1987 United Kingdom local elections

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1987 United Kingdom local elections

← 1986 7 May 1987 1988 →

All 36 metropolitan boroughs, all 296 English districts and all 37 Welsh districts
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Margaret Thatcher (1983).jpg
Start campagne voor Europese verkiezingen van PvdA (Rotterdam) Neal Kinnoch , k, Bestanddeelnr 932-9811.jpg
DavidSteel1987 cropped.jpg
David Owen-1.jpg
Leader Margaret Thatcher Neil Kinnock David Steel
and David Owen
Party Conservative Labour SDP–Liberal Alliance
Leader since 11 February 1975 2 October 1983 7 July 1976
and 21 June 1983
Percentage 38% 32% 27%
Councillors +/- Decrease 75 Decrease 234 Increase 669

Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1987.[1][2][3] The projected share of the vote was Conservatives 38%, Labour 32%, Liberal-SDP Alliance 27%. It was the first time since 1983 that the Conservatives had enjoyed the largest share of the vote in local council elections.

Soon after the elections, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called a general election which resulted in a second successive Conservative landslide, although Labour managed to cut the government's overall majority, while the Alliance endured another disappointing performance and was soon disbanded as the SDP and Liberals agreed on a merger the following year.

The number of councillors was somewhat reduced from the previous year. The Conservatives lost 75 seats, Labour lost 234 and the Liberal-SDP Alliance gained 669.

Summary of results[]

England[]

Metropolitan boroughs[]

All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council Previous control Result Details
Barnsley Labour Labour hold Details
Birmingham Labour Labour hold
Bolton Labour Labour hold Details
Bradford Labour Labour hold Details
Bury Labour Labour hold
Calderdale No overall control No overall control hold
Coventry Labour Labour hold
Doncaster Labour Labour hold
Dudley Labour Labour hold
Gateshead Labour Labour hold
Kirklees No overall control No overall control hold
Knowsley Labour Labour hold
Leeds Labour Labour hold Details
Liverpool Labour Labour hold Details
Manchester Labour Labour hold Details
Newcastle upon Tyne Labour Labour hold
North Tyneside No overall control Labour gain
Oldham Labour Labour hold
Rochdale Labour Labour hold
Rotherham Labour Labour hold
Salford Labour Labour hold
Sandwell Labour Labour hold
Sefton No overall control No overall control hold
Sheffield Labour Labour hold Details
Solihull Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Tyneside Labour Labour hold
St Helens Labour Labour hold
Stockport No overall control No overall control hold
Sunderland Labour Labour hold
Tameside Labour Labour hold
Trafford No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wakefield Labour Labour hold
Walsall No overall control No overall control hold
Wigan Labour Labour hold Details
Wirral No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wolverhampton Labour No overall control gain Details

District councils[]

Whole council[]

In 180 districts the whole council was up for election.

Six of those districts - East Devon, Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicester, Mid Sussex, West Dorset and Woodspring - returned to whole councils elections having previously been elected by thirds.

In 5 districts there were new ward boundaries, following further electoral boundary reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Council Previous control Result Details
Allerdale No overall control No overall control hold
Alnwick No overall control No overall control hold
Arun Conservative Conservative hold
Ashfield Labour Labour hold
Ashford Conservative Conservative hold
Aylesbury Vale Conservative Conservative hold
Babergh No overall control No overall control hold
Berwick-upon-Tweed No overall control No overall control hold
Beverley Conservative Conservative hold
Blaby Conservative Conservative hold
Blackpool Conservative No overall control gain
Blyth Valley Labour Alliance gain
Bolsover Labour Labour hold
Boothferry Conservative No overall control gain
Boston No overall control No overall control hold
Bournemouth Conservative Conservative hold
Bracknell Forest Conservative Conservative hold
Braintree No overall control No overall control hold
Breckland Conservative Conservative hold
Bridgnorth Independent Independent hold
Bromsgrove Conservative Conservative hold
Broxtowe Conservative Conservative hold
Canterbury Conservative Conservative hold
Caradon Independent Independent hold
Carrick No overall control No overall control hold
Castle Morpeth No overall control No overall control hold
Castle Point Conservative Conservative hold
Charnwood Conservative Conservative hold
Chelmsford Alliance Alliance hold
Chesterfield Labour Labour hold
Chester-le-Street Labour Labour hold
Chichester Conservative Conservative hold
Chiltern Conservative Conservative hold
Christchurch Conservative Conservative hold
Cleethorpes No overall control No overall control hold
Copeland Labour Labour hold
Corby Labour Labour hold Details
Cotswold Independent Independent hold
Dacorum Conservative Conservative hold
Darlington Labour No overall control gain
Dartford Conservative Conservative hold
Derwentside Labour Labour hold
Dover Conservative Conservative hold
Durham Labour Labour hold
Easington Labour Labour hold
East Cambridgeshire Independent Independent hold
East Devon Conservative Conservative hold
East Hampshire Conservative Conservative hold
East Hertfordshire Conservative Conservative hold
East Lindsey Independent Independent hold
East Northamptonshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
East Staffordshire No overall control No overall control hold
East Yorkshire Conservative Conservative hold
Eden Independent Independent hold
Epsom and Ewell Independent Independent hold
Erewash Conservative Conservative hold
Fenland Conservative Conservative hold
Forest Heath No overall control Conservative gain
Forest of Dean No overall control No overall control hold
Fylde Conservative Conservative hold
Gedling Conservative Conservative hold
Glanford Conservative Conservative hold
Gravesham Conservative No overall control gain
Guildford Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hambleton Independent No overall control gain
Harborough Conservative No overall control gain
High Peak No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hinckley and Bosworth Conservative Conservative hold
Holderness Independent Independent hold
Horsham Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hove Conservative Conservative hold
Kennet Independent No overall control gain
Kerrier No overall control No overall control hold
Kettering Conservative No overall control gain
King's Lynn and West Norfolk Conservative Conservative hold
Kingswood Conservative Conservative hold
Lancaster Conservative No overall control gain
Langbaurgh Labour No overall control gain Details
Leicester Labour Labour hold
Lewes Conservative Conservative hold
Lichfield Conservative Conservative hold
Luton Conservative Conservative hold
Maldon No overall control No overall control hold
Malvern Hills Independent No overall control gain
Mansfield Labour Labour hold
Medina Alliance Conservative gain
Melton Conservative Conservative hold
Mendip Conservative No overall control gain
Mid Bedfordshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Mid Devon Independent Independent hold
