This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(August 2025) |
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20 seats to Epping Forest District Council 30 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Winner of each seat at the 1983 Epping Forest District Council election | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1983 Epping Forest District Council election was held on 5 May 1983 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. The election occurred amid significant political and social developments nationally, including rising unemployment, the continued prominence of the Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher, and the rise of the Liberal-SDP Alliance, which had formed in 1981 following the split of several moderate Labour MPs. The election was also notable locally for the continued growth of the Loughton Residents Association (LRA), a local political group formed in 1981 to advocate for greater transparency and resident involvement in council decision-making.
The Conservatives retained control of Epping Forest District Council but faced challenges on multiple fronts. In Loughton, the LRA continued to gain seats from the Conservatives, winning an additional seat in Loughton St. Johns, demonstrating the growing influence of residents’ groups in the district. Labour remained a smaller but established presence, while the Liberal-SDP Alliance made significant inroads, coming closest to winning their first council seat in Chipping Ongar, where they finished just 34 votes behind the Conservative candidate.
Another highlight of the election was the election of Richard Morgan in Moreton and Matching, beginning a 40-year tenure on the council that would last until 2027. Morgan’s victory marked the start of one of the longest continuous periods of service by a single councillor in Epping Forest’s history, the other being Cllr Stephen Murray (elected in 1982)
Nationally, the election took place during a period of political tension and social change. The United Kingdom was experiencing record unemployment, the introduction of new economic measures by the Thatcher government, and debates over the one-pound coin and other fiscal policies.
Source: [1]
1983 Epping Forest District Council election | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
Conservative | 13 | ![]() | 72.2 | 26 | 39 | 66.1 | 13,119 | 46.6 | ![]() | |
Labour | 4 | ![]() | 6.7 | 9 | 13 | 22.0 | 7,641 | 27.1 | ![]() | |
Loughton Residents | 1 | ![]() | 1.6 | 3 | 4 | 6.7 | 1,482 | 5.2 | ![]() | |
Independent | 0 | ![]() | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 3.3 | 382 | 1.3 | ![]() | |
Ind. Conservative | 1 | ![]() | 1.6 | 1 | 1 | 1.6 | 768 | 2.7 | N/A | |
Liberal | 0 | ![]() | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4,602 | 16.3 | ![]() | |
Ecology | 0 | ![]() | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 104 | 0.4 | ![]() |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | C. Perry* | 752 | 52.4 | ![]() | |
Labour | L. Baddock | 351 | 24.4 | ![]() | |
Alliance | A. Hall | 333 | 23.2 | ![]() | |
Majority | 401 | 27.9 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,436 | 37.3 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 3,853 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | I. Beattie* | 1,264 | 70.3 | ![]() | |
Alliance | R. Eveling | 355 | 19.7 | ![]() | |
Labour | T. Green | 179 | 10.0 | ![]() | |
Majority | 909 | 50.6 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,798 | 38.6 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,658 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | F. Love* | 366 | 52.4 | ![]() | |
Alliance | D. James | 332 | 47.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 34 | 4.9 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 698 | 55.0 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 1,270 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | R. Cornell | 891 | 65.9 | ![]() | |
Conservative | J. Phillips | 267 | 19.7 | ![]() | |
Alliance | R. Millett | 194 | 14.3 | ![]() | |
Majority | 624 | 46.2 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,352 | 35.9 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 3,762 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | B. Carpenter | 1,049 | 53.8 | ![]() | |
Alliance | J. Eves | 458 | 23.5 | ![]() | |
Labour | P. Speake | 390 | 20.0 | ![]() | |
Ecology | R. Boenke | 52 | 2.7 | ![]() | |
Majority | 591 | 30.3 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,949 | 43.1 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,522 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | A. O'Brien* | 1,080 | 48.9 | ![]() | |
Alliance | A. Payne | 625 | 28.3 | ![]() | |
Labour | F. Davy | 431 | 19.5 | ![]() | |
Ecology | T. Broughton | 72 | 3.3 | ![]() | |
