1985 United Kingdom local elections

The 1985 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 2 May 1985 in England and Wales, and Wednesday 15 May 1985 in Northern Ireland.[1][2][3][4] Labour had the largest share of the vote in local council elections for the first time since 1981.

1985 United Kingdom local elections

← 1984 2 May 1985 (England & Wales)
15 May 1985 (Northern Ireland)
1986 →

All 39 non-metropolitan counties, 1 sui generis authority,
all 26 Northern Irish districts and all 8 Welsh counties
  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 Alliance
Leader since 11 February 1975 2 October 1983 7 July 1976
and 21 June 1983
Percentage 32% 39% 26%
Councillors 10,191 8,746 2,633
Councillors +/- Decrease 202 Decrease 124 Increase 302

Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.

Both Conservatives and Labour lost some seats to the Liberal-SDP Alliance, who were rebuilding under the leadership of David Owen and enjoying strong showings — including a brief lead — in the opinion polls.

Summary of results

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Alan Clark, writing in his diary for 11 May 1985, shortly after the election, stated: "Some stupid prick has done a 'projection' in one of the heavies showing that the SDP will have a massive overall majority in the House of Commons.."[5]

England

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Non-metropolitan county councils

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Council Previous control Result Details
Avon Labour No overall control gain Details
Bedfordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Berkshire No overall control Conservative gain Details
Buckinghamshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Cambridgeshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Cheshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Cleveland Labour Labour hold Details
Cornwall Independent No overall control gain Details
Cumbria Labour No overall control gain Details
Derbyshire Labour Labour hold Details
Devon Conservative No overall control gain Details
Dorset Conservative Conservative hold Details
Durham Labour Labour hold Details
East Sussex Conservative No overall control gain Details
Essex Conservative No overall control gain Details
Gloucestershire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hampshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Hereford and Worcester Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hertfordshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Humberside Labour No overall control gain Details
Isle of Wight Alliance Alliance hold Details
Kent Conservative Conservative hold Details
Lancashire Labour No overall control gain Details
Leicestershire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Lincolnshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Norfolk Conservative Conservative hold Details
North Yorkshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Northamptonshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Northumberland Labour No overall control gain Details
Nottinghamshire Labour Labour hold Details
Oxfordshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Shropshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Somerset Conservative No overall control gain Details
Staffordshire Labour Labour hold Details
Suffolk Conservative Conservative hold Details
Surrey Conservative Conservative hold Details
Warwickshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
West Sussex Conservative Conservative hold Details
Wiltshire Conservative No overall control gain Details

‡ New electoral division boundaries

Sui generis

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Council Previous control Result Details
Isles of Scilly Details

Northern Ireland

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Council Previous control Result Details
Antrim No overall control No overall control Details
Ards No overall control No overall control Details
Armagh No overall control UUP Details
Ballymena DUP DUP Details
Ballymoney No overall control No overall control Details
Banbridge UUP UUP Details
Belfast No overall control No overall control Details
Carrickfergus No overall control No overall control Details
Castlereagh No overall control No overall control Details
Coleraine No overall control No overall control Details
Cookstown No overall control No overall control Details
Craigavon No overall control No overall control Details
Derry SDLP No overall control Details
Down No overall control No overall control Details
Dungannon No overall control No overall control Details
Fermanagh No overall control No overall control Details
Larne No overall control No overall control Details
Limavady No overall control No overall control Details
Lisburn No overall control No overall control Details
Magherafelt No overall control No overall control Details
Moyle No overall control No overall control Details
Newry and Mourne SDLP No overall control Details
Newtownabbey No overall control No overall control Details
North Down No overall control No overall control Details
Omagh No overall control No overall control Details
Strabane No overall control No overall control Details

Wales

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County councils

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Council Previous control Result Details
Clwyd No overall control No overall control hold Details
Dyfed No overall control No overall control hold Details
Gwent Labour Labour hold Details
Gwynedd Independent Independent hold Details
Mid Glamorgan Labour Labour hold Details
Powys Independent Independent hold Details
South Glamorgan Labour Labour hold Details
West Glamorgan Labour Labour hold Details

References

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  1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 3. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  5. ^ Diaries, Alan Clark Phoenix 1994, pp 112
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