Mid Suffolk No overall control No overall control hold
Mid Sussex Conservative Conservative hold
Middlesbrough Labour Labour hold
New Forest Conservative Conservative hold
Newark and Sherwood No overall control No overall control hold
Newbury Conservative Conservative hold
North Cornwall Independent Independent hold
North Devon Independent No overall control gain
North Dorset Independent Independent hold
North East Derbyshire Labour Labour hold
North Kesteven Independent No overall control gain
North Norfolk Independent Independent hold
North Shropshire Independent Independent hold
North Warwickshire Labour Labour hold
North West Leicestershire No overall control No overall control hold
North Wiltshire Conservative Conservative hold
Northampton No overall control Conservative gain
Northavon Conservative Conservative hold
Nottingham Labour Conservative gain
Oswestry Independent No overall control gain
Plymouth Conservative Conservative hold Details
Poole Conservative Conservative hold
Restormel Independent No overall control gain
Ribble Valley Conservative Conservative hold
Richmondshire Independent Independent hold
Rochester-upon-Medway Conservative Conservative hold
Rother Conservative Conservative hold
Rushcliffe Conservative Conservative hold
Rutland Independent No overall control gain
Ryedale Independent No overall control gain
Salisbury No overall control Conservative gain
Scarborough No overall control No overall control hold
Sedgefield Labour Labour hold
Sedgemoor Conservative Conservative hold
Selby Conservative Conservative hold
Sevenoaks Conservative Conservative hold
Shepway Conservative No overall control gain
South Bucks Conservative Conservative hold
South Derbyshire Labour Labour hold
South Hams No overall control Conservative gain
South Holland Independent No overall control gain
South Kesteven Conservative Conservative hold Details
South Norfolk Conservative No overall control gain
South Northamptonshire Conservative Conservative hold
South Oxfordshire Conservative Conservative hold
South Ribble Conservative Conservative hold
South Shropshire Independent Independent hold
South Somerset No overall control Alliance gain
South Staffordshire Conservative Conservative hold
South Wight Conservative No overall control gain
Spelthorne Conservative Conservative hold
St Edmundsbury Conservative Conservative hold
Stafford No overall control No overall control hold
Staffordshire Moorlands No overall control No overall control hold
Stockton-on-Tees Labour Labour hold
Suffolk Coastal Conservative Conservative hold
Surrey Heath Conservative Conservative hold
Tamworth Labour Conservative gain
Taunton Deane Conservative Conservative hold
Teesdale Independent Independent hold
Teignbridge No overall control No overall control hold
Tendring Conservative Conservative hold
Test Valley Conservative Conservative hold
Tewkesbury Independent No overall control gain
Thanet Independent No overall control gain
The Wrekin Labour Labour hold
Torridge Independent Independent hold
Tynedale No overall control No overall control hold
Uttlesford Conservative Conservative hold
Vale of White Horse Conservative Conservative hold
Vale Royal No overall control No overall control hold
Wansbeck Labour Labour hold
Wansdyke Conservative Conservative hold Details
Warrington Labour Labour hold
Warwick Conservative Conservative hold
Waverley Conservative Conservative hold
Wealden Conservative Conservative hold
Wear Valley Labour Labour hold
Wellingborough Conservative Conservative hold
West Derbyshire Conservative Conservative hold
West Devon Independent No overall control gain
West Dorset Independent No overall control gain Details
West Somerset Independent Independent hold
West Wiltshire Conservative Conservative hold
Wimborne Conservative Conservative hold
Windsor and Maidenhead Conservative Conservative hold
Woodspring Conservative Conservative hold
Wychavon No overall control Conservative gain
Wycombe Conservative Conservative hold
Wyre Conservative Conservative hold

