| Election Name: | 1981 Nottinghamshire County Council election |
| Country: | Nottinghamshire |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 1977 Nottinghamshire County Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1977 |
| Next Election: | 1985 Nottinghamshire County Council election |
| Next Year: | 1985 |
| Seats For Election: | All 88 seats to Nottinghamshire County Council |
| Majority Seats: | 45 |
| Election Date: | 7 May 1981 |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats Before1: | 20 |
| Seats1: | 55 |
| Seat Change1: | 35 |
| Popular Vote1: | 150,910 |
| Percentage1: | 46.95% |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats Before2: | 66 |
| Seats2: | 32 |
| Seat Change2: | 34 |
| Popular Vote2: | 121,675 |
| Percentage2: | 37.85% |
| Party3: | Residents' association |
| Seats Before3: | 2 |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Seat Change3: | 1 |
| Popular Vote3: | 5,504 |
| Percentage3: | 1.71% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | Conservative |
| After Election: | Labour |
The 1981 Nottinghamshire County Council election was held on Thursday, 7 May. Following boundary changes to the county's electoral divisions, the whole council of eighty-eight members was up for election. The Labour Party regained control from the Conservatives, winning fifty-five seats. The Conservatives won thirty-two councillors and one Residents' association councillor was elected in the Hucknall East division.[1] [2]
Each electoral division returned one county councillor. The candidate elected to the council in each electoral division is shown in the table below.[2]
| Electoral Division | Party | Councillor | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Central | Conservative | R. Griffin | 2,531 | ||
| Arnold East | Labour | T. Lee | 1,717 | ||
| Arnold West | Conservative | L. Pollard | 2,091 | ||
| Balderton | Conservative | W. Keeton | 2,084 | ||
| Beeston North | Conservative | J. Dwan | 1,637 | ||
| Beeston South | Labour | M. Warner | 1,700 | ||
| Bingham | Conservative | G. Wade | 2,632 | ||
| Blidworth | Labour | L. Jones | 2,413 | ||
| Blyth & Harworth | Labour | L. Hince | 3,071 | ||
| Bramcote & Stapleford East | Conservative | C. Cooper | 2,371 | ||
| Calverton | Labour | A. Palmer | 1,877 | ||
| Carlton Central | Labour | G. Skinner | 1,708 | ||
| Carlton East | Conservative | H. Stanley | 2,266 | ||
| Carlton South | Labour | G. Niasbitt | 2,621 | ||
| Carlton West | Conservative | B. Noble | 1,927 | ||
| Caunton | Conservative | A. Stewart | 2,842 | ||
| Chilwell | Conservative | E. Hudson | 2,406 | ||
| Collingham | Conservative | E. Yates | 1,955 | ||
| Cotgrave | Conservative | D. Jeffreys | 1,882 | ||
| East Leake | Conservative | D. Langham | 2,615 | ||
| Eastwood & Brinsley | Labour | D. Pettitt | 2,901 | ||
| Greasley & Nuthall | Conservative | C. Minkley | 2,494 | ||
| Hucknall East | Residents' association | E. Morley | 2,529 | ||
| Hucknall West | Labour | D. Philby | 2,140 | ||
| Keyworth | Conservative | S. Pattinson | 2,724 | ||
| Kimberley & Trowell | Labour | M. McDougall | 1,842 | ||
| Kirkby-in-Ashfield North | Labour | J. Thierry | 3,139 | ||
| Kirkby-in-Ashfield South | Labour | P. Lewis | 2,928 | ||
| Mansfield - Cumberlands & Ladybrook | Labour | K. Williams | 2,080 | ||
| Mansfield - Leeming & Forest Town | Labour | P. Turnbull-Edmonds | 1,959 | ||
