1987 United Kingdom local elections

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

1987 United Kingdom local elections

← 1986 7 May 1987 1988 →

All 36 metropolitan boroughs, all 296 English districts and all 37 Welsh districts
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Margaret Thatcher (1983).jpg
Start campagne voor Europese verkiezingen van PvdA (Rotterdam) Neal Kinnoch , k, Bestanddeelnr 932-9811.jpg
DavidSteel1987 cropped.jpg
David Owen-1.jpg
Leader Margaret Thatcher Neil Kinnock David Steel
and David Owen
Party Conservative Labour SDP–Liberal Alliance
Leader since 11 February 1975 2 October 1983 7 July 1976
and 21 June 1983
Percentage 38% 32% 27%
Councillors +/- Decrease 75 Decrease 234 Increase 669

The 1987 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 7 May 1987.[1][2][3] It was the first time since 1983 that the Conservatives had enjoyed the largest share of the vote in local council elections.

Soon after the elections, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called a general election which resulted in a second successive Conservative landslide, although Labour managed to cut the government's overall majority, while the Alliance endured another disappointing performance and was soon disbanded as the SDP and Liberals agreed on a merger the following year.

The number of councillors was somewhat reduced from the previous year. The Conservatives lost 75 seats, Labour lost 234 and the Liberal-SDP Alliance gained 669.

Summary of results

England

Metropolitan boroughs

All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council Previous control Result Details
Barnsley Labour Labour hold Details
Birmingham Labour Labour hold Details
Bolton Labour Labour hold
Details
Bradford Labour Labour hold Details
Bury Labour Labour hold Details
Calderdale No overall control No overall control hold Details
Coventry Labour Labour hold Details
Doncaster
Labour Labour hold Details
Dudley Labour Labour hold Details
Gateshead Labour Labour hold Details
Kirklees No overall control No overall control hold Details
Knowsley Labour Labour hold Details
Leeds Labour Labour hold Details
Liverpool Labour Labour hold Details
Manchester Labour Labour hold Details
Newcastle upon Tyne Labour Labour hold Details
North Tyneside No overall control Labour gain Details
Oldham Labour Labour hold Details
Rochdale Labour Labour hold Details
Rotherham Labour Labour hold Details
Salford Labour Labour hold Details
Sandwell Labour Labour hold Details
Sefton No overall control No overall control hold Details
Sheffield Labour Labour hold Details
Solihull Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Tyneside Labour Labour hold Details
St Helens Labour Labour hold Details
Stockport No overall control No overall control hold Details
Sunderland Labour Labour hold Details
Tameside Labour Labour hold Details
Trafford No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wakefield Labour Labour hold Details
Walsall No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wigan Labour Labour hold Details
Wirral
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wolverhampton Labour No overall control gain Details

District councils

Whole council

In 180 districts the whole council was up for election.

Six of those districts - East Devon, Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicester, Mid Sussex, West Dorset and Woodspring - returned to whole councils elections having previously been elected by thirds.

