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1986 Reading Borough Council election

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1986 Reading Borough Council election
← 1984 8 May 1986 (1986-05-08) 1987 →
15 seats of 45 on council
23 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
Con
Lib
Leader Mike Orton Deryck Morton Jim Day
Party Labour Conservative Liberal
Alliance Alliance
Seats before 17 23 5
Seats after 22 18 5
Seat change Increase5 Decrease5 Steady
Popular vote 15,213 13,736 11,920
Percentage 36.4 32.8 28.5
Swing Increase2.9 Decrease9.6 Increase5.3

The 1986 Reading Borough Council election was held on 8 May 1986, 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 lose their majority on the council. Labour gained most seats, but remained one seat short of an overall majority, leaving the council with no overall control. After the election, Labour had 22 seats, the Conservatives had 18 seats, and the SDP-Liberal Alliance had 5 seats, all of whom were Liberals.

Labour subsequently took control of the council, with the support of two disaffected Conservatives.[1] The Labour leader, Mike Orton, took the council's top political job as chair of the policy committee. The Conservative leader, Deryck Morton, stood down as party leader immediately after the election, being replaced by Geoff Canning.[2] The Liberal leader remained Jim Day. Turnout was reported to be 39%.[3]

Results

[edit]
Reading Borough Council Election, 1986
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 9 5 0 +5 60.0 36.4 15,213 +2.9
  Conservative 4 0 5 -5 26.7 32.8 13,736 -9.6
  Alliance 2 1 1 0 13.3 28.5 11,920 +5.3
  Green 0 0 2.3 954 +1.4

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][3]

Abbey Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dave Geary* 1,258 54.8 −2.9
Conservative Chris Webb 476 20.7 −7.4
SDP Jeremy Lazenby 404 17.6 +3.5
Green Peter Oldham 156 6.8 n/a
Turnout 2,294
Labour hold Swing +2.25
Battle Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Graham Rush* 1,292 51.4 +8.1
SDP Clive Jones 597 23.7 −10.5
Conservative Susan White 512 20.4 +0.3
Green Ian Cooper 114 4.5 +2.2
Turnout 2,515
Labour hold Swing +9.3
Caversham Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Fred Pugh* 1,624 54.7 −10.0
Labour Geoff Mander 803 27.1 +2.6
SDP Mary Hargreaves 541 18.2 +7.4
Turnout 2,968
Conservative hold Swing -6.3
Church Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour June Orton* 1,077 51.3 +2.1
Conservative Jennifer Abbott 569 27.1 −8.3
Liberal Steve Begg 452 21.5 +6.2
Turnout 2,098
Labour hold Swing +5.2
Katesgrove Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Hendry 1,184 56.5 5.7
Conservative Shirley Mills* 620 29.6 −3.9
SDP Nikola Sergt 292 13.9 +0.8
Turnout 2,096
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.8
Kentwood Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Ford 1,227 43.7 +7.3
Conservative Derek Browne* 865 30.8 −9.1
Labour Linda Harper 714 25.4 +1.8
Turnout 2,806
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.2
Minster Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Sage* 1,218 42.1 −12.6
Labour Brian Statter 1,014 35.0 +5.0
SDP Steve Hanson 566 19.6 +4.2
Green Andrew Hardy 97 3.4 n/a
Turnout 2,895
Conservative hold Swing -8.8
Norcot Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jo Lovelock 1,373 43.9 +3.0
Liberal John Freeman* 1,168 37.3 −2.9
Conservative Peter Wells 518 16.5 −2.4
Green Maureen Gray 71 2.3 n/a
Turnout 3,130
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +2.95
Park Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gill Parker 1,530 51.4 +7.2
Conservative Norman Pearson* 921 30.9 −7.6
SDP Robin Pratt 359 12.1 −1.4
Green Philip Unsworth 167 5.6 +1.8
Turnout 2,977
Labour gain from Conservative Swing 7.4
Peppard Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoff Canning* 1,479 44.5 −18.1
Liberal Ian Fenwick 1,452 43.6 +19.5
Labour Phil Hingley 396 11.9 −1.4
Turnout 3,327
Conservative hold Swing -18.8
Redlands Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rajinder Sohpal 1,105 34.1 −3.2
SDP David Cornes 1,043 32.2 +7.9
Conservative Grace Wray 912 28.1 −6.0
Green Chris Parr 181 5.6 +1.3
Turnout 3,241
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.6
Southcote Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christine Howell 1,430 44.0 +10.7
Conservative John Rimmer 1,187 36.5 −9.2
SDP Andrew McLuskey 632 19.5 −1.5
Turnout 3,249
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +9.95
Thames Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hamza Fuad* 1,435 40.6 −19.7
Liberal Martyn Allies 1,248 35.3 +7.7
Conservative Tony Markham† 381 10.8 n/a
Labour Mark Drukker 306 8.6 −3.5
Green Louise Barnes 168 4.7 n/a
Turnout 3,538
Conservative hold Swing -13.7
Tilehurst Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Janet Bond* 1,614 59.5 +4.4
Conservative David Henderson 655 24.1 −8.4
Labour Jim Toner 445 16.4 +4.1
Turnout 2,714
Liberal hold Swing +6.4
Whitley Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Orton* 1,286 65.1 +13.1
Conservative Barry Cummings 364 18.4 −6.7
SDP John Wood 325 16.5 −6.5
Turnout 1,975
Labour hold Swing +9.9

By-elections 1986–1987

[edit]
Peppard By-Election 11 September 1986
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ian Fenwick 1,564 46.6 +2.9
Conservative Frank Heyes 1,408 41.9 −2.5
Labour Phil Hingley 385 11.5 −0.4
Majority 156 4.6
Turnout 3,357 45.2
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +2.7

The Peppard ward by-election in 1986 was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Geoff Lowe.[5][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fuads give Labour reins of power". Evening Post. Reading. 21 May 1986. p. 9. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Geoff elected to lead Tories". Evening Post. Reading. 13 May 1986. p. 9. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Tory defeat in town means a hung council". Evening Post. Reading. 9 May 1986. p. 6. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Power struggle for Reading: How they line up". Evening Post. Reading. 10 April 1986. p. 5. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Leading Tory resigns his council seat". Evening Post. Reading. 16 July 1986. p. 9. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  6. ^ "By-election win boosts Alliance drive for victory". Evening Post. Reading. 12 September 1986. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
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