Majority | 455 | 20.6 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 2,208 | 45.2 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,880 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | A. Bryant* | 1,019 | 62.2 | ![]() | |
Alliance | A. Thompson | 474 | 29.0 | ![]() | |
Labour | I. Prince | 144 | 8.8 | ![]() | |
Majority | 545 | 33.3 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,637 | 36.7 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,456 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | C. Maclennan | 503 | 56.5 | ![]() | |
Labour | F. Barnes | 195 | 21.9 | ![]() | |
Alliance | L. Searl | 192 | 21.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 308 | 34.6 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 890 | 49.0 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 1,815 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | H. Taylor* | 419 | 54.6 | ![]() | |
Alliance | F. Little | 176 | 22.9 | N/A | |
Ind. Conservative | R. Knibb | 172 | 22.4 | ![]() | |
Majority | 243 | 31.7 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 767 | 35.2 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 2,181 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | R. Amanet* | 541 | 57.6 | ![]() | |
Labour | C. Huckle | 398 | 42.4 | ![]() | |
Majority | 143 | 15.2 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 939 | 64.8 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 1,450 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J. Davis* | 1,019 | 57.6 | ![]() | |
Alliance | M. Pettman | 404 | 22.8 | ![]() | |
Conservative | I. Holman | 346 | 19.6 | ![]() | |
Majority | 615 | 34.8 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,769 | 40.4 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,380 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | M. Newman | 652 | 32.3 | ![]() | |
Conservative | T. Swallow | 591 | 29.2 | ![]() | |
Loughton Residents | C. Johnson | 536 | 26.5 | N/A | |
Alliance | J. Lowe | 242 | 12.0 | ![]() | |
Majority | 61 | 3.0 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 2,021 | 49.8 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,056 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loughton Residents | R. Curtis | 946 | 49.6 | ![]() | |
Conservative | R. Brady* | 755 | 39.6 | ![]() | |
Labour | J. Markham | 155 | 8.1 | ![]() | |
Alliance | P. Richardson | 50 | 2.6 | ![]() | |
Majority | 191 | 10.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,906 | 45.8 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,161 | ||||
Loughton Residents gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ind. Conservative | Richard Morgan | 596 | 73.9 | N/A | |
Alliance | J. Carter | 211 | 26.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 385 | 47.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 807 | 86.7 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 931 | ||||
Ind. Conservative gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | E. Downes | 1,012 | 70.2 | ![]() | |
Labour | I. Brent | 430 | 29.8 | ![]() | |
Majority | 582 | 40.4 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,442 | 39.1 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 3,689 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | I. Abbey* | 988 | 58.2 | ![]() | |
Independent | R. Wyness | 382 | 22.5 | ![]() | |
Labour | D. Grenville-Brown | 328 | 19.3 | ![]() | |
Majority | 606 | 35.7 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,698 | 41.9 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,055 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | R. Barnes* | 562 | 78.3 | ![]() | |
Conservative | M. Docherty | 156 | 21.7 | ![]() | |
Majority | 406 | 56.5 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 718 | 51.5 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 1,393 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | D. Esau* | 864 | 57.4 | ![]() | |
Labour | F. Harewood | 379 | 25.2 | ![]() | |
Alliance | G. Pettman | 261 | 17.4 | ![]() | |
Majority | 485 | 32.2 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,504 | 32.0 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 4,693 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | C. Hewins* | 763 | 55.4 | ![]() | |
Conservative | K. Bellamy | 503 | 36.5 | ![]() | |
Alliance | J. Fuller | 111 | 8.1 | ![]() | |
Majority | 260 | 18.9 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,377 | 38.4 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 3,588 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | H. Smith* | 644 | 49.2 | ![]() | |
Labour | D. Murray | 481 | 36.7 | ![]() | |
Alliance | J. Jenkinson | 184 | 14.1 | ![]() | |
Majority | 163 | 12.5 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,309 | 35.4 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 3,694 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |