1985 UK local government election
Elections to Wiltshire County Council were held on 2 May 1985. The whole council of seventy-five members was up for election and the result was that the Conservatives lost their majority, winning only thirty seats, resulting in no overall control. The Liberals gained seats, winning seventeen, the Social Democrats won eight seats, the first time they had been represented in the council, while Labour had losses, finishing like the Liberals with seventeen members. Three Independents, including one Ratepayer, were also elected.[1]
In an editorial on 4 May headed "Local Lessons", The Times commented that "The Conservatives predominate as the single largest party in the counties still. Generalizations from such elections are always flawed by local factors. Intra-party disputes help explain the loss of Conservative seats in Wiltshire".[2]
Following the elections, an informal agreement between the leader of the Liberal group, Jack Ainslie, and the leader of the Labour members, Mary Salisbury, led to the formation of a minority SDP–Liberal Alliance administration. Salisbury commented to The Times "Where the Liberals put forward what seem to be measures which are beneficial to the people of Wiltshire, we will support them."[3]
Election result
Wiltshire Local Election Result 1985[1] Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 30 | | | -10 | 40.0 | | | |
| Liberal | 17 | | | +5 | 22.7 | | | |
| Labour | 17 | | | -3 | 22.7 | | | |
| SDP | 8 | | | +8 | 10.7 | | | |
| Independent | 3 | | | +1 | 4.0 | | | |
Results by divisions
Aldbourne and Ramsbury
Aldbourne and Ramsbury Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | John Bernard Ainslie | 2,012 | 67.0 | |
| Conservative | K. Eaton | 855 | 28.5 | |
| Labour | W. Barlow | 136 | 4.5 | |
Majority | 1157 | | |
| Alliance hold | Swing | | |
Alderbury
Alderbury Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | A. W. M. Christie-Miller | 1,438 | 64.8 | |
| Alliance | A. Maclachan | 664 | 29.9 | |
| Labour | I. Tomes | 117 | 5.3 | |
Majority | 774 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Amesbury
Amesbury Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | A. J. F. Haywood | 1,193 | 55.9 | |
| Conservative | T. Heffernan | 943 | 44.1 | |
Majority | 250 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Bedwyn
Bedwyn Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | H. D. Rogers | 1,199 | 74.1 | |
| Alliance | T. Williams | 418 | 25.9 | |
Majority | | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Blunsdon
Blunsdon Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | J. W. H. Archer | 1,520 | 57.9 | |
| Alliance | Ms P. Pascoe | 970 | 37.0 | |
| Ecology | H. Stredder | 133 | 5.1 | |
Majority | 550 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Box
Box Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | F. Naylor | 1,054 | 40.2 | |
| Alliance | Ms B. Oakes | 870 | 33.2 | |
| Labour | J. Eglinton | 695 | 26.5 | |
Majority | 184 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bradford on Avon North
Bradford on Avon North Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | H. J. Owen | 1,601 | 56.2 | |
| Conservative | Robert George Ian Elliott | 1,246 | 43.8 | |
Majority | 355 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Bradford on Avon South
Bradford on Avon South Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Mrs Margaret Purves | 909 | 40.9 | |
| Alliance | G. Turner | 883 | 39.8 | |
| Labour | J. D. Childs | 428 | 19.3 | |
Majority | 26 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bremhill and Calne Without
Bremhill and Calne Without Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Robert Andrew Raymond Syms | 1,196 | 47.3 | |
| Alliance | G. Greer | 945 | 36.4 | |
| Labour | H. Kirkbride | 386 | 15.3 | |
Majority | 251 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Brinkworth
Brinkworth Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | R. Carter | 1,530 | | |
| Alliance | Ms J. Stratton | 858 | | |
| Labour | W. Andrews | 142 | | |
Majority | 672 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Calne
Calne Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | Mrs E. Hornby | 1,200 | | |
| Conservative | E. Miller | 594 | | |
| Labour | A. Donald | 575 | | |
Majority | 606 | | |
| Alliance hold | Swing | | |
Chippenham Park
Chippenham Park Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | J. Henning | 891 | | |
| Conservative | Ms E. Winterton | 836 | | |
| Labour | R. Haynes | 329 | | |
Majority | 55 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Chippenham Sheldon
Chippenham Sheldon Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | June Margaret Wood | 1,416 | | |
| Conservative | J. Scott | 994 | | |
| Labour | A. Day | 782 | | |
Majority | 422 | | |
| Alliance hold | Swing | | |
Chippenham Town
Chippenham Town Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | Ms M. Fallon | 2,267 | | |