In 5 districts there were new ward boundaries, following further electoral boundary reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Council Previous control Result Details
Allerdale No overall control No overall control hold Details
Alnwick
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Arun Conservative Conservative hold Details
Ashfield
Labour Labour hold Details
Ashford
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Aylesbury Vale Conservative Conservative hold Details
Babergh No overall control No overall control hold Details
Berwick-upon-Tweed
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Beverley
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Blaby
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Blackpool Conservative No overall control gain Details
Blyth Valley Labour Alliance gain Details
Bolsover
Labour Labour hold Details
Boothferry Conservative No overall control gain Details
Boston
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Bournemouth
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Bracknell Forest Conservative Conservative hold Details
Braintree
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Breckland
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Bridgnorth
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Bromsgrove
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Broxtowe Conservative Conservative hold Details
Canterbury Conservative Conservative hold Details
Caradon
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Carrick No overall control No overall control hold Details
Castle Morpeth No overall control No overall control hold Details
Castle Point Conservative Conservative hold Details
Charnwood
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Chelmsford
Alliance Alliance hold Details
Chesterfield Labour Labour hold Details
Chester-le-Street Labour Labour hold Details
Chichester
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Chiltern
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Christchurch
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Cleethorpes
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Copeland
Labour Labour hold Details
Corby Labour Labour hold
Details
Cotswold
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Dacorum Conservative Conservative hold Details
Darlington Labour No overall control gain Details
Dartford
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Derwentside Labour Labour hold Details
Dover
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Durham
Labour Labour hold Details
Easington
Labour Labour hold Details
East Cambridgeshire
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
East Devon Conservative Conservative hold Details
East Hampshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
East Hertfordshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
East Lindsey
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
East Northamptonshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
East Staffordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
East Yorkshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Eden
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Epsom and Ewell
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Erewash Conservative Conservative hold Details
Fenland Conservative Conservative hold Details
Forest Heath
No overall control Conservative gain Details
Forest of Dean
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Fylde
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Gedling Conservative Conservative hold Details
Glanford Conservative Conservative hold Details
Gravesham Conservative No overall control gain Details
Guildford
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hambleton
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Harborough Conservative No overall control gain Details
High Peak
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hinckley and Bosworth Conservative Conservative hold Details
Holderness
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Horsham
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hove Conservative Conservative hold Details
Kennet
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Kerrier No overall control No overall control hold Details
Kettering
Conservative No overall control gain Details
King's Lynn and West Norfolk Conservative Conservative hold Details
Kingswood
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Lancaster Conservative No overall control gain Details
Langbaurgh Labour No overall control gain Details
Leicester Labour Labour hold Details
Lewes
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Lichfield
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Luton
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Maldon
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Malvern Hills
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Mansfield
Labour Labour hold Details
Medina Alliance Conservative gain Details
Melton
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Mendip Conservative No overall control gain Details
Mid Bedfordshire
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Mid Devon
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Mid Suffolk No overall control No overall control hold Details
Mid Sussex Conservative Conservative hold Details
Middlesbrough Labour Labour hold Details
New Forest
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Newark and Sherwood No overall control No overall control hold Details
Newbury Conservative Conservative hold Details
North Cornwall
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
North Devon
Independent
No overall control gain Details
North Dorset
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
North East Derbyshire Labour Labour hold Details
North Kesteven
Independent
No overall control gain Details
North Norfolk
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
North Shropshire
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
North Warwickshire Labour Labour hold Details
North West Leicestershire No overall control No overall control hold Details
North Wiltshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Northampton
No overall control Conservative gain Details
Northavon Conservative Conservative hold Details
Nottingham Labour Conservative gain Details
Oswestry
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Plymouth Conservative Conservative hold Details
Poole
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Restormel
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Ribble Valley Conservative Conservative hold Details
Richmondshire
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Rochester-upon-Medway Conservative Conservative hold Details
Rother Conservative Conservative hold Details
Rushcliffe Conservative Conservative hold Details
Rutland
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Ryedale
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Salisbury
No overall control Conservative gain Details
Scarborough
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Sedgefield Labour Labour hold Details
Sedgemoor Conservative Conservative hold Details
Selby
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Sevenoaks
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Shepway
Conservative No overall control gain Details
South Bucks Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Derbyshire Labour Labour hold Details
South Hams No overall control Conservative gain Details
South Holland
Independent
No overall control gain Details
South Kesteven Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Norfolk Conservative No overall control gain Details
South Northamptonshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Oxfordshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Ribble Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Shropshire
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
South Somerset No overall control Alliance gain Details
South Staffordshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Wight Conservative No overall control gain Details
Spelthorne Conservative Conservative hold Details
St Edmundsbury
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Stafford
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Staffordshire Moorlands No overall control No overall control hold Details
Stockton-on-Tees Labour Labour hold Details
Suffolk Coastal Conservative Conservative hold Details
Surrey Heath Conservative Conservative hold Details
Tamworth
Labour Conservative gain Details
Taunton Deane Conservative Conservative hold Details
Teesdale
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Teignbridge No overall control No overall control hold Details
Tendring Conservative Conservative hold Details
Test Valley Conservative Conservative hold Details
Tewkesbury
Independent
No overall control gain Details
Thanet
Independent
No overall control gain Details
The Wrekin Labour Labour hold Details
Torridge
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Tynedale No overall control No overall control hold Details
Uttlesford Conservative Conservative hold Details
Vale of White Horse Conservative Conservative hold Details
Vale Royal No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wansbeck Labour Labour hold Details
Wansdyke Conservative Conservative hold Details
Warrington Labour Labour hold Details
Warwick
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Waverley Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wealden Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wear Valley Labour Labour hold Details
Wellingborough
Conservative Conservative hold Details
West Derbyshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
West Devon
Independent
No overall control gain Details
West Dorset
Independent
No overall control gain Details
West Somerset
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
West Wiltshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wimborne Conservative Conservative hold Details
Windsor and Maidenhead Conservative Conservative hold Details
Woodspring Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wychavon No overall control Conservative gain Details
Wycombe
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wyre Conservative Conservative hold Details

‡ New ward boundaries

Third of council

In 116 districts one third of the council was up for election.

