1986 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 8 May 1986, with one third of the seats scheduled for re-election. Since the previous election three by-elections had taken place, with Labour gaining the seat being fought in Orrell from the Conservatives as well as holding their seats in Bedford-Astley and Beech Hill. The election seen fewer contestants than any previous election since the council's creation in 1973, with a record of four seats (Abram, Hindley, Hindley Green and Leigh Central) unchallenged. Even amongst those contested there were no minor parties represented, the fewest Alliance candidates since the 1980 election and a record low of Conservative contenders at sixteen. The results were similarly record-breaking as Labour won twenty two seats, with the Conservative and Alliance majorities in their respective heartland wards - and only holds - of Swinley and Langtree reduced to slender majorities. Labour won a high of 65% share of the vote, conversely the Conservatives share fell to a low of 13.1%, with their actual vote dropping into four figures for the first time. Overall turnout rose from the preceding year's underwhelming figure of 29.2%, to a more commonplace 35.8%.[1]

Map of the results of the 1986 Wigan council election.

Election result
Wigan Local Election Result 1986
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 22 3 0 +3 91.7 65.0 45,205 +2.8%
  Alliance 1 0 3 -3 4.2 21.8 15,171 +2.2%
  Conservative 1 0 0 0 4.2 13.1 9,136 -4.9%

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 61 64
SDP-Liberal Alliance 8 5
Conservatives 3 3
Total 72 72
Working majority  50   56 

Ward results
Abram[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour I. McCartney Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Ashton-Golborne[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour S. Lea 2,124 72.7 +6.4
Conservative J. Wright 441 15.1 -2.3
Alliance H. Crook 358 12.2 -4.1
Majority 1,683 57.6 +8.8
Turnout 2,923 30.2 +0.8
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Aspull-Standish[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour J. Hilton 2,222 45.8 +4.1
Alliance G. Davies 2,009 41.4 -1.4
Conservative K. Hart 616 12.7 -2.7
Majority 213 4.4 +2.0
Turnout 2,796 29.6 -9.1
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +2.7
Atherton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour L. Sumner 2,313 82.7 +3.6
Conservative M. Sharland 483 17.3 -3.6
Majority 1,830 65.4 +7.2
Turnout 2,796 29.6 -9.1
Labour hold Swing +3.6
Bedford-Astley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour F. Walker 2,051 67.6 +13.1
Alliance W. Shaw 983 32.4 +14.5
Majority 1,068 35.2 +8.4
Turnout 3,034 30.7 -7.7
Labour hold Swing -0.7
Beech Hill
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour J. Parkinson 2,090 74.2 +5.1
Alliance R. Richardson 430 15.2 -1.7
Conservative E. Nicholson 297 10.5 -3.4
Majority 1,660 58.9 +6.9
Turnout 2,817 31.9 -0.2
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Bryn[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour A. Melling 2,649 78.8 +6.1
Conservative C. Michaels 377 11.2 -1.4
Alliance D. Ramsdale 337 10.0 -4.8
Majority 2,272 67.6 +9.7
Turnout 3,363 33.9 +0.9
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Hindley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour G. Green Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour G. Green Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindley Green[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour T. Wynn Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindsford[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour A. Wright 2,216 73.3 -8.6
Alliance S. Jones 806 26.7 +26.7
Majority 1,410 46.7 -17.2
Turnout 3,022 28.4 -0.9
Labour hold Swing -17.6
Hope Carr[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour J. Hession 2,211 66.1 +5.3
Conservative E. Manson 1,135 33.9 +2.6
Majority 1,076 32.2 +2.7
Turnout 3,346 34.4 -3.0
Labour hold Swing +1.3
Ince[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour T. Davies 2,357 88.9 -0.3
Alliance A. Robinson 155 5.8 -4.9
Conservative A. Jackson 138 5.2 +5.2
Majority 2,202 83.1 +4.7
Turnout 2,650 33.4 +5.2
Labour hold Swing +2.3
Langtree[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Alliance R. Grayson 2,376 46.9 +1.7
Labour T. O'Hagan 2,201 43.5 +4.6
Conservative J. Wolstenholme 485 9.6 -6.3
Majority 175 3.5 -2.9
Turnout 5,062 47.3 +3.6
Alliance hold Swing -1.4
Leigh Central[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour P. Smith Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Leigh East[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour T. Harper 2,068 74.1 +10.1
Conservative D. Angell 723 25.9 -1.8
Majority 1,345 48.2 +11.9
Turnout 2,791 27.7 -2.1
Labour hold Swing +5.9
Lightshaw[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour T. Sherratt 2,955 67.5 N/A
Conservative E. Morris 807 18.4 N/A
Alliance J. Wilson 616 14.1 N/A
Majority 2,148 49.1 N/A
Turnout 4,378 41.8 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Newtown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour K. Pye 2,376 84.0 +3.9
Conservative J. Lawson 243 8.6 -4.4
Alliance P. Gwyn 209 7.4 +0.5
Majority 2,133 75.4 +8.4
Turnout 2,828 31.5 +1.6
Labour hold Swing +4.1
Norley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour N. Turner 2,499 88.2 -0.0
Alliance P. Coleman 191 6.7 +1.0
Conservative E. Bispham 143 5.0 -1.0
Majority 2,308 81.5 -0.7
Turnout 2,833 35.4 +2.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Orrell[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour G. Seaward 1,898 46.7 +3.1
Alliance H. Evans 1,281 31.5 +14.1
Conservative J. Grimshaw 889 21.9 -17.2
Majority 617 15.2 +10.7
Turnout 4,068 39.6 +4.0
Labour hold Swing -5.5
Swinley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative C. Giles 1,637 38.2 -5.7
Labour S. Turner 1,567 36.6 -0.8
Alliance C. Rhys 1,079 25.2 +6.5
Majority 70 1.6 -4.8
Turnout 4,283 47.5 +6.5
Conservative hold Swing -2.4
Tyldesley East[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour B. Wilson 2,496 61.6 +14.6
Alliance G. Pickthall 1,557 38.4 -3.8
Majority 939 23.2 +18.3
Turnout 4,053 39.3 -3.3
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +9.2
Whelley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour W. Pendleton 2,499 79.9 +3.4
Alliance J. Kearsley 364 11.6 -4.0
Conservative F. Sidebotham 263 8.4 +0.6
Majority 2,135 68.3 +4.3
Turnout 3,126 35.5 +2.7
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Winstanley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour W. Evans 2,104 46.2 +2.6
Alliance J. Fitzpatrick 1,988 43.7 +1.1
Conservative F. Fairbairn 459 10.1 -3.7
Majority 116 2.5 +1.5
Turnout 4,551 40.0 +2.1
Labour gain from Alliance Swing +0.7
Worsley Mesnes[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour H. Milligan 2,309 84.2 +10.1
Alliance A. Meal 432 15.8 +0.0
Majority 1,877 68.5 +10.1
Turnout 2,741 27.7 -1.5
Labour hold Swing +5.0
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gollark: I was already doing that. I don't think it helped.
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gollark: 1 million iron ingots is very necessary.
gollark: Quarries are always good because number go up.

References
  1. "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
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