1990 United Kingdom local elections

* * *

| <- 1989 | 3 May 1990 | 1991 ->

|
|

* * *

All 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs,
116 out of 296 English districts and all 12 Scottish regions
|  | Majority party  | Minority party  | Third party

|
|
|

|  |  |
Leader  | Margaret Thatcher | Neil Kinnock | Paddy Ashdown
Party  | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats
Leader since  | 11 February 1975  | 2 October 1983  | 16 July 1988
Percentage  | 33%  | 44%  | 17%
Councillors  | 9,020  | 8,920  | 3,265
Councillors +/-  |  222  |  284  |  78

The 1990 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 3 May 1990.[1][2][3] They were the last local elections held before the resignation of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in November 1990.

The main opposition Labour Party gained 284 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 8,920, their highest since 1981. Their projected share of the vote was 44%, an increase of 2% from 1989.

The governing Conservative Party lost 222 seats, leaving them with 9,020 councillors. Their share of the vote was projected to be 33%, a fall of 3% from the previous year. This mounted further pressure on the government of Margaret Thatcher, which had been declining for a year following the introduction of the controversial poll tax, and was a major boost for opposition leader Neil Kinnock, whose Labour Party was enjoying a wide lead in the opinion polls with a general election no more than two years away.

The Liberal Democrats lost 78 seats and had 3,265 councillors after the elections. Their projected share of the vote was 17%.

## Summary of results

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2015)

|

## England

[edit]

### London boroughs

[edit]

Main article: 1990 London local elections

In all 32 London boroughs the whole council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Barking and Dagenham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Barnet |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Bexley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Brent |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Bromley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Camden |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Croydon |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Ealing |  | Labour |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Enfield |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Greenwich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Hackney |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Hammersmith and Fulham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Haringey |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harrow |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Havering |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hillingdon |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Hounslow |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Islington |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kensington and Chelsea |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Kingston upon Thames |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Lambeth |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Lewisham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Merton |  | Conservative |  | Labour gain  | Details
Newham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Redbridge |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Richmond upon Thames |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Southwark |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sutton |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Tower Hamlets |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Waltham Forest |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wandsworth |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Westminster |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details

### 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 |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Bury |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Calderdale |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | 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 |  | Labour gain  | 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 |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Wakefield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Walsall |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wigan |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wirral |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Wolverhampton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details

### District councils

[edit]

#### Whole council

[edit]

In 2 districts the whole council was up for election as there were new ward boundaries, following further electoral boundary reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Colchester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Preston |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details

#### Third of council

[edit]

In 114 districts one third of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Adur |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Amber Valley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Barrow-in-Furness |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Basildon |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Basingstoke and Deane |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Bassetlaw |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bath |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Blackburn |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Brentwood |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Brighton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bristol |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Broadland |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Broxbourne |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Burnley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cambridge |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | 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 |  | Labour gain  | 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 |  | Labour gain  | Details
Daventry |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Derby |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Eastbourne |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Eastleigh |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Ellesmere Port and Neston |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Elmbridge |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Epping Forest |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Exeter |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Fareham |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Gillingham |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Gloucester |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Gosport |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Great Grimsby |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Great Yarmouth |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Halton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harlow |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harrogate |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | 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 |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Hereford |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats 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 |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Penwith |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Peterborough |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Portsmouth |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | 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 |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Rossendale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rugby |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | 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 |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Southend-on-Sea |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
St Albans |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | 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 |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Tandridge |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Thamesdown |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Three Rivers |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Thurrock |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Torbay |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Tunbridge Wells |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Watford |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Waveney |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Welwyn Hatfield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
West Lancashire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
West Lindsey |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
West Oxfordshire |  | Conservative |  | Independent gain  | 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]

### Regional councils

[edit]

Main article: 1990 Scottish regional elections

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Borders |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Central |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Dumfries and Galloway |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Fife |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Grampian |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Highland |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Lothian |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Orkney |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Shetland |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Strathclyde |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Tayside |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Western Isles |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1990, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
2. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1990, 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
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(1989 <-)  1990 United Kingdom local elections (-> 1991)

London boroughs|

* Barking and Dagenham
* Barnet
* Bexley
* Brent
* Bromley
* Camden
* Croydon
* Ealing
* Enfield
* Greenwich
* Hackney
* Hammersmith and Fulham
* Haringey
* Harrow
* Havering
* Hillingdon
* Hounslow
* Islington
* Kensington and Chelsea
* Kingston upon Thames
* Lambeth
* Lewisham
* Merton
* Newham
* Redbridge
* Richmond upon Thames
* Southwark
* Sutton
* Tower Hamlets
* Waltham Forest
* Wandsworth
* Westminster

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
* Hartlepool
* Hart
* 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
* Torbay
* Tunbridge Wells
* Watford
* Waveney
* Welwyn Hatfield
* West Lancashire
* West Lindsey
* West Oxfordshire
* Weymouth and Portland
* Winchester
* Woking
* Wokingham
* Worcester
* Worthing
* Wyre Forest
* York

Regional councils
(Scotland)|

* Borders
* Central
* Dumfries and Galloway
* Fife
* Grampian
* Highland
* Lothian
* Orkney
* Shetland
* Strathclyde
* Tayside
* Western Isles

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* e

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