1983 North Hertfordshire District Council election

Council election in England

1983 North Hertfordshire District Council election | <- 1982 | 5 May 1983 (1983-05-05) | 1984 ->

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* * *

18 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council
26 seats needed for a majority
|  | First party  | Second party  | Third party

|
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Con

Lab

Ind

Leader  | Bob Flatman  | Jim Reilly  |
Party  | Conservative | Labour | Independent
Seats before  | 32  | 14  | 2
Seats after  | 30  | 15  | 2
Seat change  | 2  | 1  |

* * *

| Fourth party  | Fifth party

SDP

Party  | Ratepayers | SDP
Seats before  | 2  | 0
Seats after  | 2  | 1
Seat change  |  | 1

* * *

| Leader before election

Bob Flatman
Conservative

| Leader after election

Bob Flatman
Conservative

|

The 1983 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 5 May 1983, at the same time as other local elections across England and Wales. There were 18 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Letchworth East ward.[1]

## Overall results[edit]

The overall results were as follows:[2]

1983 North Hertfordshire District Council election

Party  | This election  | Full council  | This election
Seats  | Net  | Seats %  | Other | Total  | Total %  | Votes  | Votes %  | +/−
| Conservative | 11  | 2  | 61.1  | 19  | 30 | 60.0  | 14,340  | 42.1  | +0.8
| Labour | 5  | 1  | 27.8  | 10  | 15 | 27.8  | 9,933  | 29.1  | +1.8
| Alliance | 1  | 1  | 5.6  | 0  | 1 | 2.0  | 8,191  | 24.0  | -2.0
| Ratepayers | 1  |  | 5.6  | 1  | 2 | 4.0  | 1,614  | 4.7  | +1.2
| Independent | 0  |  | 0.0  | 2  | 2 | 4.0  | 0  | 0.0  | n/a

Liberal and SDP votes are counted together in the summary above as part of the Alliance. In the ward results below, where the individual party affiliation of Alliance candidates was reported it is shown instead.

## Ward results[edit]

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.[2][3][4][5]

Arbury ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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|
|
|

| Conservative | John Sheldrick*  | 582  | 48.3  | +2.2
| Alliance | Anne Glenys Travis  | 531  | 44.1  | +3.7
| Labour | Nigel Percival  | 91  | 7.6  | -5.9
Turnout |  | 66.5  |
Registered electors | 1,811  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -0.8  |
Baldock ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alan Evens*  | 1,238  | 47.3  | +6.9
| Labour | Roger McFall  | 933  | 35.6  | +4.3
| Alliance | Mike Pritchett  | 448  | 17.1  | -8.9
Turnout |  | 50.4  |
Registered electors | 5,196  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3  |
Hitchin Bearton ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | David Roberts*  | 981  | 41.6  | +1.7
| Labour | Harry Smith  | 882  | 37.4  | +1.2
| Alliance | Harry Shipley  | 396  | 16.8  | -7.0
| Residents | Basil St John Emery  | 97  | 4.1  | +4.1
Turnout |  | 54.2  |
Registered electors | 4,347  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3  |
Hitchin Highbury ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Beryl Wearmouth*  | 1,626  | 65.6  | +10.8
| SDP | Mary Burton  | 502  | 20.3  | -12.9
| Labour | Teresa Trangmar  | 350  | 14.1  | +2.2
Turnout |  | 48.1  |
Registered electors | 5,047  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -3.4  |
Hitchin Oughton ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Audrey Carss*  | 1,070  | 54.3  | +6.2
| Conservative | Derrick Ashley  | 641  | 32.5  | +1.4
| Alliance | Lorna Boardman  | 259  | 13.1  | -7.6
Turnout |  | 44.4  |
Registered electors | 4,437  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.4  |
Hitchin Walsworth ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Residents | Ken Logan*  | 1,517  | 46.4  | +1.5
| Labour | Keith Ruff  | 811  | 24.8  | -5.3
| Conservative | John Crow  | 612  | 18.7  | +18.7
| Alliance | Hugh Kelliher  | 329  | 10.1  | -14.9
Turnout |  | 56.2  |
Registered electors | 5,817  |  |
| Ratepayers hold | Swing | +3.4  |
Hitchwood ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Raffell*  | 463  | 62.1  | -14.8
| Alliance | Edward Wilson  | 209  | 28.0  | +28.0
| Labour | Jenny Marr  | 74  | 9.9  | -13.3
Turnout |  | 55.3  |
Registered electors | 1,349  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -21.4  |
Hoo ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | John Jackson  | 430  | 49.9  | -13.5
| Labour | David Kendall  | 274  | 31.8  | -4.7
| Alliance | Celia Lord  | 157  | 18.2  | +18.2
Turnout |  | 55.4  |
Registered electors | 1,554  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -4.4  |
Letchworth East ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Charles Bifield  | 956  | 40.1  | -0.3
| Labour | Headley Parkins*  | 910  |  |
| Alliance | Martin Fisher  | 768  | 32.2  | +0.3
| Alliance | Hans Mulder  | 717  |  |
| Conservative | Nicholas King  | 660  | 27.7  | 0.0
| Conservative | David Langridge  | 655  |  |
Turnout |  | 62.3  |
Registered electors | 4,168  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | -0.3  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

