1988 Reading Borough Council election

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1988 Reading Borough Council election
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←  1987 5 May 1988 (1988-05-05) 1990  →
15 seats of 45 on council
23 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Lab
Con
SLD
LeaderMike OrtonGeoff CanningJim Day
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Seats before24165
Seats after25155
Seat changeIncrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Popular vote16,15416,3425,706
Percentage39.9%40.4%14.1%
SwingIncrease2.svg8.9%Decrease2.svg0.6%Decrease2.svg12.5%

The 1988 Reading Borough Council election was held on 5 May 1988, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. One third of Reading Borough Council's 45 seats were up for election.

Contents

The election saw Labour increase its majority on the council by one seat. [1]

It was the first election following the merger of the SDP-Liberal Alliance to become the "Social and Liberal Democrats" as they were called at this election, before changing the name to Liberal Democrats the following year. Some SDP members opposed to the merger formed a new Social Democratic Party, which fielded several candidates in Reading in 1988.

Results

Reading Borough Council Election, 1988
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 910+160.039.916,154+8.9
  Conservative 501-133.340.416,342-0.6
  Liberal Democrats 10006.714.15,706-12.5
  SDP 00.04.21,710New
  Green 00.01.2481-0.1
  Independent 00.00.262New

Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows (candidates with an asterisk* were the previous incumbent standing for re-election): [2] [3] [4] [1]

Abbey Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Frederick John Silverthorne*
(John Silverthorne) 		1,351 62.8 +16.4
Conservative H. C. S. Webb
(Chris Webb)		54825.5−7.7
Liberal Democrats Jeremy P. Sharpe1517.0−9.7
Green Howard J. Darby1004.7+1.0
Turnout 2,15032.0
Labour hold Swing +12.05
Battle Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Clive R. Chandler* 1,350 58.9 +11.9
Conservative Gill S. Turnbull72131.4+0.2
SDP Stephen R. Hanson1536.7n/a
Green Maureen P. Gray693.0+0.1
Turnout 2,29335.1
Labour hold Swing +5.85
Caversham Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Pauline S. Palmer* 2,205 67.0 −0.2
Labour Geoffrey Robert Mander
(Geoff Mander)		75723.0+4.0
Liberal Democrats Maureen A. Stagg2046.2−7.6
SDP Mary E. Hargreaves1263.8n/a
Turnout 3,29243.5
Conservative hold Swing -2.1
Church Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Maureen Lockey* 1,135 52.0 +5.6
Conservative Elaine A. Beadle79236.3+2.4
Liberal Democrats Brian W. Howells1376.3−13.5
SDP David Gask1195.5n/a
Turnout 2,18337.9
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Katesgrove Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour David Christopher Sutton 1,017 54.1 +7.2
Conservative Shirley M. Mills53128.2−10.4
Liberal Democrats Diana M. Bailey27414.6−0.1
SDP Nikola Sergt583.1n/a
Turnout 1,88031.7
Labour hold Swing +8.8
Kentwood Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stephen P. Thomas* 1,278 46.6 +6.0
Liberal Democrats Margaret Bridget Fryett84430.8−11.6
Labour Stella M. Higgins52219.0+1.9
SDP Tom F. R. Usher993.6n/a
Turnout 2,74341.2
Conservative hold Swing +8.8
Minster Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Deryck Mitchell Morton* 1,448 51.5 +1.7
Labour Katharine Neville
(Kathy Neville)		1,06938.0+10.0
SDP A. W. Ellis
(Tony Ellis)		2358.4n/a
Independent Ivan Young622.2n/a
Turnout 2,81442.8
Conservative hold Swing -4.15
Norcot Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Helen M. Hathaway* 1,570 60.1 +16.4
Conservative Nick P. Burkinshaw64024.5−0.4
Liberal Democrats Norman A. Edwards27210.4−23.1
SDP Ian Gray943.6n/a
Green David A. Chaplin371.4−0.4
Turnout 2,61338.4
Labour hold Swing +6.45
Park Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Martin John Salter* 1,785 58.2 +10.4
Conservative John Norman Pearson
(Norman Pearson)		88028.7−4.3
Liberal Democrats Stephen H. Begg
(Steve Begg)		1725.6−10.1
Green Philip J. Unsworth1193.9+0.4
SDP David J. Cornes1133.7n/a
Turnout 3,06945.5
Labour hold Swing +7.35
Peppard Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mary Irwin* 1,945 57.7 +10.2
Liberal Democrats Ian M. Fenwick93027.6−16.9
Labour David M. Booth39711.8+3.9
SDP Peter E. Littlewood972.9n/a
Turnout 3,36945.6
Conservative hold Swing +13.55
Redlands Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robert Stephen Dimmick* 1,460 45.3 +11.7
Conservative Heather M. Oliver1,00531.2−3.1
SDP Robert Owen Biggs Wilson
(Rob Wilson)		39312.2n/a
Liberal Democrats Jeremy B. C. Lazenby36711.4−17.8
Turnout 3,22542.0
Labour hold Swing +7.4
Southcote Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Roberta Richardson
(Bobbie Richardson)		1,715 52.2 +11.1
Conservative Alfred John Irwin*
(Jack Irwin)		1,32240.3−6.7
Liberal Democrats Stuart F. Hinson1293.9−11.8
SDP Anna M. C. Ellis1173.6n/a
Turnout 3,28349.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.9
Thames Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Pam Fuad* 1,872 63.0 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Annette Hendry63421.3−10.7
Labour K. Mike Hogarth31110.5+3.0
Green Louise A. Barnes1565.2+1.9
Turnout 2,97345.6
Conservative hold Swing +8.25
Tilehurst Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ronald James Day*
(Jim Day)		1,536 59.6 +3.7
Conservative Stephen J. Coles64224.9−6.5
Labour David R. Warren39915.5+2.8
Turnout 2,57738.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +5.1
Whitley Ward
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour John Cook 1,316 66.1 +12.4
Conservative Philip A. Wickens51325.8−5.7
SDP Clive R. Jones1065.3n/a
Liberal Democrats John William Wood562.8−12.0
Turnout 1,99129.5
Labour hold Swing +9.05

