1984 Reading Borough Council election
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15 seats of 45 on council 23 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1984 Reading Borough Council election was held on 3 May 1984, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. One third of Reading Borough Council's 45 seats were up for election.
The election saw the Conservatives' majority on the council reduced to just one seat. After the election, the Conservatives had 23 seats, Labour had 17 seats, and the SDP-Liberal Alliance had 5 seats.[1][2]
The leader of the Conservative group was Deryck Morton, and the leader of the Labour group was Mike Orton, both remaining in post after the election. The Liberal leader on the council prior to the election was Basil Dunning, but he was replaced immediately after the election by former leader Jim Day, who had lost his seat in 1983 but regained it at this election.[3]
Results
[edit]Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 6 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 40.0% | 42.4% | 16,843 | -3.7% | |
Labour | 8 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 53.3% | 33.5% | 13,286 | +3.6% | |
Alliance | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 6.7% | 23.2% | 9,216 | -0.1% | |
Ecology | 0 | 0% | 0.9% | 363 | +0.1% |
Ward results
[edit]The results in each ward were as follows (candidates with an asterisk(*) were the previous incumbent standing for re-election, candidates with a dagger(†) were sitting councillors contesting different wards):[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Silverthorne* | 1,285 | 57.7 | +5.3 | |
Conservative | Jerry Wray | 628 | 28.2 | −3.4 | |
Liberal | John Riley | 314 | 14.1 | +0.8 | |
Turnout | 2,227 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +4.35 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Joe Bristow | 927 | 44.5 | +4.2 | |
Conservative | George Robinson† | 806 | 38.7 | +0.9 | |
Liberal | George Ford | 281 | 13.5 | −8.5 | |
Ecology | Ian Cooper | 69 | 3.3 | n/a | |
Turnout | 2,083 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.65 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Pauline Palmer | 1,907 | 64.8 | −2.9 | |
Labour | Pat Mander | 720 | 24.4 | +3.5 | |
Liberal | Imogen Pravda | 318 | 10.8 | −0.7 | |
Turnout | 2,945 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -3.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Maureen Lockey* | 1,053 | 49.2 | +5.1 | |
Conservative | Grace Wray | 758 | 35.4 | −1.2 | |
Liberal | Steve Begg | 328 | 15.3 | −3.9 | |
Turnout | 2,139 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +3.15 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ron Williams* | 1,030 | 50.7 | +5.4 | |
Conservative | Stephen Foley | 680 | 33.5 | −10.7 | |
SDP | Andrew McLuskey | 267 | 13.2 | +5.4 | |
Ecology | Mark Roberts | 53 | 2.6 | −0.1 | |
Turnout | 2,030 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +8.05 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Thomas* | 1,190 | 40.0 | −2.6 | |
Liberal | Tom Heydeman† | 865 | 30.8 | +2.6 | |
Labour | Pete Watkins | 704 | 23.6 | 0.0 | |
Turnout | 2,978 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Deryck Morton† | 1,464 | 54.6 | −4.4 | |
Labour | Phil Armson | 805 | 30.0 | +4.0 | |
SDP | Alan Jackson | 411 | 15.3 | +0.4 | |
Turnout | 2,680 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -4.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Helen Hathaway | 1,024 | 40.8 | +7.7 | |
Liberal | Joyce Wicks | 1,008 | 40.2 | +0.3 | |
Conservative | Dharam Ahuja | 476 | 19.0 | −8.0 | |
Turnout | 2,508 | ||||
Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Martin Salter | 1,388 | 44.2 | +9.7 | |
Conservative | Simon Oliver* | 1,211 | 38.5 | −1.1 | |
SDP | Rod Campbell | 424 | 13.5 | −8.5 | |
Ecology | Philip Unsworth | 120 | 3.8 | −0.1 | |
Turnout | 3,143 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mary Irwin* | 1,859 | 62.6 | +3.8 | |
SDP | Clive Jones | 717 | 24.1 | −8.0 | |
Labour | Gerald (Bob) Scott | 394 | 13.3 | +4.2 | |
Turnout | 2,970 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Dimmick | 1,053 | 37.3 | +5.7 | |
Conservative | Martin Lower* | 963 | 34.1 | −4.3 | |
SDP | Howard Rodaway | 687 | 24.3 | −2.7 | |
Ecology | Chris Parr | 121 | 4.3 | +1.4 | |
Turnout | 2,824 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jack Irwin* | 1,307 | 45.7 | −5.8 | |
Labour | Norma Sinclair | 951 | 33.3 | +1.6 | |
SDP | Charles Bond | 599 | 21.0 | +4.2 | |
Turnout | 2,857 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Pam Fuad | 2,045 | 60.3 | −6.5 | |
Liberal | Martyn Allies | 935 | 27.6 | +5.8 | |
Labour | Phil Hingley | 411 | 12.1 | +0.6 | |
Turnout | 3,391 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.15 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jim Day | 1,681 | 55.1 | +8.4 | |
Conservative | Pat Layton | 993 | 32.6 | −7.0 | |
Labour | Jim Toner | 376 | 12.3 | −0.9 | |
Turnout | 3,050 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +7.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Tony Jones | 1,165 | 61.9 | +2.8 | |
Conservative | Jack Cleminson | 556 | 29.5 | −0.6 | |
SDP | Sean O'Connell | 162 | 8.6 | −2.2 | |
Turnout | 1,883 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 |
By-elections 1984–1986
[edit]Church by-election 1984
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Kay Everett | 909 | 52.0 | +2.7 | |
Conservative | Grace Wray | 439 | 25.1 | −10.3 | |
Liberal | Steve Begg | 401 | 22.9 | +7.6 | |
Majority | 470 | 26.9 | |||
Turnout | 1,749 | 26.5 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | +6.5 |
The Church ward by-election in 1984 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Dave Absolom.[11][12]
Battle by-election 1985
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Clive Chandler | 908 | 43.3 | −1.2 | |
SDP | Clive Jones | 719 | 34.3 | +20.8 | |
Conservative | Sue White | 421 | 20.1 | −18.6 | |
Majority | 189 | 9.0 | |||
Turnout | 2,097 | 31.5 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | -11.0 |
The Battle ward by-election in 1985 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor Joe Bristow.[13][14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Tories walk tightrope with majority of one". Evening Post. Reading. 4 May 1984. p. 13. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Knife-edge Tories face fitness tests". Reading. 4 May 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Jim's bid foiled by independent". Evening Post. Reading. 5 May 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ "Campaign focus". Evening Post. Reading. 13 April 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Ecology Party's high-tech profile". Evening Post. Reading. 7 April 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "On the campaign trail". Evening Post. Reading. 26 April 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Council boss changes seats". Evening Post. Reading. 19 April 1984. p. 10. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Campaign report". Evening Post. Reading. 2 May 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Liberals complete election line-up". Evening Post. Reading. 22 March 1984. p. 9. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Campaign report". Evening Post. Reading. 25 April 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Leading Labour councillor quits". Evening Post. Reading. 30 October 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ "Swing to Labour but low turn-out". Evening Post. Reading. 7 December 1984. p. 11.
- ^ "Popular former mayor Joe dies suddenly". Evening Post. Reading. 14 June 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ "By-election win for Labour". Evening Post. Reading. 26 July 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.