Council Previous control Result Details
Adur
Alliance Alliance hold Details
Amber Valley Labour No overall control gain Details
Barrow-in-Furness
Labour Labour hold Details
Basildon
Labour No overall control gain Details
Basingstoke and Deane Conservative Conservative hold Details
Bassetlaw Labour Labour hold Details
Bath Conservative No overall control gain Details
Blackburn Labour No overall control gain Details
Brentwood
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Brighton No overall control No overall control hold Details
Bristol Labour Labour hold Details
Broadland Conservative Conservative hold Details
Broxbourne
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Burnley
Labour Labour hold Details
Cambridge Labour No overall control gain Details
Cannock Chase
No overall control Labour gain Details
Carlisle Labour Labour hold Details
Cheltenham
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Cherwell Conservative Conservative hold Details
Chester No overall control No overall control hold Details
Chorley
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Colchester
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Congleton No overall control No overall control hold Details
Craven No overall control No overall control hold Details
Crawley
Labour Labour hold Details
Crewe and Nantwich No overall control No overall control hold Details
Daventry
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Derby Labour Labour hold Details
Eastbourne Alliance Alliance hold Details
Eastleigh
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Ellesmere Port and Neston Labour Labour hold Details
Elmbridge No overall control No overall control hold Details
Epping Forest
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Exeter No overall control No overall control hold Details
Fareham
No overall control Conservative gain Details
Gillingham Conservative Conservative hold Details
Gloucester
No overall control Conservative gain Details
Gosport
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Great Grimsby
Labour Labour hold Details
Great Yarmouth
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Halton Labour Labour hold Details
Harlow Labour Labour hold Details
Harrogate
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hart
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hartlepool Labour Labour hold Details
Hastings No overall control No overall control hold Details
Havant
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hereford Alliance Alliance hold Details
Hertsmere Conservative Conservative hold Details
Huntingdonshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hyndburn Labour Labour hold Details
Ipswich
Labour Labour hold Details
Kingston upon Hull Labour Labour hold Details
Leominster
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
Lincoln
Labour Labour hold Details
Macclesfield Conservative Conservative hold Details
Maidstone
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Milton Keynes
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Mole Valley No overall control No overall control hold Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Labour Labour hold Details
North Bedfordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
North Hertfordshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Norwich Labour Labour hold Details
Nuneaton and Bedworth Labour Labour hold Details
Oadby and Wigston Conservative Conservative hold Details
Oxford
Labour Labour hold Details
Pendle No overall control Alliance gain Details
Penwith No overall control No overall control hold Details
Peterborough No overall control No overall control hold Details
Portsmouth Conservative Conservative hold Details
Preston Labour Labour hold Details
Purbeck
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Reading
No overall control Labour gain Details
Redditch
Labour Labour hold Details
Reigate and Banstead Conservative Conservative hold Details
Rochford
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Rossendale Labour Labour hold Details
Rugby
No overall control Conservative gain Details
Runnymede
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Rushmoor Conservative Conservative hold Details
Scunthorpe Labour Labour hold Details
Shrewsbury and Atcham No overall control No overall control hold Details
Slough Labour Labour hold Details
South Bedfordshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Cambridgeshire
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
South Herefordshire
Independent
Independent
hold
Details
South Lakeland No overall control No overall control hold Details
Southampton Labour No overall control gain Details
Southend-on-Sea
Conservative No overall control gain Details
St Albans
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Stevenage Labour Labour hold Details
Stoke-on-Trent Labour Labour hold Details
Stratford-on-Avon
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Stroud
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Swale No overall control No overall control hold Details
Tandridge
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Thamesdown Labour Labour hold Details
Three Rivers
No overall control Alliance gain Details
Thurrock Labour Labour hold Details
Tonbridge and Malling Conservative Conservative hold Details
Torbay Conservative Conservative hold Details
Tunbridge Wells
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Watford Labour Labour hold Details
Waveney No overall control No overall control hold Details
Welwyn Hatfield Labour Labour hold Details
West Lancashire No overall control Conservative gain Details
West Lindsey No overall control Alliance gain Details
West Oxfordshire No overall control Conservative gain Details
Weymouth and Portland No overall control No overall control hold Details
Winchester Conservative No overall control gain Details
Woking
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wokingham Conservative Conservative hold Details
Worcester
Labour Labour hold Details
Worthing Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wyre Forest No overall control No overall control hold Details
York Labour Labour hold Details

Wales

District councils

Council Previous control Result Details
Aberconwy
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Alyn and Deeside
No overall control Labour gain Details
Anglesey - Ynys Môn Independent Independent hold Details
Arfon
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Blaenau Gwent Labour Labour hold Details
Brecknock Independent Independent hold Details
Cardiff Conservative No overall control gain Details
Carmarthen
Independent Independent hold Details
Ceredigion Independent Independent hold Details
Colwyn No overall control No overall control hold Details
Cynon Valley Labour Labour hold Details
Delyn
No overall control No overall control hold Details
Dinefwr
Labour Labour hold Details
Dwyfor Independent Independent hold Details
Glyndŵr Independent Independent hold Details
Islwyn Labour Labour hold Details
Llanelli
Labour Labour hold Details
Lliw Valley Labour Labour hold Details
Meirionnydd Independent Independent hold Details
Merthyr Tydfil Labour Labour hold Details
Monmouth
Conservative Conservative hold Details
Montgomeryshire
Independent Independent hold Details
Neath
Labour Labour hold Details
Newport
Labour Labour hold Details
Ogwr No overall control Labour gain Details
Port Talbot
Labour Labour hold Details
Preseli Pembrokeshire Independent Independent hold Details
Radnor
Independent Independent hold Details
Rhondda
Labour Labour hold Details
Rhuddlan
Independent Independent hold Details
Rhymney Valley
Labour Labour hold Details
South Pembrokeshire Independent Independent hold Details
Swansea
Labour Labour hold Details
Taff-Ely Labour Labour hold Details
Torfaen Labour Labour hold Details
Vale of Glamorgan Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wrexham Maelor No overall control Labour gain Details

References

  1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1987, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1987, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.