Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election, 1992

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Map of the results of the 1992 Wigan council election. Wigan89.png
Map of the results of the 1992 Wigan council election.

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 7 May 1992, with one third of the seats set for re-election. Before the election the Labour Party had successfully retained their seats in three by-elections for the wards of Aspull-Standish, Leigh Central and Norley. The two elections directly preceding 1992's were markedly poor in participation, in contrast this year all wards were fought with the Conservative's and Lib Dem's return to fighting over three quarters of the wards each. Despite this, the election obtained the indisputably worst turnout in the council's near-twenty-year history, at a meagre 23.6%, losing just shy of 12,000 votes from the previous election. The elections were fought one month after the 1992 general election with heavy implications on the results - the most obvious of which is the nationally defeated Labour's loss of 8,000 votes from one year before, and consequently obtaining their worst vote figure in sixteen years. Neither the Conservatives rise - nor the Lib Dem's loss - of around 2,000 each, were significantly removed from recent results or accounted for such a loss, suggesting the slump in turnout were mostly the part of dismayed Labour voters. Seat changes were restricted to two Lib Dems gains from Labour, with one in the Labour-Lib Dem battleground of Aspull-Standish, returning the balance of councillor's in the latter's favour by two to one, and regaining one of their losses in the favourable territory of Langtree. [1]

Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Metropolitan borough in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town and former county borough, Wigan and includes the towns and villages of Leigh, part of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Orrell, Standish, Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne, Lowton, Billinge, Astley, Haigh and Aspull. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an amalgamation of several former local government districts and parishes. The borough has three civil parishes and lies directly to the west of the City of Salford and southwest of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. The local authority is Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.

The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party's platform emphasises greater state intervention, social justice and strengthening workers' rights.

Aspull village in United Kingdom

Aspull is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, Aspull, along with Haigh, is surrounded by greenbelt and agricultural land, separated from Westhoughton, on its southeast side, by a brook running through Borsdane Wood. The ground rises from south to north, reaching 400 feet (122 m), and has views towards Winter Hill and the West Pennine Moors. It has a population of 4,977.

Contents

Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1992
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 20 0 2 -2 83.3 55.7 31,269 -2.3%
  Liberal Democrat 3 2 0 +2 12.5 20.1 11,299 +0.2%
  Conservative 1 0 0 0 4.2 21.5 12,045 +6.4%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.5 873 -0.3%
  Independent Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.9 488 -2.5%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 104 -0.8%

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour 63 61
Liberal Democrats 6 8
Conservatives 2 2
Independent Labour 1 1
Liberal 0 0
Independent 0 0
Total 72 72
Working majority 54  50 

