1987 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 1987 Wigan council election. Wigan85.png
Map of the results of the 1987 Wigan council election.

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 7 May 1987, with one third of the council up for election. Previous to the election there had been two by-elections held, resulting in a Labour gain of the seat being fought in Swinley from the Conservatives and Labour retaining one of their Hindley Green seats. Participation for this election increased substantially from the previous year's lows. Only one ward went unopposed (Leigh Central) as Labour reliably provided a full-slate of candidates, the Alliance all but Atherton and the Conservatives up from 16 to 18, by way of fielding candidates in the Labour strongholds of Abram and Worsley Mesnes this time around. An Independent Labour candidate also fought and won Hindley, with an Independent victory last seen in 1976, and Independent representation in 1980, when that same victor failed to survive the re-warding.

Contents

The results seen an end to four years of consecutive increases in Labour's share, peaking with last year's all-time high, as they slipped back into a respectable high-fifties and their loss dispersing to each of the opposition parties. Labour lost four seats in total, with the aforementioned Independent Labour loss in Hindley, an Alliance casualty from last year's elections re-elected in Winstanley, another loss to Alliance in Aspull-Standish and the Conservatives comfortable retaking the seat in Swinley they'd lost in the earlier mentioned by-election. These losses were offset somewhat by a gain from Alliance in Tyldesley East, returning the ward to entire Labour representation. Overall turnout rose to an above-average 37.1%. [1]

Election result

Wigan local election result 1987
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1914-379.259.349,800-5.7
  Alliance 321+112.523.119,406+1.3
  Conservative 110+14.215.312,820+2.2
  Independent Labour 110+14.22.21,894+2.2

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour6562
SDP-Liberal Alliance56
Conservatives23
Independent Labour01
Total7272
Working majority 58  52 

Ward results

Abram [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Cumberbach2,68780.0N/A
Conservative J. Wright37711.2N/A
Alliance R. Murphy2968.8N/A
Majority 2,31068.7N/A
Turnout 3,36034.8N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Ashton-Golborne [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hilton2,20665.3−7.3
Conservative S. Edwards71821.2+6.2
Alliance B. Miners45313.4+1.2
Majority 1,48844.0−13.5
Turnout 3,37734.6+4.3
Labour hold Swing -6.7
Aspull-Standish [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance G. Davies2,15342.0+0.5
Labour A. Durkin2,11741.3−4.6
Conservative K. Hart86016.7+4.0
Majority 360.7−3.7
Turnout 5,13049.4+4.8
Alliance gain from Labour Swing +2.5
Atherton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Sumner2,50776.1−6.6
Conservative M. Sharland1,41823.8+6.6
Majority 1,72252.3−13.1
Turnout 3,29235.0+5.4
Labour hold Swing -6.6
Bedford-Astley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Hayes1,99958.5−9.1
Alliance D. Wilkinson1,41841.5+9.1
Majority 58117.0−18.2
Turnout 3,41734.2+3.5
Labour hold Swing -9.1
Beech Hill [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Antill1,83457.2−17.0
Alliance J. McGarty92929.0+13.7
Conservative R. Gibson44213.8+3.2
Majority 90528.2−30.7
Turnout 3,20536.1+4.2
Labour hold Swing -15.3
Bryn [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Foster2,70972.9−5.9
Conservative R. Clayton56015.1+3.8
Alliance W. Claypole44812.0+2.0
Majority 2,14957.8−9.7
Turnout 3,71737.5+3.7
Labour hold Swing -4.8
Hindley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Labour E. Edwardson1,89454.2N/A
Labour M. O'Halloran1,14032.6N/A
Alliance S. Galeazzi45913.1N/A
Majority 75421.6N/A
Turnout 3,49336.4N/A
Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing N/A
Hindley Green [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. McAllister2,27572.1N/A
Alliance J. Cranfield88027.9N/A
Majority 1,39544.2N/A
Turnout 3,15528.2N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindsford [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Little2,18964.0−9.3
Alliance S. Jones1,23236.0+9.3
Majority 95728.0−18.7
Turnout 3,42132.0+3.6
Labour hold Swing -9.3
Hope Carr [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Birtles1,97655.8−10.2
Conservative E. Manson1,10331.2−2.7
Alliance G. Pullin46013.0+13.0
Majority 87324.7−7.5
Turnout 3,53936.2+1.8
Labour hold Swing -3.7
Ince [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Molyneaux2,38587.7−1.2
Alliance A. Robinson1726.3+0.5
Conservative D. Edwards1615.9+0.7
Majority 2,21381.4−1.7
Turnout 2,71834.0+0.6
Labour hold Swing -0.8
Langtree [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance S. Jeffers2,22044.4−2.6
Labour S. Turner1,94538.9−4.6
Conservative J. Wolstenholme83916.8+7.2
Majority 2755.5+2.0
Turnout 5,00446.3−0.9
Alliance hold Swing +1.0
Leigh Central [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour UnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Leigh East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Caley1,85761.6−12.4
Conservative M. Turner72224.0−1.9
Alliance P. Claypole43314.4+14.4
Majority 1,13537.7−10.5
Turnout 3,01229.3+1.6
Labour hold Swing -5.2
Lightshaw [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Strett2,40658.6−8.9
Conservative G. Jackson1,07126.1+7.6
Alliance J. Wilson62815.3+1.2
Majority 1,33532.5−16.5
Turnout 4,10538.9−2.9
Labour hold Swing -8.2
Newtown [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Milligan2,40677.0−7.0
Conservative I. Nicholson41913.4+4.8
Alliance W. Hewer3009.6+2.2
Majority 1,98763.6−11.8
Turnout 3,12534.5+3.0
Labour hold Swing -5.9
Norley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Smith2,54485.5−2.7
Alliance R. Richardson2317.8+1.0
Conservative J. Carrington2006.7+1.7
Majority 2,31377.7−3.7
Turnout 2,97537.5+2.1
Labour hold Swing -1.8
Orrell [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Capstick1,94646.4−0.3
Conservative D. Patmore1,34632.1+10.2
Alliance N. Somers90321.5−9.9
Majority 60014.3−0.8
Turnout 4,19540.8+1.2
Labour hold Swing -5.2
Swinley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative M. Dowling1,90840.0+1.8
Labour M. Gallagher1,76737.0+0.4
Alliance C. Rhys1,09623.0−2.2
Majority 1412.9+1.3
Turnout 4,77153.0+5.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +0.7
Tyldesley East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour C. Hopkinson2,10456.0−5.6
Alliance A. Shaw1,65344.0+5.6
Majority 45112.0−11.1
Turnout 3,75735.7−3.6
Labour gain from Alliance Swing -5.6
Whelley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Pendleton2,44877.0−2.9
Conservative F. Sidebotham38712.2+3.8
Alliance D. Armstrong34210.7−0.9
Majority 2,06164.9−3.4
Turnout 3,17736.0+0.5
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Winstanley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance J. Fitzpatrick2,17144.8+1.1
Labour G. Taberner2,04942.2−4.0
Conservative N. Edmond63013.0+2.9
Majority 1222.5−0.0
Turnout 4,85042.2+2.1
Alliance gain from Labour Swing +2.5
Worsley Mesnes [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Baldwin2,30473.7−10.5
Alliance B. Pryle52916.9+1.2
Conservative C. Michaels2929.3+9.3
Majority 1,77556.8−11.7
Turnout 3,12531.5+3.8
Labour hold Swing -5.8

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
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