‡ New ward boundaries

Third of council[]

In 116 districts one third of the council was up for election.

Council Previous control Result Details
Adur Alliance Alliance hold Details
Amber Valley Labour No overall control gain
Barrow-in-Furness Labour Labour hold
Basildon Labour No overall control gain Details
Basingstoke and Deane Conservative Conservative hold
Bassetlaw Labour Labour hold
Bath Conservative No overall control gain Details
Blackburn Labour No overall control gain
Brentwood Conservative Conservative hold
Brighton No overall control No overall control hold
Bristol Labour Labour hold Details
Broadland Conservative Conservative hold
Broxbourne Conservative Conservative hold Details
Burnley Labour Labour hold
Cambridge Labour No overall control gain
Cannock Chase No overall control Labour gain
Carlisle Labour Labour hold
Cheltenham No overall control No overall control hold Details
Cherwell Conservative Conservative hold
Chester No overall control No overall control hold
Chorley No overall control No overall control hold
Colchester No overall control No overall control hold Details
Congleton No overall control No overall control hold
Craven No overall control No overall control hold
Crawley Labour Labour hold
Crewe and Nantwich No overall control No overall control hold
Daventry Conservative Conservative hold
Derby Labour Labour hold Details
Eastbourne Alliance Alliance hold
Eastleigh No overall control No overall control hold
Ellesmere Port and Neston Labour Labour hold
Elmbridge No overall control No overall control hold
Epping Forest Conservative Conservative hold
Exeter No overall control No overall control hold
Fareham No overall control Conservative gain
Gillingham Conservative Conservative hold
Gloucester No overall control Conservative gain Details
Gosport Conservative Conservative hold
Great Grimsby Labour Labour hold
Great Yarmouth No overall control No overall control hold
Halton Labour Labour hold
Harlow Labour Labour hold Details
Harrogate Conservative Conservative hold
Hart No overall control No overall control hold
Hartlepool Labour Labour hold
Hastings No overall control No overall control hold
Havant Conservative Conservative hold
Hereford Alliance Alliance hold
Hertsmere Conservative Conservative hold
Huntingdonshire Conservative Conservative hold
Hyndburn Labour Labour hold
Ipswich Labour Labour hold Details
Kingston upon Hull Labour Labour hold
Leominster Independent Independent hold
Lincoln Labour Labour hold Details
Macclesfield Conservative Conservative hold
Maidstone No overall control No overall control hold
Milton Keynes No overall control No overall control hold
Mole Valley No overall control No overall control hold
Newcastle-under-Lyme Labour Labour hold
North Bedfordshire No overall control No overall control hold
North Hertfordshire Conservative Conservative hold
Norwich Labour Labour hold
Nuneaton and Bedworth Labour Labour hold
Oadby and Wigston Conservative Conservative hold
Oxford Labour Labour hold
Pendle No overall control Alliance gain
Penwith No overall control No overall control hold
Peterborough No overall control No overall control hold
Portsmouth Conservative Conservative hold
Preston Labour Labour hold
Purbeck No overall control No overall control hold
Reading No overall control Labour gain
Redditch Labour Labour hold
Reigate and Banstead Conservative Conservative hold
Rochford Conservative Conservative hold
Rossendale Labour Labour hold
Rugby No overall control Conservative gain
Runnymede Conservative Conservative hold
Rushmoor Conservative Conservative hold
Scunthorpe Labour Labour hold
Shrewsbury and Atcham No overall control No overall control hold
Slough Labour Labour hold
South Bedfordshire Conservative Conservative hold
South Cambridgeshire Independent Independent hold
South Herefordshire Independent Independent hold
South Lakeland No overall control No overall control hold
Southampton Labour No overall control gain
Southend-on-Sea Conservative No overall control gain
St Albans No overall control No overall control hold
Stevenage Labour Labour hold Details
Stoke-on-Trent Labour Labour hold
Stratford-on-Avon Conservative Conservative hold
Stroud No overall control No overall control hold
Swale No overall control No overall control hold
Tandridge Conservative Conservative hold
Thamesdown Labour Labour hold
Three Rivers No overall control Alliance gain
Thurrock Labour Labour hold
Tonbridge and Malling Conservative Conservative hold
Torbay Conservative Conservative hold
Tunbridge Wells Conservative Conservative hold
Watford Labour Labour hold
Waveney No overall control No overall control hold
Welwyn Hatfield Labour Labour hold
West Lancashire No overall control Conservative gain
West Lindsey No overall control Alliance gain
West Oxfordshire No overall control Conservative gain
Weymouth and Portland No overall control No overall control hold
Winchester Conservative No overall control gain
Woking No overall control No overall control hold
Wokingham Conservative Conservative hold
Worcester Labour Labour hold
Worthing Conservative Conservative hold
Wyre Forest No overall control No overall control hold
York Labour Labour hold

Wales[]

District councils[]

Council Previous control Result Details
Aberconwy No overall control No overall control hold
Alyn and Deeside No overall control Labour gain
Anglesey - Ynys Môn Independent Independent hold
Arfon No overall control No overall control hold
Blaenau Gwent Labour Labour hold
Brecknock Independent Independent hold
Cardiff Conservative No overall control gain Details
Carmarthen Independent Independent hold Details
Ceredigion Independent Independent hold Details
Colwyn No overall control No overall control hold
Cynon Valley Labour Labour hold
Delyn No overall control No overall control hold
Dinefwr Labour Labour hold Details
Dwyfor Independent Independent hold
Glyndŵr Independent Independent hold
Islwyn Labour Labour hold
Llanelli Labour Labour hold Details
Lliw Valley Labour Labour hold
Meirionnydd Independent Independent hold
Merthyr Tydfil Labour Labour hold
Monmouth Conservative Conservative hold
Montgomeryshire Independent Independent hold
Neath Labour Labour hold
Newport Labour Labour hold
Ogwr No overall control Labour gain
Port Talbot Labour Labour hold
Preseli Pembrokeshire Independent Independent hold Details
Radnor Independent Independent hold
Rhondda Labour Labour hold
Rhuddlan Independent Independent hold
Rhymney Valley Labour Labour hold
South Pembrokeshire Independent Independent hold Details
Swansea Labour Labour hold
Taff-Ely Labour Labour hold
Torfaen Labour Labour hold
Vale of Glamorgan Conservative Conservative hold
Wrexham Maelor No overall control Labour gain

References[]

  1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1987, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1987, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
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