1988 United Kingdom local elections

* * *

| ← 1987 | 5 May 1988 | 1989 →

|
|

* * *

All 36 metropolitan boroughs, 117 out of 296 English districts and all 53 Scottish districts
|   | First party  | Second party  | Third party

|
|
|

Leader  | Margaret Thatcher | Neil Kinnock | David Steel
and Robert Maclennan
Party  | Conservative | Labour | SLD
Leader since  | 11 February 1975  | 2 October 1983  |  7 July 1976
and 6 August 1987
Percentage  | 39%  | 38%  | 18%
Councillors +/-  |  9  |  76  |  122

The 1988 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 5 May 1988.[1][2][3] The Conservative government held its ground and remained ahead in the projected popular vote.

The election resulted in the Conservative Party winning 39% of the popular vote, the Labour Party winning 38% and the Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD) 18%. The Conservatives gained 9 seats, Labour gained 76 seats and the SLD lost 122 seats.

These were the first national elections contested by the SLD, which had just been formed as a merger of the SDP and Liberals after several years of an alliance existing between the two parties.

## Summary of results

[edit]

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|

## England

[edit]

### Metropolitan boroughs

[edit]

All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Barnsley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Birmingham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bolton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bradford |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Bury |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Calderdale |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Coventry |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Doncaster |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Dudley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Gateshead |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kirklees |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Knowsley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Leeds |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Liverpool |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Manchester |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Newcastle upon Tyne |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
North Tyneside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Oldham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rochdale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rotherham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Salford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sandwell |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sefton |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Sheffield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Solihull |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
South Tyneside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
St Helens |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stockport |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Sunderland |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Tameside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Trafford |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Wakefield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Walsall |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Wigan |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wirral |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Wolverhampton |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details

### District councils

[edit]

In 117 districts one third of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Adur |  | SLD |  | SLD hold  | Details
Amber Valley |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Barrow-in-Furness |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Basildon |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Basingstoke and Deane |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Bassetlaw |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bath |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Blackburn |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Brentwood |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Brighton |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Bristol |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Broadland |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Broxbourne |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Burnley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cambridge |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Cannock Chase |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Carlisle |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cheltenham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Cherwell |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Chester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Chorley |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Colchester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Congleton |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Craven |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Crawley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Crewe and Nantwich |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Daventry |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Derby |  | Labour |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Eastbourne |  | SLD |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Eastleigh |  | No overall control |  | SLD gain  | Details
Ellesmere Port and Neston |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Elmbridge |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Epping Forest |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Exeter |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Fareham |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Gillingham |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Gloucester |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Gosport |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Great Grimsby |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Great Yarmouth |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Halton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harlow |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harrogate |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Hart |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hartlepool |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Hastings |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Havant |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Hereford |  | SLD |  | SLD hold  | Details
Hertsmere |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Huntingdonshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Hyndburn |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Ipswich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kingston upon Hull |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Leominster |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Lincoln |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Macclesfield |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Maidstone |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Milton Keynes |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Mole Valley |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
North Bedfordshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
North Hertfordshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Norwich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Nuneaton and Bedworth |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Oadby and Wigston |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Oxford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Pendle |  | SLD |  | SLD hold  | Details
Penwith |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Peterborough |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Portsmouth |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Preston |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Purbeck |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Reading |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Redditch |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Reigate and Banstead |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Rochford |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Rossendale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rugby |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Runnymede |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Rushmoor |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Scunthorpe |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Shrewsbury and Atcham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Slough |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
South Bedfordshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
South Cambridgeshire |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
South Herefordshire |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
South Lakeland |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Southampton |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Southend-on-Sea |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
St Albans |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Stevenage |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stoke-on-Trent |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stratford-on-Avon |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Stroud |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Swale |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Tamworth |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Tandridge |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Thamesdown |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Three Rivers |  | SLD |  | SLD hold  | Details
Thurrock |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Tonbridge and Malling |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Torbay |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Tunbridge Wells |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Watford |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Waveney |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Welwyn Hatfield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
West Lancashire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
West Lindsey |  | SLD |  | No overall control gain  | Details
West Oxfordshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Weymouth and Portland |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Winchester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Woking |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Wokingham |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Worcester |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Worthing |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Wyre Forest |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
York |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details

## Scotland

[edit]

### District councils

[edit]