| Mansfield - Northfield & Manor | Labour | B. Whitelaw | 2,020 | ||
| Mansfield - Oak Tree & Lindhurst | Labour | G. Foster | 1,480 | ||
| Mansfield - Oakham & Berry Hill | Conservative | E. Cheesewright | 2,205 | ||
| Mansfield - Pleasley Hill & Broomhill | Labour | W. Morris | 2,136 | ||
| Mansfield - Ravensdale & Sherwood | Labour | F. Warsop | 1,791 | ||
| Mansfield - Titchfield & Eakring | Labour | C. Winterton | 1,567 | ||
| Misterton | Conservative | F. Rudder | 1,742 | ||
| Newark North | Conservative | V. Dobson | 1,603 | ||
| Newark South | Labour | C. Bromfield | 1,950 | ||
| Newstead | Conservative | P. Read | 1,754 | ||
| Nottingham - Abbey | Conservative | M. Whittaker | 1,939 | ||
| Nottingham - Aspley | Labour | W. Case | 1,970 | ||
| Nottingham - Basford | Labour | J. Heppell | 1,875 | ||
| Nottingham - Beechdale | Labour | W. Churchill | 1,618 | ||
| Nottingham - Bestwood Park | Labour | F. Higgins | 2,082 | ||
| Nottingham - Bilborough | Labour | M. Cowan | 1,519 | ||
| Nottingham - Bridge | Labour | M. Yuill | 2,430 | ||
| Nottingham - Bulwell East | Labour | S. Tipping | 1,628 | ||
| Nottingham - Bulwell West | Labour | F. Riddell | 2,375 | ||
| Nottingham - Byron | Labour | V. Bell | 2,542 | ||
| Nottingham - Clifton East | Labour | V. Lloyd | 1,599 | ||
| Nottingham - Clifton West | Labour | G. Dobson | 1,899 | ||
| Nottingham - Greenwood | Conservative | R. Tuck | 1,593 | ||
| Nottingham - Lenton | Labour | M. Aslam | 1,641 | ||
| Nottingham - Manvers | Labour | G. Edwards | 2,010 | ||
| Nottingham - Mapperley | Conservative | E. Chambers | 1,665 | ||
| Nottingham - Portland | Labour | R. Howard | 1,885 | ||
| Nottingham - Radford | Labour | I. Clark | 2,615 | ||
| Nottingham - Robin Hood | Labour | M. Wain | 1,480 | ||
| Nottingham - Sherwood | Conservative | J. Jenkin-Jones | 1,716 | ||
| Nottingham - St. Anns | Labour | F. Price | 1,762 | ||
| Nottingham - Strelley | Labour | E. Hoskin | 1,616 | ||
| Nottingham - Trent | Labour | G. Chambers | 1,443 | ||
| Nottingham - Wilford | Labour | A. Slater | 1,639 | ||
| Nottingham - Wollaton | Conservative | M. Spungin | 2,708 | ||
| Ollerton | Labour | S. Smedley | 3,601 | ||
| Radcliffe-on-Trent | Conservative | F. Hobson | 1,573 | ||
| Retford North | Labour | C. Grove | 1,445 | ||
| Retford South | Labour | E. Carter | 1,502 | ||
| Ruddington | Conservative | R. Dickson | 1,920 | ||
| Rufford | Labour | M. Gray | 2,965 | ||
| Selston | Labour | R. Kirk | 2,640 | ||
| Southwell | Conservative | B. Haigh | 3,323 | ||
| Stapleford North & West | Labour | G. Miller | 2,494 | ||
| Sutton-in-Ashfield Central | Labour | W. Shaw | 2,173 | ||
| Sutton-in-Ashfield East | Labour | J. Varley | 1,911 | ||
| Sutton-in-Ashfield North | Labour | J. Anthony | 2,161 | ||
| Sutton-in-Ashfield West | Labour | M. Lee | 2,253 | ||
| Toton & Attenborough | Conservative | G. Bottomely | 1,824 | ||
| Tuxford | Conservative | W. Pringle | 2,338 | ||
| Warsop | Labour | F. Taylor | 2,783 | ||
| West Bridgford East | Conservative | F. Woodward | 2,122 | ||
| West Bridgford South | Conservative | P. Wright | 2,250 | ||
| West Bridgford West | Conservative | B. Fairs | 2,037 | ||
| Worksop East | Labour | F. Groves | 2,105 | ||
| Worksop North & Carlton | Labour | A. Burton | 2,189 | ||
| Worksop South East & Welbeck | Labour | W. Bloomer | 2,245 | ||
| Worksop West | Labour | G. Williams | 2,208 | ||