Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in May 1979. The results provided some source of comfort to the Labour Party (UK), who recovered some lost ground from local election reversals in previous years, despite losing the general election to the Conservative Party on the same day. Labour gained 766 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 7,410. The Conservatives lost 423 seats, leaving them with 12,222 councillors. The Liberal Party gained 136 seats and finished with 1,059 councillors. Changes in council control were as follows; Labour lose to no overall control: Thurrock