Main article: 1988 Scottish local elections

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Aberdeen |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Angus |  | SNP |  | SNP hold  | Details
Annandale and Eskdale |  | Independent |  | SSLD gain  | Details
Argyll |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Badenoch and Strathspey |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Banff and Buchan |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Bearsden and Milngavie |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Berwickshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Caithness |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Clackmannan |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Clydebank |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Clydesdale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Cumnock and Doon Valley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cunninghame |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Dumbarton |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Dundee |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Dunfermline |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
East Kilbride |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
East Lothian |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Eastwood |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Edinburgh |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Ettrick and Lauderdale |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Falkirk |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Glasgow |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Gordon |  | Independent |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Hamilton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Inverclyde |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Inverness |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Kilmarnock and Loudoun |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kincardine and Deeside |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Kirkcaldy |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kyle and Carrick |  | Conservative |  | Labour gain  | Details
Lochaber |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Midlothian |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Monklands |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Moray |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Motherwell |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Nairn |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Nithsdale |  | Independent |  | Labour gain  | Details
North East Fife |  | SSLD |  | SSLD hold  | Details
Perth and Kinross |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Renfrew |  |  |  |  | Details
Ross and Cromarty |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Roxburgh |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Skye and Lochalsh |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Stewartry |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Stirling |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Strathkelvin |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sutherland |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Tweeddale |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
West Lothian |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wigtown |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1988, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
2. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1988, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
3. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

* Local elections 2006. House of Commons Library Research Paper 06/26.
* Vote 1999 BBC News
* Vote 2000 BBC News

* v
* t
* e

(1987 ←)  1988 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1989)

Metropolitan
boroughs|

* Barnsley
* Birmingham
* Bradford
* Bolton
* Bury
* Calderdale
* Coventry
* Doncaster
* Dudley
* Gateshead
* Kirklees
* Knowsley
* Leeds
* Liverpool
* Manchester
* Newcastle
* North Tyneside
* Oldham
* Rochdale
* Rotherham
* Salford
* Sandwell
* Sefton
* Sheffield
* Solihull
* South Tyneside
* St Helens
* Stockport
* Sunderland
* Tameside
* Trafford
* Wakefield
* Walsall
* Wigan
* Wirral
* Wolverhampton

District councils
(England)|

* Adur
* Amber Valley
* Barrow-in-Furness
* Basildon
* Basingstoke and Deane
* Bassetlaw
* Bath
* Blackburn
* Brentwood
* Brighton
* Bristol
* Broadland
* Broxbourne
* Burnley
* Cambridge
* Cannock Chase
* Carlisle
* Cheltenham
* Cherwell
* Chester
* Chorley
* Colchester
* Congleton
* Craven
* Crawley
* Crewe and Nantwich
* Daventry
* Derby
* Eastbourne
* Eastleigh
* Ellesmere Port and Neston
* Elmbridge
* Epping Forest
* Exeter
* Fareham
* Gillingham
* Gloucester
* Gosport
* Great Grimsby
* Great Yarmouth
* Halton
* Harlow
* Harrogate
* Hart
* Hartlepool
* Hastings
* Havant
* Hereford
* Hertsmere
* Huntingdonshire
* Hyndburn
* Ipswich
* Kingston upon Hull
* Leominster
* Lincoln
* Macclesfield
* Maidstone
* Milton Keynes
* Mole Valley
* Newcastle-under-Lyme
* North Bedfordshire
* North Hertfordshire
* Norwich
* Nuneaton and Bedworth
* Oadby and Wigston
* Oxford
* Pendle
* Penwith
* Peterborough
* Portsmouth
* Preston
* Purbeck
* Reading
* Redditch
* Reigate and Banstead
* Rochford
* Rossendale
* Rugby
* Runnymede
* Rushmoor
* Scunthorpe
* Shrewsbury and Atcham
* Slough
* South Bedfordshire
* South Cambridgeshire
* South Herefordshire
* South Lakeland
* Southampton
* Southend-on-Sea
* St Albans
* Stevenage
* Stoke-on-Trent
* Stratford-on-Avon
* Stroud
* Swale
* Tamworth
* Tandridge
* Thamesdown
* Three Rivers
* Thurrock
* Tonbridge and Malling
* Torbay
* Tunbridge Wells
* Watford
* Waveney
* Welwyn Hatfield
* West Lancashire
* West Lindsey
* West Oxfordshire
* Weymouth and Portland
* Winchester
* Woking
* Wokingham
* Worcester
* Worthing
* Wyre Forest
* York

District councils
(Scotland)|

* Aberdeen
* Angus
* Annandale and Eskdale
* Argyll and Bute
* Badenoch and Strathspey
* Banff and Buchan
* Bearsden and Milngavie
* Berwickshire
* Caithness
* Clackmannan
* Clydebank
* Clydesdale
* Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
* Cumnock and Doon Valley
* Cunninghame
* Dumbarton
* Dundee
* Dunfermline
* East Kilbride
* East Lothian
* Eastwood
* Edinburgh
* Ettrick and Lauderdale
* Falkirk
* Glasgow
* Gordon
* Hamilton
* Inverclyde
* Inverness
* Kilmarnock and Loudoun
* Kincardine and Deeside
* Kirkcaldy
* Kyle and Carrick
* Lochaber
* Midlothian
* Monklands
* Moray
* Motherwell
* Nairn
* Nithsdale
* North East Fife
* Perth and Kinross
* Renfrew
* Ross and Cromarty
* Roxburgh
* Skye and Lochalsh
* Stewartry
* Stirling
* Strathkelvin
* Sutherland
* Tweeddale
* West Lothian
* Wigtown

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* t
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