| Conservative | E. Taylor | 1,209 | | |
| Labour | J. Coadwell | 321 | | |
Majority | 1,058 | | |
| Alliance hold | Swing | | |
Collingbourne
Collingbourne Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | H. Crawford | 1,130 | | |
| Conservative | D. Fopp | 598 | | |
| Labour | J. Davidson | 282 | | |
Majority | 532 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Corsham
Corsham Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | John Bright | 1,054 | | |
| Alliance | D. Pope | 899 | | |
| Labour | Ms C. Reid | 282 | | |
Majority | 155 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Cricklade
Cricklade Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | Reginald John Coole | 1,480 | | |
| Conservative | R. Thompson | 573 | | |
| Labour | J. D’Lemos | 75 | | |
Majority | 907 | | |
| Alliance hold | Swing | | |
Devizes
Devizes Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | P. Gates | 742 | | |
| Alliance | Ms P. A. Morris | 696 | | |
| Labour | I. Hopkins | 499 | | |
Majority | 46 | | |
| Conservative gain from Alliance | Swing | | |
Devizes South and Cannings
Devizes South and Cannings Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Patricia Rugg | 1,416 | | |
| Alliance | C. Gillington | 1,052 | | |
| Labour | Ms S. Williams | 442 | | |
Majority | 364 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Downton
Downton Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | R. Peach | 1,216 | | |
| Alliance | C. Tate | 667 | | |
| Labour | K. Willis | 377 | | |
| Independent | H. Farris | 336 | | |
Majority | 549 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Durrington
Durrington Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | C. E. Robinson | 651 | | |
| Independent | R. Steadman | 589 | | |
| Labour | Ms A. Read | 422 | | |
| Alliance | Ms F. Crombie | 269 | | |
Majority | 62 | | |
| Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Highworth
Highworth Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Ms M. Haines | 1,867 | | |
| Conservative | D. F. Morley | 1,238 | | |
Majority | 629 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Holt
Holt Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | George Frederick James Hawkins | 1,232 | | |
| Conservative | P. Beale | 983 | | |
Majority | 249 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Idmiston
Idmiston Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Ms H. Mead | 1,004 | | |
| Alliance | Ms G. Gent | 843 | | |
| Labour | M. Sheehan | 157 | | |
Majority | 161 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kington
Kington Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | M. Adams | 1,102 | | |
| Conservative | Brenda Margaret Wyrill | 1,018 | | |
| Labour | C. Phillips | 236 | | |
Majority | 276 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Laverstock
Laverstock Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | R. C. Lodge | 1,037 | | |
| Alliance | D. Crombie | 765 | | |
| Labour | I. Hollingworth | 202 | | |
Majority | 272 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Lavington
Lavington Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Derek Bernard William Jarvis | 1,460 | | |
| Labour | Ms P. Day | 622 | | |
Majority | 838 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Malmesbury
Malmesbury Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | H. Price | 1,954 | | |
| Conservative | R. Clarke | 1,307 | | |
| Labour | M. Tavener | 223 | | |
Majority | 647 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Marlborough
Marlborough Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Alliance | J. Spanton | 1,242 | | |
| Conservative | B. Ashley | 1,037 | | |
| Labour | Ms M. R. Urquhart | 328 | | |
Majority | 205 | | |
| Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Melksham
Melksham Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Mary E. Salisbury | 1,502 | | |
| Conservative | Ms P. Johnson | 642 | | |
Majority | 860 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Melksham Without
Melksham Without Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Ms. E. Joyce | 1,556 | | |
| Labour | P. Colegate | 1,081 | | |
Majority | 475 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Mere
Mere Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Robert George Catton | 1,236 | | |
| Alliance | S. Head | 821 | | |
| Labour | Ms S. Potten | 257 | | |
Majority | 415 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
References
- ^ a b Hugh Clayton (Local Government Correspondent), 'Local Elections' in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 4
- ^ 'Local Lessons', editorial in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 9
- ^ Hugh Clayton (Local Government Correspondent), 'Emerging figure in new Lib-Lab pact: an Alliance shire leader cast in Tory mould', in The Times of London, issue 62135 dated 11 May 1985, p. 2
External links