Ward results

Abram [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour A. Bennett 1,442 80.2 -3.5
Conservative I. Cunliffe 356 19.8 +3.5
Majority 1,086 60.4 -7.1
Turnout 1,798 18.5 -10.6
Labour hold Swing -3.5
Ashton-Golborne [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour T. Jones 1,130 57.8 -15.2
Conservative A. Calder 527 26.9 -0.0
Liberal Democrat C. Barton 299 15.3 +15.3
Majority 603 30.8 -15.2
Turnout 1,956 19.7 -10.8
Labour hold Swing -7.6
Aspull-Standish [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Liberal Democrat J. Ball 1,599 46.1 -4.7
Labour D. Standring 1,197 34.5 -3.6
Conservative J. Davies 674 19.4 +8.2
Majority 402 11.6 -1.1
Turnout 3,470 32.0 -11.0
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing -0.5
Atherton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Clarke 1,583 76.4 +1.2
Independent Labour D. Graeme 488 23.5 +14.6
Majority 1,095 52.9 -6.6
Turnout 2,071 22.2 -6.8
Labour hold Swing -6.7
Bedford-Astley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Jones 1,317 50.4 +1.8
Liberal Democrat M. Bleakley 684 26.2 -25.2
Conservative K. Mercer 611 23.4 +23.4
Majority 633 24.2 +21.4
Turnout 2,612 26.1 -9.4
Labour hold Swing +13.5
Beech Hill [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Liberal Democrat J. McGarty 1,875 63.2 +9.1
Labour W. Blackedge 961 32.4 +0.1
Conservative J. Carrington 132 4.4 -0.5
Majority 914 30.8 +8.9
Turnout 2,968 33.3 -8.6
Labour hold Swing +4.5
Bryn [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour M. Millington 1,512 75.0 -5.6
Conservative B. Smith 503 25.0 +5.6
Majority 1,009 50.1 -11.2
Turnout 2,015 20.8 -11.4
Labour hold Swing -5.6
Hindley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour A. Robinson 1,412 78.0 +40.5
Liberal Democrat J. Milton 397 21.9 +21.9
Majority 1,015 56.1 +31.3
Turnout 1,809 18.6 -10.4
Labour hold Swing +9.3
Hindley Green [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour S. Murphy 1,158 57.4 -13.7
Conservative E. Emmett 540 26.8 +26.8
Liberal Democrat F. Graham 214 10.6 +10.6
Independent J. Vickers 104 5.1 -23.6
Majority 618 30.6 -11.7
Turnout 2,016 17.5 -7.1
Labour hold Swing -20.2
Hindsford [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour W. Smith 1,647 67.2N/A
Conservative J. Wiseman 805 32.8N/A
Majority 842 34.3N/A
Turnout 2,452 22.5N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hope Carr [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour B. Jarvis 1,173 37.8 -3.0
Liberal Democrat M. Holmes 964 31.0 -7.9
Conservative J. Midgley 961 31.0 +11.0
Majority 209 6.7 +4.9
Turnout 3,098 30.7 -7.4
Labour hold Swing -2.4
Ince [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Horrocks 1,208 80.7 -3.3
Conservative J. Cartwright 172 11.5 +11.5
Liberal Democrat A. Robinson 116 7.7 -8.2
Majority 1,036 69.2 +1.1
Turnout 1,496 18.9 -14.6
Labour hold Swing -7.4
Langtree [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Liberal Democrat D. Brown 1,626 45.9 +6.9
Labour J. Ball 1,279 36.1 +0.8
Liberal K. White 640 18.0 +2.1
Majority 347 9.8 +6.0
Turnout 3,545 31.2 -14.2
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing +3.0
Leigh Central [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Hession 1,249 63.6 +4.0
Liberal Democrat J. Croft 715 36.4 -4.0
Majority 534 27.2 +7.9
Turnout 1,964 21.7 -10.3
Labour hold Swing +4.0
Leigh East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Riley 1,157 55.9N/A
Liberal Democrat B. Ratcliffe 911 44.0N/A
Majority 246 11.9N/A
Turnout 2,068 20.3N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Lightshaw [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour N. Holt 1,978 59.5 -6.6
Conservative S. Hide 1,348 40.5 +6.6
Majority 630 18.9 -13.3
Turnout 3,326 30.6 -12.5
Labour hold Swing -6.6
Newtown [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour M. Coghlin 1,085 72.2 -3.4
Conservative J. Whitehead 215 14.3 +14.3
Liberal Democrat L. Brooks 202 13.4 -10.9
Majority 870 57.9 +6.6
Turnout 1,502 16.5 -13.5
Labour hold Swing -8.8
Norley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour R. Frodsham 1,233 77.8N/A
Liberal Democrat J. Shaw 208 13.1N/A
Conservative G. Peach 143 9.0N/A
Majority 1,025 64.7N/A
Turnout 1,584 20.7N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Orrell [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour E. Swift 1,392 51.6 -0.7
Conservative H. Melling 1,305 48.4 +12.2
Majority 87 3.2 -12.9
Turnout 2,697 26.4 -10.1
Labour hold Swing -6.4
Swinley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Conservative E. Cartwright 1,581 52.8 +1.1
Labour K. Anderson 1,158 38.7 -9.5
Liberal Democrat P. Thistleton 252 8.4 +8.4
Majority 423 14.1 +10.7
Turnout 2,991 34.0 -9.0
Conservative hold Swing +5.3
Tyldesley East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour A. Stephenson 1,389 52.2N/A
Conservative J. Mosley 971 36.5N/A
Liberal Democrat R. Rothwell 299 11.2N/A
Majority 418 15.7N/A
Turnout 2,659 22.9N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Whelley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour A. Coyle 1,188 66.1 -3.7
Conservative K. Hart 292 16.2 +4.3
Liberal S. Cairns 233 12.9 -0.1
Liberal Democrat H. Wagner 85 4.7 -0.5
Majority 896 49.8 -6.9
Turnout 1,798 20.3 -14.0
Labour hold Swing -4.0
Winstanley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour R. Winkworth 1,299 52.7 -0.5
Conservative R. Clayton 625 25.4 +7.4
Liberal Democrat A. McCarthy 538 21.8 -6.9
Majority 674 27.4 +2.9
Turnout 2,462 20.9 -10.3
Labour hold Swing -3.9
Worsley Mesnes [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour W. Brogan 1,122 65.2 -17.1
Liberal Democrat W. Sly 315 18.3 +18.3
Conservative J. Wright 284 16.5 -1.2
Majority 807 46.9 -17.6
Turnout 1,721 17.3 -10.0
Labour hold Swing -17.7

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