Election Name: | 1985 United Kingdom local elections |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Type: | legislative |
Previous Election: | 1984 United Kingdom local elections |
Previous Year: | 1984 |
Next Election: | 1986 United Kingdom local elections |
Next Year: | 1986 |
Seats For Election: | All 39 non-metropolitan counties, 1 sui generis authority, all 26 Northern Irish districts and all 8 Welsh counties |
Election Date: | 2 May 1985 (England & Wales) 15 May 1985 (Northern Ireland) |
1Blank: | Councils |
2Blank: | Councils +/- |
3Blank: | Councillors |
4Blank: | Councillors +/- |
Leader1: | Margaret Thatcher |
Leader Since1: | 11 February 1975 |
Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
Percentage1: | 32% |
3Data1: | 10,191 |
4Data1: | 202 |
Leader2: | Neil Kinnock |
Leader Since2: | 2 October 1983 |
Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
Percentage2: | 39% |
3Data2: | 8,746 |
4Data2: | 124 |
Party3: | SDP–Liberal Alliance |
Percentage3: | 26% |
3Data3: | 2,633 |
4Data3: | 302 |
Map Size: | 300px |
The 1985 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 2 May 1985 in England and Wales, and Wednesday 15 May 1985 in Northern Ireland.[1] [2] [3] [4] Labour had the largest share of the vote in local council elections for the first time since 1981.
Both Conservatives and Labour lost some seats to the Liberal-SDP Alliance, who were rebuilding under the leadership of David Owen and enjoying strong showings — including a brief lead — in the opinion polls.
Alan Clark, writing in his diary for 11 May 1985, shortly after the election, stated:"Some stupid prick has done a 'projection' in one of the heavies showing that the SDP will have a massive overall majority in the House of Commons.."[5]
Council | Previous control | Result | Details | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avon | gain | Details | |||
Bedfordshire ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Berkshire ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Buckinghamshire ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Cambridgeshire ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Cheshire | hold | Details | |||
Cleveland ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Cornwall ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Cumbria | gain | Details | |||
Derbyshire | hold | Details | |||
Devon ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Dorset ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Durham | hold | Details | |||
East Sussex ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Essex | gain | Details | |||
Gloucestershire ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Hampshire | gain | Details | |||
Hereford and Worcester ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Hertfordshire | gain | Details | |||
Humberside | gain | Details | |||
Isle of Wight | hold | Details | |||
Kent | hold | Details | |||
Lancashire | gain | Details | |||
Leicestershire ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Lincolnshire | hold | Details | |||
Norfolk ‡ | hold | Details | |||
North Yorkshire ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Northamptonshire | hold | Details | |||
Northumberland | gain | Details | |||
Nottinghamshire | hold | Details | |||
Oxfordshire ‡ | gain | Details | |||
Shropshire | hold | Details | |||
Somerset | gain | Details | |||
Staffordshire | hold | Details | |||
Suffolk ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Surrey | hold | Details | |||
Warwickshire | hold | Details | |||
West Sussex ‡ | hold | Details | |||
Wiltshire ‡ | gain | Details |
‡ New electoral division boundaries
See main article: 1985 Northern Ireland local elections.
Council | Previous control | Result | Details | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clwyd | hold | Details | |||
Dyfed | hold | Details | |||
Gwent | hold | Details | |||
Gwynedd | hold | Details | |||
Mid Glamorgan | hold | Details | |||
Powys | hold | Details | |||
South Glamorgan | hold | Details | |||
West Glamorgan | hold | Details |