1985 Wiltshire County Council election

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Elections to Wiltshire County Council were held on 2 May 1985. The whole council of seventy-five members was up for election and the result was that the Conservatives lost their majority, winning only thirty seats, resulting in no overall control. The Liberals gained seats, winning seventeen, the Social Democrats won eight seats, the first time they had been represented in the council, while Labour had losses, finishing like the Liberals with seventeen members. Three Independents, including one Ratepayer, were also elected. [1]

Contents

In an editorial on 4 May headed "Local Lessons", The Times commented that "The Conservatives predominate as the single largest party in the counties still. Generalizations from such elections are always flawed by local factors. Intra-party disputes help explain the loss of Conservative seats in Wiltshire". [2]

Following the elections, an informal agreement between the leader of the Liberal group, Jack Ainslie, and the leader of the Labour members, Mary Salisbury, led to the formation of a minority SDP–Liberal Alliance administration. Salisbury commented to The Times "Where the Liberals put forward what seem to be measures which are beneficial to the people of Wiltshire, we will support them." [3]

Election result

Wiltshire local election result 1985 [1]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 30-1040.0
  Liberal 17+522.7
  Labour 17-322.7
  SDP 8+810.7
  Independent 3+14.0

Results by divisions

Aldbourne and Ramsbury

Aldbourne and Ramsbury
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance John Bernard Ainslie 2,012 67.0
Conservative K. Eaton85528.5
Labour W. Barlow1364.5
Majority 1157
Alliance hold Swing

Alderbury

Alderbury
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative A. W. M. Christie-Miller 1,438 64.8
Alliance A. Maclachan66429.9
Labour I. Tomes1175.3
Majority 774
Conservative hold Swing

Amesbury

Amesbury
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance A. J. F. Haywood 1,193 55.9
Conservative T. Heffernan94344.1
Majority 250
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Bedwyn

Bedwyn
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative H. D. Rogers 1,199 74.1
Alliance T. Williams41825.9
Majority
Conservative hold Swing

Blunsdon

Blunsdon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. W. H. Archer 1,520 57.9
Alliance Ms P. Pascoe97037.0
Ecology H. Stredder1335.1
Majority 550
Labour hold Swing

Box

Box
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative F. Naylor 1,054 40.2
Alliance Ms B. Oakes87033.2
Labour J. Eglinton69526.5
Majority 184
Conservative hold Swing

Bradford on Avon North

Bradford on Avon North
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance H. J. Owen 1,601 56.2
Conservative Robert George Ian Elliott1,24643.8
Majority 355
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Bradford on Avon South

Bradford on Avon South
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mrs Margaret Purves 909 40.9
Alliance G. Turner88339.8
Labour J. D. Childs42819.3
Majority 26
Conservative hold Swing

Bremhill and Calne Without

Bremhill and Calne Without
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Andrew Raymond Syms 1,196 47.3
Alliance G. Greer94536.4
Labour H. Kirkbride38615.3
Majority 251
Conservative hold Swing


Brinkworth

Brinkworth
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Carter 1,530
Alliance Ms J. Stratton858
Labour W. Andrews142
Majority 672
Conservative hold Swing


Calne

Calne
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance Mrs E. Hornby 1,200
Conservative E. Miller594
Labour A. Donald575
Majority 606
Alliance hold Swing

Chippenham Park

Chippenham Park
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance J. Henning 891
Conservative Ms E. Winterton836
Labour R. Haynes329
Majority 55
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Chippenham Sheldon

Chippenham Sheldon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance June Margaret Wood 1,416
Conservative J. Scott994
Labour A. Day782
Majority 422
Alliance hold Swing


Chippenham Town

Chippenham Town
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance Ms M. Fallon 2,267
Conservative E. Taylor1,209
Labour J. Coadwell321
Majority 1,058
Alliance hold Swing


Collingbourne

Collingbourne
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance H. Crawford 1,130
Conservative D. Fopp598
Labour J. Davidson282
Majority 532
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing


Corsham

Corsham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Bright1,054
Alliance D. Pope899
Labour Ms C. Reid282
Majority 155
Conservative hold Swing

Cricklade

Cricklade
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance Reginald John Coole 1,480
Conservative R. Thompson573
Labour J. D’Lemos75
Majority 907
Alliance hold Swing


Devizes

Devizes
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative P. Gates 742
Alliance Ms P. A. Morris696
Labour I. Hopkins499
Majority 46
Conservative gain from Alliance Swing

Devizes South and Cannings

Devizes South and Cannings
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patricia Rugg 1,416
Alliance C. Gillington1,052
Labour Ms S. Williams442
Majority 364
Conservative hold Swing

Downton

Downton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. Peach 1,216
Alliance C. Tate667
Labour K. Willis377
Independent H. Farris336
Majority 549
Conservative hold Swing

Durrington

Durrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative C. E. Robinson 651
Independent R. Steadman589
Labour Ms A. Read422
Alliance Ms F. Crombie269
Majority 62
Conservative gain from Independent Swing


Highworth

Highworth
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ms M. Haines 1,867
Conservative D. F. Morley1,238
Majority 629
Labour hold Swing

Holt

Holt
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance George Frederick James Hawkins 1,232
Conservative P. Beale983
Majority 249
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Idmiston

Idmiston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ms H. Mead 1,004
Alliance Ms G. Gent843
Labour M. Sheehan157
Majority 161
Conservative hold Swing

Kington

Kington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance M. Adams 1,102
Conservative Brenda Margaret Wyrill1,018
Labour C. Phillips236
Majority 84
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Laverstock

Laverstock
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative R. C. Lodge 1,037
Alliance D. Crombie765
Labour I. Hollingworth202
Majority 272
Conservative hold Swing

Lavington

Lavington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Derek Bernard William Jarvis 1,460
Labour Ms P. Day622
Majority 838
Conservative hold Swing

Malmesbury

Malmesbury
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance H. Price 1,954
Conservative R. Clarke1,307
Labour M. Tavener223
Majority 647
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Marlborough

Marlborough
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance J. Spanton 1,242
Conservative B. Ashley1,037
Labour Ms M. R. Urquhart328
Majority 205
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Melksham

Melksham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mary E. Salisbury 1,502
Conservative Ms P. Johnson642
Majority 860
Labour hold Swing

Melksham Without

Melksham Without
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ms. E. Joyce 1,556
Labour P. Colegate1,081
Majority 475
Conservative hold Swing

Mere

Mere
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert George Catton 1,236
Alliance S. Head821
Labour Ms S. Potten257
Majority 415
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. 1 2 Hugh Clayton (Local Government Correspondent), 'Local Elections' in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 4
  2. ↑ 'Local Lessons', editorial in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 9
  3. ↑ Hugh Clayton (Local Government Correspondent), 'Emerging figure in new Lib-Lab pact: an Alliance shire leader cast in Tory mould', in The Times of London, issue 62135 dated 11 May 1985, p. 2


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