| Election Name: | 1986 Merton London Borough Council election |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1982 Merton London Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1982 |
| Election Date: | 8 May 1986 |
| Next Election: | 1990 Merton London Borough Council election |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
| Seats For Election: | All 57 council seats on Merton London Borough Council |
| Turnout: | 49.8% (2.3%) |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 44 seats, 51.2% |
| Seats1: | 29 |
| Seat Change1: | 15 |
| Popular Vote1: | 69,161 |
| Percentage1: | 41.1% |
| Swing1: | 10.1% |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 13 seats, 25.4% |
| Seats2: | 25 |
| Seat Change2: | 12 |
| Popular Vote2: | 59,974 |
| Percentage2: | 35.7% |
| Swing2: | 10.3% |
| Party3: | Longthornton and Tamworth Residents Association |
| Last Election3: | 0 seats, 1.5% |
| Seats3: | 3 |
| Seat Change3: | 3 |
| Popular Vote3: | 3,919 |
| Percentage3: | 2.3% |
| Swing3: | 0.8% |
| Council leader | |
| Posttitle: | Council leader after election |
| Before Election: | Harry Cowd |
| Before Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| After Election: | Harry Cowd |
| After Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
Elections for the London Borough of Merton were held on 8 May 1986 to elect members of Merton London Borough Council in London, England. This was on the same day as other local elections in England and Scotland.
The whole council was up for election and the incumbent majority Conservative administration remained in overall control of the council, its majority reduced to one seat.[1]
At the last election, the Conservatives had remained in overall majority control of the council, winning 44 seats. The Labour Party was returned as the only opposition party, with 13 seats. In the same election, Longthornton and Tamworth Residents Association lost all their three seats to the Conservatives.
Following the death of Cllr. Michael Page, at a by-election in Longthornton on 15 March 1984, the Longthornton and Tamworth Residents Association regained one of their seats from the Conservatives.[2]
In Durnsford, future Prime Minister Theresa May was first elected to public office, holding the seat for the Conservative Party and beating Tony Colman, the future Labour MP for Putney, who also later led Merton Council between 1991 and 1997.
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