Elections to Salford City Council were held on Tuesday, 1 November 1938. One-third of the councillors seats were up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a three-year term of office.
Annual local elections were suspended from 1939 to 1945. Under the Local Elections and Register of Electors (Temporary Provisions) Act 1939 the term of office of all members of the council was extended by one year and casual vacancies among members of the council were filled by the choice of the council rather than by election. Local Elections and Register of Electors Acts of 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944 each further extended the term of office of all members of the council by a year.
The council remained under no overall control.[1][2]
Election result
| Party | Votes | Seats | Full Council | |||||||
| Labour Party | 18,671 (44.3%) |  1.1 |
7 (43.8%) | 7 / 16 |
 |
29 (45.3%) | 29 / 64 | |||
| Conservative Party | 21,516 (51.1%) | 7.3 |
7 (43.8%) | 7 / 16 |
|
27 (42.2%) | 27 / 64 | |||
| Independent | 0 (0.0%) |  9.8 |
1 (6.3%) | 1 / 16 |
1 |
6 (9.4%) | 6 / 64 | |||
| Liberal Party | 1,930 (4.6%) | 1.6 |
1 (6.3%) | 1 / 16 |
1 |
2 (3.1%) | 2 / 64 | |||
Full council
| 29 | 2 | 6 | 27 |
Aldermen
| 9 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Councillors
| 20 | 1 | 3 | 24 |
Ward results
Albert Park
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. Clarke* | 1,432 | 61.5 | −1.0 | |
| Labour | W. McLoughlin | 895 | 38.5 | +1.0 | |
| Majority | 537 | 23.0 | −2.0 | ||
| Turnout | 2,327 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Charlestown
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | S. W. Davis* | 1,916 | 58.1 | +5.1 | |
| Conservative | W. Soar | 1,381 | 41.9 | N/A | |
| Majority | 535 | 16.2 | +7.4 | ||
| Turnout | 3,297 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Claremont
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | R. Pugh | 1,930 | 54.2 | +16.2 | |
| Conservative | T. Worrall | 1,628 | 45.8 | +1.8 | |
| Majority | 302 | 8.4 | |||
| Turnout | 3,558 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Crescent
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Ald. J. F. Crane | 1,511 | 53.2 | +14.3 | |
| Conservative | W. G. Faulkner* | 1,327 | 46.8 | −14.3 | |
| Majority | 184 | 6.4 | |||
| Turnout | 2,838 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Docks
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | H. Johnson* | 1,603 | 57.9 | +1.7 | |
| Labour | H. Ingle | 1,166 | 42.1 | −1.7 | |
| Majority | 437 | 15.8 | +3.4 | ||
| Turnout | 2,769 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Kersal
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. Mellor* | 1,400 | 63.4 | −9.6 | |
| Labour | E. A. Wilkinson | 807 | 36.6 | +9.6 | |
| Majority | 593 | 26.8 | −19.2 | ||
| Turnout | 2,207 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Langworthy
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | C. R. V. Haynes* | 1,759 | 51.7 | +2.9 | |
| Labour | F. Lee | 1,642 | 48.3 | −2.9 | |
| Majority | 117 | 3.4 | |||
| Turnout | 3,401 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Mandley Park
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | J. Whiteley* | 1,586 | 52.5 | +0.5 | |
| Labour | T. C. Loftus | 1,435 | 47.5 | −0.5 | |
| Majority | 151 | 5.0 | +1.0 | ||
| Turnout | 3,021 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Ordsall Park
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | T. James* | 1,603 | 52.6 | −0.3 | |
| Conservative | A. Eccleshall | 1,443 | 47.4 | +0.3 | |
| Majority | 160 | 5.2 | −0.6 | ||
| Turnout | 3,046 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Regent
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | A. Millwood* | 1,795 | 52.3 | +3.6 | |
| Conservative | J. E. Gearey | 1,635 | 47.7 | −3.6 | |
| Majority | 160 | 4.6 | |||
| Turnout | 3,430 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
St. Matthias'
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | R. Headon* | 1,564 | 54.6 | +0.1 | |
| Conservative | J. Clancy | 1,301 | 45.4 | −0.1 | |
| Majority | 263 | 9.2 | +0.2 | ||
| Turnout | 2,865 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
St. Paul's
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | B. H. Rainbird | 1,292 | 51.9 | +4.9 | |
| Labour | M. C. Whitehead | 1,196 | 48.1 | −4.9 | |
| Majority | 96 | 3.8 | |||
| Turnout | 2,488 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
St. Thomas'
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | D. F. Higgins | 1,203 | 52.0 | +2.2 | |
| Conservative | J. F. Norbury | 1,110 | 48.0 | −2.2 | |
| Majority | 93 | 4.0 | |||
| Turnout | 2,313 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Seedley
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | W. F. Cuttiford* | uncontested | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Trinity
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | J. T. Tattersall* | 1,218 | 53.0 | +16.9 | |
| Conservative | J. A. Chaloner | 1,081 | 47.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 137 | 6.0 | |||
| Turnout | 2,299 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Weaste
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | A. G. Wild* | 1,538 | 68.1 | +5.0 | |
| Labour | N. Barrow | 720 | 31.9 | −5.0 | |
| Majority | 818 | 36.2 | +10.0 | ||
| Turnout | 2,258 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||