1985 Wiltshire County Council election

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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]

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[edit]

Aldbourne and Ramsbury[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Bedwyn
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. D. Rogers 1,199 74.1
Alliance T. Williams 418 25.9
Majority
Conservative hold Swing

Blunsdon[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Brinkworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Carter 1,530
Alliance Ms J. Stratton 858
Labour W. Andrews 142
Majority 672
Conservative hold Swing


Calne[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Corsham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bright 1,054
Alliance D. Pope 899
Labour Ms C. Reid 282
Majority 155
Conservative hold Swing

Cricklade[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Highworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ms M. Haines 1,867
Conservative D. F. Morley 1,238
Majority 629
Labour hold Swing

Holt[edit]

Holt
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance George Frederick James Hawkins 1,232
Conservative P. Beale 983
Majority 249
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

Idmiston[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Laverstock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. C. Lodge 1,037
Alliance D. Crombie 765
Labour I. Hollingworth 202
Majority 272
Conservative hold Swing

Lavington[edit]

Lavington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Bernard William Jarvis 1,460
Labour Ms P. Day 622
Majority 838
Conservative hold Swing

Malmesbury[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Melksham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary E. Salisbury 1,502
Conservative Ms P. Johnson 642
Majority 860
Labour hold Swing

Melksham Without[edit]

Melksham Without
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ms. E. Joyce 1,556
Labour P. Colegate 1,081
Majority 475
Conservative hold Swing

Mere[edit]

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[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hugh Clayton (Local Government Correspondent), 'Local Elections' in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 4
  2. ^ 'Local Lessons', editorial in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 9
  3. ^ 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]


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