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 edit
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 edit
Aldbourne and Ramsbury edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | H. D. Rogers | 1,199 | 74.1 | ||
Alliance | T. Williams | 418 | 25.9 | ||
Majority | |||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Blunsdon edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | R. Carter | 1,530 | |||
Alliance | Ms J. Stratton | 858 | |||
Labour | W. Andrews | 142 | |||
Majority | 672 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Calne edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance | Mrs E. Hornby | 1,200 | |||
Conservative | E. Miller | 594 | |||
Labour | A. Donald | 575 | |||
Majority | 606 | ||||
Alliance hold | Swing |
Chippenham Park edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance | June Margaret Wood | 1,416 | |||
Conservative | J. Scott | 994 | |||
Labour | A. Day | 782 | |||
Majority | 422 | ||||
Alliance hold | Swing |
Chippenham Town edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance | H. Crawford | 1,130 | |||
Conservative | D. Fopp | 598 | |||
Labour | J. Davidson | 282 | |||
Majority | 532 | ||||
Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing |
Corsham edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Bright | 1,054 | |||
Alliance | D. Pope | 899 | |||
Labour | Ms C. Reid | 282 | |||
Majority | 155 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Cricklade edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance | Reginald John Coole | 1,480 | |||
Conservative | R. Thompson | 573 | |||
Labour | J. D’Lemos | 75 | |||
Majority | 907 | ||||
Alliance hold | Swing |
Devizes edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patricia Rugg | 1,416 | |||
Alliance | C. Gillington | 1,052 | |||
Labour | Ms S. Williams | 442 | |||
Majority | 364 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Downton edit
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 edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ms M. Haines | 1,867 | |||
Conservative | D. F. Morley | 1,238 | |||
Majority | 629 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Holt edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance | George Frederick James Hawkins | 1,232 | |||
Conservative | P. Beale | 983 | |||
Majority | 249 | ||||
Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing |
Idmiston edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ms H. Mead | 1,004 | |||
Alliance | Ms G. Gent | 843 | |||
Labour | M. Sheehan | 157 | |||
Majority | 161 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Kington edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | R. C. Lodge | 1,037 | |||
Alliance | D. Crombie | 765 | |||
Labour | I. Hollingworth | 202 | |||
Majority | 272 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Lavington edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Derek Bernard William Jarvis | 1,460 | |||
Labour | Ms P. Day | 622 | |||
Majority | 838 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Malmesbury edit
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 edit
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 edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mary E. Salisbury | 1,502 | |||
Conservative | Ms P. Johnson | 642 | |||
Majority | 860 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Melksham Without edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ms. E. Joyce | 1,556 | |||
Labour | P. Colegate | 1,081 | |||
Majority | 475 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Mere edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert George Catton | 1,236 | |||
Alliance | S. Head | 821 | |||
Labour | Ms S. Potten | 257 | |||
Majority | 415 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References edit
- ^ 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 edit
- Colin Rallings, Michael Thrasher, Wiltshire County Council election Results 1973–2005 at electionscentre.co.uk