Before (end of 1979) (48 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 33 · Labour 15 · The Liberal Party 0 · Other 0
After (end of 1980) (48 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 28 · Labour 20 · The Liberal Party 0 · Other 0
Ward results
Besses1 seat
| A. Matthews | Labour | 1,924 |
| J. Williams | Conservative | 853 |
| P. Elphick | LIB | 152 |
East1 seat
| D. Crausby | Labour | 2,038 |
| D. Morris | Conservative | 890 |
| R. Chappell | LIB | 214 |
Moorside1 seat
| N. Hamer | Conservative | 1,564 |
| W. Ramsey | Labour | 1,547 |
| D. Chappell | LIB | 280 |
Pilkington Park1 seat
| K Williams | Conservative | 1,509 |
| E. Adler | Labour | 1,390 |
| H. Prior | LIB | 519 |
Radcliffe Central1 seat
| J. Amey | Labour | 1,846 |
| E. Coates | Conservative | 953 |
| S. Vickers | LIB | 260 |
Radcliffe North1 seat
| W. Hallows | Labour | 1,675 |
| B. Waddington | Conservative | 1,548 |
| S. Johnson | LIB | 244 |
Radcliffe South1 seat
| D. Neath | Labour | 1,887 |
| A. Walton | Conservative | 1,307 |
| P. Bernard | LIB | 203 |
Ramsbottom1 seat
| S. Glover | Conservative | 1,867 |
| N. French | Labour | 1,795 |
| M. Merlo | LIB | 256 |
Redvales1 seat
| M. Hall | Labour | 2,135 |
| M. Galgerud | Conservative | 963 |
| C. Cattermole | LIB | 193 |
Sedgley1 seat
| R. Stuart | Labour | 1,264 |
| J. Southworth | LIB | 1,255 |
| M. Turnberg | Conservative | 1,082 |
Tottington1 seat
| H. Taylor | Conservative | 2,205 |
| J. Turner | LIB | 1,433 |
| H. Blears | Labour | 1,090 |
Unsworth1 seat
| G. Sharkey | Labour | 1,480 |
| A. Longworth | Conservative | 1,417 |
| G. Young | LIB | 310 |
