1986 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 1986 Wigan council election. Wigan84.png
Map of the results of the 1986 Wigan council election.

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 8 May 1986, with one third of the seats scheduled for re-election. Since the previous election three by-elections had taken place, with Labour gaining the seat being fought in Orrell from the Conservatives as well as holding their seats in Bedford-Astley and Beech Hill. The election seen fewer contestants than any previous election since the council's creation in 1973, with a record of four seats (Abram, Hindley, Hindley Green and Leigh Central) unchallenged. Even amongst those contested there were no minor parties represented, the fewest Alliance candidates since the 1980 election and a record low of Conservative contenders at sixteen. The results were similarly record-breaking as Labour won twenty two seats, with the Conservative and Alliance majorities in their respective heartland wards - and only holds - of Swinley and Langtree reduced to slender majorities. Labour won a high of 65% share of the vote, conversely the Conservatives share fell to a low of 13.1%, with their actual vote dropping into four figures for the first time. Overall turnout rose from the preceding year's underwhelming figure of 29.2%, to a more commonplace 35.8%. [1]

Contents

Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1986
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 2230+391.765.045,205+2.8%
  Alliance 103-34.221.815,171+2.2%
  Conservative 10004.213.19,136-4.9%

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour6164
SDP-Liberal Alliance85
Conservatives33
Total7272
Working majority 50  56 

Ward results

Abram [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour I. McCartneyUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Ashton-Golborne [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Lea2,12472.7+6.4
Conservative J. Wright44115.1-2.3
Alliance H. Crook35812.2-4.1
Majority1,68357.6+8.8
Turnout 2,92330.2+0.8
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Aspull-Standish [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hilton2,22245.8+4.1
Alliance G. Davies2,00941.4-1.4
Conservative K. Hart61612.7-2.7
Majority2134.4+2.0
Turnout 2,79629.6-9.1
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +2.7
Atherton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Sumner2,31382.7+3.6
Conservative M. Sharland48317.3-3.6
Majority1,83065.4+7.2
Turnout 2,79629.6-9.1
Labour hold Swing +3.6
Bedford-Astley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Walker2,05167.6+13.1
Alliance W. Shaw98332.4+14.5
Majority1,06835.2+8.4
Turnout 3,03430.7-7.7
Labour hold Swing -0.7
Beech Hill
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Parkinson2,09074.2+5.1
Alliance R. Richardson43015.2-1.7
Conservative E. Nicholson29710.5-3.4
Majority1,66058.9+6.9
Turnout 2,81731.9-0.2
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Bryn [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Melling2,64978.8+6.1
Conservative C. Michaels37711.2-1.4
Alliance D. Ramsdale33710.0-4.8
Majority2,27267.6+9.7
Turnout 3,36333.9+0.9
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Hindley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. GreenUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. GreenUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindley Green [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. WynnUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindsford [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Wright2,21673.3-8.6
Alliance S. Jones80626.7+26.7
Majority1,41046.7-17.2
Turnout 3,02228.4-0.9
Labour hold Swing -17.6
Hope Carr [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hession2,21166.1+5.3
Conservative E. Manson1,13533.9+2.6
Majority1,07632.2+2.7
Turnout 3,34634.4-3.0
Labour hold Swing +1.3
Ince [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Davies2,35788.9-0.3
Alliance A. Robinson1555.8-4.9
Conservative A. Jackson1385.2+5.2
Majority2,20283.1+4.7
Turnout 2,65033.4+5.2
Labour hold Swing +2.3
Langtree [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance R. Grayson2,37646.9+1.7
Labour T. O'Hagan2,20143.5+4.6
Conservative J. Wolstenholme4859.6-6.3
Majority1753.5-2.9
Turnout 5,06247.3+3.6
Alliance hold Swing -1.4
Leigh Central [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P. SmithUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Leigh East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Harper2,06874.1+10.1
Conservative D. Angell72325.9-1.8
Majority1,34548.2+11.9
Turnout 2,79127.7-2.1
Labour hold Swing +5.9
Lightshaw [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Sherratt2,95567.5N/A
Conservative E. Morris80718.4N/A
Alliance J. Wilson61614.1N/A
Majority2,14849.1N/A
Turnout 4,37841.8N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Newtown [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Pye2,37684.0+3.9
Conservative J. Lawson2438.6-4.4
Alliance P. Gwyn2097.4+0.5
Majority2,13375.4+8.4
Turnout 2,82831.5+1.6
Labour hold Swing +4.1
Norley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Turner2,49988.2-0.0
Alliance P. Coleman1916.7+1.0
Conservative E. Bispham1435.0-1.0
Majority2,30881.5-0.7
Turnout 2,83335.4+2.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Orrell [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Seaward1,89846.7+3.1
Alliance H. Evans1,28131.5+14.1
Conservative J. Grimshaw88921.9-17.2
Majority61715.2+10.7
Turnout 4,06839.6+4.0
Labour hold Swing -5.5
Swinley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative C. Giles1,63738.2-5.7
Labour S. Turner1,56736.6-0.8
Alliance C. Rhys1,07925.2+6.5
Majority701.6-4.8
Turnout 4,28347.5+6.5
Conservative hold Swing -2.4
Tyldesley East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Wilson2,49661.6+14.6
Alliance G. Pickthall1,55738.4-3.8
Majority93923.2+18.3
Turnout 4,05339.3-3.3
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +9.2
Whelley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Pendleton2,49979.9+3.4
Alliance J. Kearsley36411.6-4.0
Conservative F. Sidebotham2638.4+0.6
Majority2,13568.3+4.3
Turnout 3,12635.5+2.7
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Winstanley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Evans2,10446.2+2.6
Alliance J. Fitzpatrick1,98843.7+1.1
Conservative F. Fairbairn45910.1-3.7
Majority1162.5+1.5
Turnout 4,55140.0+2.1
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +0.7
Worsley Mesnes [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour H. Milligan2,30984.2+10.1
Alliance A. Meal43215.8+0.0
Majority1,87768.5+10.1
Turnout 2,74127.7-1.5
Labour hold Swing +5.0

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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.