risedale3 seats
| H Browne | Labour | 2,056 ✓ |
| M Brown | Labour | 1,965 ✓ |
| F Gallagher | Labour | 1,884 ✓ |
| D Ainsworth | Conservative | 887 |
| H Cole | Conservative | 881 |
| J Tebay | Conservative | 807 |
Roosecote3 seats
| I Joughlin | Conservative | 1,487 ✓ |
| Diana Edwards | Conservative | 1,414 ✓ |
| W Hudson | Conservative | 1,325 ✓ |
| R Grimshaw | Labour | 1,318 |
| P Phizacklea | Labour | 1,148 |
| A Hall | Labour | 1,128 |
Walney North3 seats
| J. Garside | Labour | 1,730 |
| L. Burns | Labour | 1,714 |
| E. Garside | Labour | 1,676 |
| S. Anderson | Conservative | 980 |
| C. Millar | Conservative | 934 |
| S. Stevens | Conservative | 880 |
Walney South3 seats
| A Shuttleworth | Labour | 2,430 ✓ |
| F Christie | Labour | 2,252 ✓ |
| G Shields | Labour | 2,133 ✓ |
| P Smith | Conservative | 1,245 |
| J Greening | Conservative | 1,203 |
| D O'Brien | Conservative | 1,200 |