1985 Wiltshire County Council election

1985 UK local government election March 2020 March 2020 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.Hugh Clayton (Local Government Correspondent), 'Local Elections' in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 4 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".'Local Lessons', editorial in The Times of London, issue 62129 dated 4 May 1985, p. 9 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."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 Election result Wiltshire local election result 1985 Conservative Party (UK) 30 -10 40.0 Liberal Party (UK) 17 +5 22.7 Labour Party (UK) 17 -3 22.7 Social Democratic Party (UK) 8 +8 10.7 Independent (politician) 3 +1 4.0 |} Results by divisions Aldbourne and Ramsbury Aldbourne and Ramsbury SDP–Liberal Alliance John Bernard Ainslie 2,012 67.0 Conservative Party (UK) K. Eaton 855 28.5 Labour Party (UK) W. Barlow 136 4.5 1157 SDP–Liberal Alliance Alderbury Alderbury Conservative Party (UK) A. W. M. Christie-Miller 1,438 64.8 SDP–Liberal Alliance A. Maclachan 664 29.9 Labour Party (UK) I. Tomes 117 5.3 774 Conservative Party (UK) Amesbury Amesbury SDP–Liberal Alliance A. J. F. Haywood 1,193 55.9 Conservative Party (UK) T. Heffernan 943 44.1 250 SDP–Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Bedwyn Bedwyn Conservative Party (UK) H. D. Rogers 1,199 74.1 SDP–Liberal Alliance T. Williams 418 25.9 Conservative Party (UK) Blunsdon Blunsdon Labour Party (UK) J. W. H. Archer 1,520 57.9 SDP–Liberal Alliance Ms P. Pascoe 970 37.0 Ecology Party (UK) H. Stredder 133 5.1 550 Labour Party (UK) Box Box Conservative Party (UK) F. Naylor 1,054 40.2 SDP–Liberal Alliance Ms B. Oakes 870 33.2 Labour Party (UK) J. Eglinton 695 26.5 184 Conservative Party (UK) Bradford on Avon North Bradford on Avon North SDP–Liberal Alliance H. J. Owen 1,601 56.2 Conservative Party (UK) Robert George Ian Elliott 1,246 43.8 355 SDP–Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Bradford on Avon South Bradford on Avon South Conservative Party (UK) Mrs Margaret Purves 909 40.9 SDP–Liberal Alliance G. Turner 883 39.8 Labour Party (UK) J. D. Childs 428 19.3 26 Conservative Party (UK) Bremhill and Calne Without Bremhill and Calne Without Conservative Party (UK) Robert Andrew Raymond Syms 1,196 47.3 SDP–Liberal Alliance G. Greer 945 36.4 Labour Party (UK) H. Kirkbride 386 15.3 251 Conservative Party (UK) Brinkworth Brinkworth Conservative Party (UK) R. Carter 1,530 SDP–Liberal Alliance Ms J. Stratton 858 Labour Party (UK) W. Andrews 142 672 Conservative Party (UK) Calne Calne SDP–Liberal Alliance Mrs E. Hornby 1,200 Conservative Party (UK) E. Miller 594 Labour Party (UK) A. Donald 575 606 SDP–Liberal Alliance Chippenham Park Chippenham Park SDP–Liberal Alliance J. Henning 891 Conservative Party (UK) Ms E. Winterton 836 Labour Party (UK) R. Haynes 329 55 SDP–Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Chippenham Sheldon Chippenham Sheldon SDP-Liberal Alliance June Margaret Wood 1,416 Conservative Party (UK) J. Scott 994 Labour Party (UK) A. Day 782 422 SDP-Liberal Alliance Chippenham Town Chippenham Town SDP-Liberal Alliance Ms M. Fallon 2,267 Conservative Party (UK) E. Taylor 1,209 Labour Party (UK) J. Coadwell 321 1,058 