By-elections 1988–1990

Katesgrove by-election 1988

Katesgrove By-Election 14 July 1988
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Sheila Reilly 787 57.4 +3.3
Conservative Shirley M. Mills38828.3+0.1
Liberal Democrats Diana M. Bailey19614.3−0.3
Majority 39929.1
Turnout 3,35722.7
Labour hold Swing +1.6

The Katesgrove ward by-election in 1988 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Mark Hendry. [5] [6]

Battle by-election 1988

Battle By-Election 17 November 1988
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour David Booth 999 68.1 +9.2
Conservative Gill Turnbull37325.4−6.0
Liberal Democrats John Wood956.5n/a
Majority 62642.7
Turnout 1,467
Labour hold Swing +7.6

The Battle ward by-election in 1988 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor Kevin MacDevitt. [7] [8]

Abbey by-election 1989

Abbey By-Election 4 May 1989
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jane Patricia Griffiths
Conservative Tony Markham401
Liberal Democrats John Wood146
Green Elizabeth Callies141
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

The Abbey ward by-election in 1989 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor John Silverthorne. Newspaper coverage indicates that Jane Griffiths, the winning candidate, took about 60% of the votes, but does not give the exact number of votes she received. [9] [10]

References

  1. 1 2 "Jubilant Labour paints the town a victorious red". Evening Post. Reading. 6 May 1988. p. 6. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "Borough candidates all set to do battle". Evening Post. Reading. 14 April 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "The final countdown to polling day". Evening Post. Reading. 28 April 1988. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. ↑ "The fight for power on polling day". Evening Post. Reading. 21 April 1988. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "Councillor quits". Evening Post. Reading. 26 May 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Sheila soars home to keep ward Labour". Evening Post. Reading. 15 July 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "Labour councillor dies at newspaper launch". Evening Post. Reading. 12 September 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  8. ↑ "Labour crush rivals in poll". Evening Post. Reading. 18 November 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "Shock of councillor's gas explosion death". Evening Post. Reading. 18 December 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "Labour keeps tight grasp on its Abbey habit". Evening Post. Reading. 5 May 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
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