1980 North Hertfordshire District Council election
← 1979 1 May 1980 (1980-05-01) 1982 →
17 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Con
Lab
Leader Bob Flatman
Party Conservative Labour
Seats before 34 12
Seats after 32 14
Seat change Decrease2 Increase2
  Third party Fourth party
 
Ind
RA
Party Independent Ratepayers
Seats before 2 2
Seats after 2 2
Seat change Steady Steady
Leader before election

Bob Flatman
Conservative

Leader after election

Bob Flatman
Conservative

The 1980 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 1 May 1980, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. There were 17 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council.[1]

The election saw Labour take the largest share of the vote, winning two seats from the Conservatives, but the Conservatives retained their majority on the council.[2]

Overall results

The overall results were as follows:[3]

1980 North Hertfordshire District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 8 Increase2 47.1 6 14 28.0 13,923 47.7 +13.9
  Conservative 8 Decrease2 47.1 24 32 64.0 12,306 42.2 -9.8
  Liberal 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 1,096 3.8 -0.9
  Ratepayers 0 Steady 0.0 2 2 4.0 777 2.7 -0.9
  Ecology 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 595 2.0 +1.0
  Independent 1 Steady 5.9 1 1 4.0 438 1.5 -3.1
  National Front 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 59 0.2 0.0

Ward results

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

Ashbrook ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Tatham* 685 62.2 -1.1
Labour Keith Brydon 416 37.8 +1.1
Turnout 53.2
Registered electors 2,068
Conservative hold Swing -1.1
Baldock ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Willy Page* 1,305 56.5 +18.7
Conservative Colin Vaughan 798 34.6 -8.3
Ecology Stephen Toogood 205 8.9 +8.9
Turnout 45.8
Registered electors 5,039
Labour hold Swing +13.5
Cadwell ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ron Lodge* 438 59.3 +7.2
Conservative Allison Ashley 163 22.1 -11.6
Labour Joan Kirby 137 18.6 +7.7
Turnout 42.3
Registered electors 1,745
Independent hold Swing +9.4
Hitchin Bearton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Judi Smith 1,013 52.9 +8.1
Conservative Terry Keaveney 902 47.1 -3.7
Turnout 44.0
Registered electors 4,352
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.9
Hitchin Highbury ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Phillip MacCormack 1,361 66.7 -5.1
Labour Keith Ruff 480 23.5 -4.7
Ecology Brian Goodale 200 9.8 +9.8
Turnout 41.1
Registered electors 4,966
Conservative hold Swing -0.2
Hitchin Oughton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Stears* 1,291 69.5 +16.6
Conservative Derrick Ashley 508 27.3 -11.2
National Front Victor Logan 59 3.2 -5.4
Turnout 41.8
Registered electors 4,445
Labour hold Swing +13.9
Hitchin Priory ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Howett 965 83.6 +4.5
Labour Paul Prescott 189 16.4 -4.5
Turnout 41.0
Registered electors 2,815
Conservative hold Swing +4.5
Hitchin Walsworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Fred Peacock* 1,202 52.1 +21.5
Ratepayers Basil Emery 777 33.7 -7.9
Liberal Bob Lord 252 10.9 +10.9
Ecology Melanie Hutchins 77 3.3 +3.3
Turnout 44.0
Registered electors 5,245
Labour hold Swing +14.7
Knebworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alfred Grosse* 888 58.5 -1.4
Labour Herrmann 630 41.5 +23.6
Turnout 49.6
Registered electors 3,060
Conservative hold Swing -12.5
Letchworth East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony McWalter* 1,238 61.9 +16.8
Conservative Allan Brett 763 38.1 -4.3
Turnout 49.0
Registered electors 4,084
Labour hold Swing +10.6
Letchworth Grange ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Kearns* 1,348 64.4 +1.9
Conservative Christine Barclay 746 35.6 -1.9
Turnout 42.7
Registered electors 4,904
Labour hold Swing +1.9
Letchworth South East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rod Playford 1,432 70.9 +25.8
Conservative Jenny Ritchie* 475 23.5 -31.4
Ecology Elspeth Rolls 113 5.6 +5.6
Turnout 48.4
Registered electors 4,174
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +28.6
Letchworth South West ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoff Woods* 1,329 57.1 -9.4
Labour Steve Spencer 997 42.8 +9.4
Turnout 57.1
Registered electors 4,074
Conservative hold Swing -9.4
Letchworth Wilbury ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mantle* 1,216 54.8 +15.5
Conservative Jeff Smith 808 36.4 -7.3
Liberal Ian McGinlay 197 8.9 -8.1
Turnout 57.0
Registered electors 3,896
Labour hold Swing +11.4
Royston East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis John Smith* 863 61.3 +3.1
Labour Jessie Grace Etheridge 301 21.4 +0.9
Liberal Sydney Charles McLennan 243 17.3 -4.0
Turnout 37.3
Registered electors 3,772
Conservative hold Swing +1.1
Royston West ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terence Bernard Botfield 698 42.7 -9.2
Labour Michael William Kernaghan 533 32.6 +7.3
Liberal Hazel Priscilla Lord 404 24.7 +1.9
Turnout 37.3
Registered electors 4,383
Conservative hold Swing -8.3
Weston ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Evans* 354 64.5 -5.4
Labour John Schofield 195 35.5 +5.4
Turnout 49.5
Registered electors 1,109
Conservative hold Swing -5.4

Changes 1980–1982

Three by-elections were held on 19 March 1981. The by-election in Letchworth South West ward was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Bob Saunders. The two by-elections in Letchworth South East ward were triggered by the death of Conservative councillor John Yates and the resignation of Labour councillor Rod Playford. The Conservatives retained the Letchworth South West seat, but Labour won both Letchworth South East seats.[5]

Letchworth South East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Evans 1,261 42.1 -28.8
Labour Joan Kirby 1,123
Conservative Norman Prior 898 30.0 +6.5
Conservative James Robertson 860
Liberal Robert Stevens 836 27.9 +27.9
Labour hold Swing -17.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Letchworth South West ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Talbot 977 44.0 -21.8
Liberal William Armitage 640 28.8 +28.8
Labour Pat Watson Blake 602 27.1 -22.2
Conservative hold Swing -25.3

References

  1. ^ The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1442)
  2. ^ a b "Swinging Labour: Now we're set for control!". The Comet. Hitchin. 7 May 1980. p. 52.
  3. ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Election results in city and districts". Cambridge Daily News. 13 May 1980. p. 6. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Delight at Labour victories". Letchworth and Baldock Citizen Gazette. 26 March 1981. p. 7.
Categories