SDP-Liberal Alliance Collingbourne Collingbourne SDP-Liberal Alliance H. Crawford 1,130 Conservative Party (UK) D. Fopp 598 Labour Party (UK) J. Davidson 282 532 SDP-Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Corsham Corsham Conservative Party (UK) John Bright 1,054 SDP-Liberal Alliance D. Pope 899 Labour Party (UK) Ms C. Reid 282 155 Conservative Party (UK) Cricklade Cricklade SDP-Liberal Alliance Reginald John Coole 1,480 Conservative Party (UK) R. Thompson 573 Labour Party (UK) J. D’Lemos 75 907 SDP-Liberal Alliance Devizes Devizes Conservative Party (UK) P. Gates 742 SDP-Liberal Alliance Ms P. A. Morris 696 Labour Party (UK) I. Hopkins 499 46 Conservative Party (UK) SDP-Liberal Alliance Devizes South and Cannings Devizes South and Cannings Conservative Party (UK) Patricia Rugg 1,416 SDP-Liberal Alliance C. Gillington 1,052 Labour Party (UK) Ms S. Williams 442 364 Conservative Party (UK) Downton Downton Conservative Party (UK) R. Peach 1,216 SDP-Liberal Alliance C. Tate 667 Labour Party (UK) K. Willis 377 Independent (politician) H. Farris 336 549 Conservative Party (UK) Durrington Durrington Conservative Party (UK) C. E. Robinson 651 Independent (politician) R. Steadman 589 Labour Party (UK) Ms A. Read 422 SDP-Liberal Alliance Ms F. Crombie 269 62 Conservative Party (UK) Independent (politician) Highworth Highworth Labour Party (UK) Ms M. Haines 1,867 Conservative Party (UK) D. F. Morley 1,238 629 Labour Party (UK) Holt Holt SDP-Liberal Alliance George Frederick James Hawkins 1,232 Conservative Party (UK) P. Beale 983 249 SDP-Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Idmiston Idmiston Conservative Party (UK) Ms H. Mead 1,004 SDP-Liberal Alliance Ms G. Gent 843 Labour Party (UK) M. Sheehan 157 161 Conservative Party (UK) Kington Kington SDP-Liberal Alliance M. Adams 1,102 Conservative Party (UK) Brenda Margaret Wyrill 1,018 Labour Party (UK) C. Phillips 236 84 SDP-Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Laverstock Laverstock Conservative Party (UK) R. C. Lodge 1,037 SDP-Liberal Alliance D. Crombie 765 Labour Party (UK) I. Hollingworth 202 272 Conservative Party (UK) Lavington Lavington Conservative Party (UK) Derek Bernard William Jarvis 1,460 Labour Party (UK) Ms P. Day 622 838 Conservative Party (UK) Malmesbury Malmesbury SDP-Liberal Alliance H. Price 1,954 Conservative Party (UK) R. Clarke 1,307 Labour Party (UK) M. Tavener 223 647 SDP-Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Marlborough Marlborough SDP-Liberal Alliance J. Spanton 1,242 Conservative Party (UK) B. Ashley 1,037 Labour Party (UK) Ms M. R. Urquhart 328 205 SDP-Liberal Alliance Conservative Party (UK) Melksham Melksham Labour Party (UK) Mary E. Salisbury 1,502 Conservative Party (UK) Ms P. Johnson 642 860 Labour Party (UK) Melksham Without Melksham Without Conservative Party (UK) Ms. E. Joyce 1,556 Labour Party (UK) P. Colegate 1,081 475 Conservative Party (UK) Mere Mere Conservative Party (UK) Robert George Catton 1,236 SDP-Liberal Alliance S. Head 821 Labour Party (UK) Ms S. Potten 257 415 Conservative Party (UK) References External links Colin Rallings, Michael Thrasher, Wiltshire County Council election Results 1973–2005 at electionscentre.co.uk expanded 1985 Wiltshire Category:20th century in Wiltshire