The by-election in Letchworth East ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Tony McWalter.

Letchworth Grange ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Liz Leonard  | 1,017  | 37.2  | -1.3
| Alliance | Brian Nicholson  | 954  | 34.9  | +0.2
| Conservative | John McKenna  | 764  | 27.9  | +1.0
Turnout |  | 53.8  |
Registered electors | 5,084  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | -0.8  |
Letchworth South East ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| SDP | Tony Quinn  | 1,355  | 37.6  | +4.7
| Conservative | Gordon Whalley  | 1,308  | 36.3  | +0.4
| Labour | Joan Kirby  | 940  | 26.1  | -5.1
Turnout |  | 61.2  |
Registered electors | 5,887  |  |
| SDP gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.2  |
Letchworth South West ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Talbot*  | 1,400  | 55.0  | -8.6
| Labour | Steve Spencer  | 617  | 24.2  | +11.4
| Liberal | Rosemary Ryden  | 530  | 20.8  | -2.8
Turnout |  | 58.8  |
Registered electors | 4,332  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -10.0  |
Letchworth Wilbury ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Stuart Murray  | 1,162  | 45.1  | +6.0
| Conservative | Ray Bloxham*  | 1,080  | 42.0  | +1.0
| Alliance | Mary Marsh  | 332  | 12.9  | -7.1
Turnout |  | 64.3  |
Registered electors | 4,003  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.5  |
Newsells ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Robert Wilkerson*
(Bob Wilkerson) | 507  | 79.7  | +0.1
| Labour | Michael Kernaghan
(Mick Kernaghan) | 129  | 20.3  | -0.1
Turnout |  | 49.8  |
Registered electors | 1,276  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1  |
Offa ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Lynne Jackson  | 426  | 47.9  | +2.9
| Alliance | Andy Hofton  | 236  | 26.5  | +1.2
| Labour | John Mayo  | 228  | 25.6  | -4.1
Turnout |  | 59.8  |
Registered electors | 1,488  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9  |
Royston West ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Leo Doyle  | 1,115  | 43.6  | -11.6
| Alliance | Hazel Lord  | 1,107  | 43.3  | +17.2
| Labour | Jessie Etheridge  | 335  | 13.1  | -5.6
Turnout |  | 50.7  |
Registered electors | 5,045  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -14.4  |
Sandon ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Patricia Toulson
(Patsy Toulson) | 507  | 78.1  | -4.4
| Alliance | Patrick Short  | 78  | 12.0  | +12.0
| Labour | Philip Davies
(Phil Davies) | 64  | 9.9  | -7.6
Turnout |  | 59.8  |
Registered electors | 1,085  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -8.2  |

## References[edit]

1. ^ The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1442)
2. ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
3. ^ "First step for Alliance". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 12 May 1983. p. 5.
4. ^ "Alliance team bids for breakthrough". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 28 April 1983. p. 9.
5. ^ "Tories retain strong hold on Royston". Cambridge Daily News. 6 May 1983. p. 24. Retrieved 25 March 2023.

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North Hertfordshire District Council|

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