1982 Colchester Borough Council election

1982 English local government election March 2020 March 2020 Colchester City Council elections 1982 Colchester Borough Council election Essex Coat of Arms of Colchester.svg parliamentary 1980 Colchester Borough Council election 1980 1982 5 6 y 1983 Colchester Borough Council election 1983 20 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council 31 88,479 43.0% (1.0%) Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) 35 seats, 45.0% 11 34 18,499 45.0% 0.3% Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) 22 seats, 41.1% 5 17 3 10,106 24.6% 16.5% SDP-Liberal Alliance SDP-Liberal Alliance 0 seats, 8.7% 2 5 2 10,301 25.1% 16.4% Residents Association Residents Association 2 seats, 3.0% 1 3 1 1,170 2.8% 0.2% Independent politician Independent politician 1 seat, 2.4% 1 1 1,010 2.5% 0.1% Colchester UK ward map 1982.svg Winner of each seat at the 1982 Colchester Borough Council election. Council control Council control after election Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) The 1982 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 6 May 1982 to elect members to Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. The was on the same day as other local elections across the United Kingdom. This election was a milestone election in the council's electoral history. It saw the emergence of the new SDP-Liberal Alliance as an electoral force in the borough. The Alliance polled 25.1% and pushed Labour into third place in the popular vote. Labour was the main loser from the rise of the Alliance, polling just behind on 24.6%, its lowest share in a borough election so far. This was also the first election contested by the Ecology Party, the predecessor to what would become the Green Party of England and Wales. Summary Election result 1982 Colchester Borough Council electionColin Rallings Colin Rallings Michael Thrasher Michael Thrasher https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html electionscentre.co.uk Composition calculator 5 September 2026 The Elections Centre, Plymouth University Plymouth https://web.archive.org/web/20260820234317/https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html 20 August 2026 Colin Rallings Colin Rallings Michael Thrasher Michael Thrasher https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Colchester-1973-2012.pdf electionscentre.co.uk Colchester Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012 6-7 5 September 2026 The Elections Centre, Plymouth University Plymouth https://web.archive.org/web/20251103204312/https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Colchester-1973-2012.pdf 3 November 2025 Conservative Party (UK) 19 11 55.0 23 34 58.3 18.499 45.0 +0.3 Labour Party (UK) 20 5 3 25.0 12 17 31.7 10,106 24.6 –16.5 SDP-Liberal Alliance 18 2 2 10.0 3 5 3.3 10,301 25.1 +16.4 Residents Association 1 1 1 5.0 2 3 5.0 1,170 2.8 –0.2 Independent politician 2 1 5.0 0 1 1.7 1,010 2.5 +0.1 Ecology Party 1 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 32 0.1 N/A Ward results Berechurch Berechurch Labour Party (UK) R. McQuilty* 940 44.3 -2.7 Conservative Party (UK) A. Keenlyside 614 28.9 +5.0 SDP-Liberal Alliance H. Anderson 569 26.8 -3.3 326 15.4 -0.5 2,123 36.9 -1.3 5,747 Labour Party (UK) 3.9 Birch-Messing Birch-Messing Independent (politician) T. Wayman* 506 76.1 N/A SDP-Liberal Alliance D. Calthorpe 114 17.1 N/A Labour Party (UK) T. Morecroft 45 8.6 N/A 392 58.9 N/A 665 50.8 N/A 1,309 Independent (politician) N/A Boxted & Langham Boxted & Langham Conservative Party (UK) J. Garnett 617 63.1 +0.1 SDP-Liberal Alliance M. Bearman 286 29.2 N/A Labour Party (UK) J. Church 75 7.7 -29.3 331 33.8 +7.8 978 54.6 -2.4 1,790 Conservative Party (UK) N/A Castle Castle Labour Party (UK) Ken Cooke* 907 38.3 -6.7 Conservative Party (UK) E. Humphreys 881 37.2 -4.0 SDP-Liberal Alliance William Spyvee 579 24.5 +10.7 26 1.1 -2.7 2,367 46.8 +5.5 5,058 Labour Party (UK) 1.4 Harbour Harbour Labour Party (UK) Rod Green* 1,052 42.6 -20.5 SDP-Liberal Alliance R. Puxley 750 30.4 N/A Conservative Party (UK) M. Coyne 667 27.0 -9.9 302 12.2 -13.9 2,469 46.2 +2.4 5,349 Labour Party (UK) N/A Lexden Lexden Conservative Party (UK) D. Holt* 1,364 55.3 -9.5 SDP-Liberal Alliance H. Brooks 948 38.4 +16.5 Labour Party (UK) A. Sullivan 123 5.0 -7.9 Ecology Party O. Gray 32 1.3 N/A 416 16.9 -25.6 2,467 60.8 +9.4 4,056 Conservative Party (UK) 13.0 Mile End Mile End Conservative Party (UK) J. Fulford* 854 51.0 -6.2 Labour Party (UK) Tim Oxton 519 31.0 -11.7 SDP-Liberal Alliance M. Wilson 301 18.0 N/A 335 20.0 +5.4 1,674 43.4 -4.0 3,857 Conservative Party (UK) 2.8 New Town New Town SDP-Liberal Alliance R. Evans 1,146 52.5 +41.5 Labour Party (UK) Jim Orpe* 605 27.7 -40.6 Conservative Party (UK) J. Clarke 433 19.8 -0.9 541 24.8 N/A 2,184 46.6 +2.9 4,683 SDP-Liberal Alliance Labour Party (UK) 41.1 Prettygate Prettygate Conservative Party (UK) D. Purvis* 1,131 46.0 -7.6 SDP-Liberal Alliance Martin Hunt 915 37.2 +21.7 Labour Party (UK) Chris Pearson 414 16.8 -14.1 216 8.8 -13.9 2,460 49.3 +4.1 4,987 Conservative Party (UK) 14.7 Shrub End Shrub End SDP-Liberal Alliance G. Daldry 871 40.7 +27.7 Labour Party (UK) E. Plowright* 797 37.2 -20.9 Conservative Party (UK) A. Stevenson 473 22.1 -6.8 74 3.5 N/A 2,141 36.3 +3.2 5,890 SDP-Liberal Alliance Labour Party (UK) 24.3 St. Andrew's St. Andrew's Labour Party (UK) Graham Bober* 1,262 54.5 -16.4 SDP-Liberal Alliance P. Baker 535 23.1 +14.7 Conservative Party (UK) E. Sinclair 517 22.3 +1.7 727 31.4 -18.9 2,314 28.5 +0.9 8,115 Labour Party (UK) 15.6 St. Anne's St. Anne's Labour Party (UK) R. Marchant* 843 39.9 -18.4 Conservative Party (UK) L. Wynne 744 35.2 -6.5 SDP-Liberal Alliance W. Ladbrook 527 24.9 N/A 99 4.7 -11.9 2,114 45.1 -0.7 4,690 Labour Party (UK) 6.0 St. John's St. John's Conservative Party (UK) M. Roots 994 60.5 -3.8 SDP-Liberal Alliance J. Hughes 380 23.1 N/A Labour Party (UK) R. Crookes 270 16.4 -19.3 614 37.3 +8.7 1,644 45.7 +2.1 3,596 Conservative Party (UK) N/A St. Mary's St. Mary's Conservative Party (UK) Nigel Chapman 1,273 57.1 -7.7 SDP-Liberal Alliance W. Sandford 635 28.5 +11.9 Labour Party (UK) C. Graves 322 14.4 -6.2 638 28.6 -16.6 2,230 44.4 +0.4 5,019 Conservative Party (UK) 9.8 Stanway Stanway Conservative Party (UK) E. Gawthrop 863 49.3 -2.1 SDP-Liberal Alliance R. Wilson 550 31.4 +22.0 Labour Party (UK) K. Taylor 337 19.3 -19.9 313 17.9 +5.7 1,750 43.7 +0.9 4,003 Conservative Party (UK) 12.1 Tiptree Tiptree Residents Association J. Elliott 860 44.2 -7.4 Conservative Party (UK) R. Martin* 676 34.7 -1.5 Labour Party (UK) S. Simmonds 411 21.1 +8.8 184 9.5 -5.9 1,947 33.7 -1.0 5,779 Residents Association Conservative Party (UK) 3.0 West Bergholt West Bergholt Conservative Party (UK) J. Lampon* 609 63.2 -18.9 SDP-Liberal Alliance M. Bayliss 250 25.9 N/A Labour Party (UK) J. Pearsall 105 10.9 -7.0 359 37.2 -27.0 964 43.3 -4.1 2,226 Conservative Party (UK) N/A West Mersea West Mersea Conservative Party (UK) G. Roberts 1,218 63.2 -2.9 SDP-Liberal Alliance W. Packard 609 31.6 N/A Labour Party (UK) L. Shelley 100 5.2 -3.6 695 31.6 +9.4 1,927 41.8 +3.4 4,609 Conservative Party (UK) N/A Winstree Winstree Conservative Party (UK) M. Fairhead* 796 72.5 -6.9 SDP-Liberal Alliance P. Treacher 232 21.1 N/A Labour Party (UK) L. Shelley 100 5.2 -15.4 564 51.4 -7.3 1,128 54.5 +0.1 2,015 Conservative Party (UK) N/A Wivenhoe Wivenhoe Conservative Party (UK) P. Roots 1,063 42.9 +3.9 Labour Party (UK) J. Bayles* 909 36.7 -9.3 Independent politician D. Staple 504 20.4 N/A 154 6.2 N/A 2,476 43.4 -7.4 5,701 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) 6.6 By-elections St. Anne's St Annes by-election: 14 April 1983https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3933 By-elections 27 April 2025 Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher The Elections Centre, Plymouth University Conservative Party (UK) 897 40.4 +5.2 Labour Party (UK) 821 37.0 –2.9 Social Democratic Party (UK) SDP-Liberal Alliance 503 22.6 –2.3 76 3.4 N/A 2,221 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) 4.1 References 1982 Category:1982 English local elections Category:1980s in Essex