1984 Reading Borough Council election
← 1983 3 May 1984 (1984-05-03) 1986 →
15 seats of 45 on council
23 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
Lab
Lib
Leader Deryck Morton Mike Orton Basil Dunning
Party Conservative Labour Liberal
Alliance Alliance
Seats before 26 13 6
Seats after 23 17 5
Seat change Decrease3 Increase4 Decrease1
Popular vote 16,843 13,286 9,216
Percentage 42.4 33.5 23.2
Swing Decrease3.7 Increase3.6 Decrease0.1

The 1984 Reading Borough Council election was held on 3 May 1984, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. One third of Reading Borough Council's 45 seats were up for election.

The election saw the Conservatives' majority on the council reduced to just one seat. After the election, the Conservatives had 23 seats, Labour had 17 seats, and the SDP-Liberal Alliance had 5 seats.[1][2]

The leader of the Conservative group was Deryck Morton, and the leader of the Labour group was Mike Orton, both remaining in post after the election. The Liberal leader on the council prior to the election was Basil Dunning, but he was replaced immediately after the election by former leader Jim Day, who had lost his seat in 1983 but regained it at this election.[3]

Results

Reading Borough Council Election, 1984
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 6 0 3 -3 40.0% 42.4% 16,843 -3.7%
  Labour 8 4 0 +4 53.3% 33.5% 13,286 +3.6%
  Alliance 1 0 1 -1 6.7% 23.2% 9,216 -0.1%
  Ecology 0 0% 0.9% 363 +0.1%

Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows (candidates with an asterisk(*) were the previous incumbent standing for re-election, candidates with a dagger(†) were sitting councillors contesting different wards):[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Abbey Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Silverthorne* 1,285 57.7 +5.3
Conservative Jerry Wray 628 28.2 -3.4
Liberal John Riley 314 14.1 +0.8
Turnout 2,227
Labour hold Swing +4.35
Battle Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Bristow 927 44.5 +4.2
Conservative George Robinson† 806 38.7 +0.9
Liberal George Ford 281 13.5 -8.5
Ecology Ian Cooper 69 3.3 n/a
Turnout 2,083
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +1.65
Caversham Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline Palmer 1,907 64.8 -2.9
Labour Pat Mander 720 24.4 +3.5
Liberal Imogen Pravda 318 10.8 -0.7
Turnout 2,945
Conservative hold Swing -3.2
Church Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Maureen Lockey* 1,053 49.2 +5.1
Conservative Grace Wray 758 35.4 -1.2
Liberal Steve Begg 328 15.3 -3.9
Turnout 2,139
Labour hold Swing +3.15
Katesgrove Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ron Williams* 1,030 50.7 +5.4
Conservative Stephen Foley 680 33.5 -10.7
SDP Andrew McLuskey 267 13.2 +5.4
Ecology Mark Roberts 53 2.6 -0.1
Turnout 2,030
Labour hold Swing +8.05
Kentwood Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Thomas* 1,190 40.0 -2.6
Liberal Tom Heydeman† 865 30.8 +2.6
Labour Pete Watkins 704 23.6 0.0
Turnout 2,978
Conservative hold Swing -2.6
Minster Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Deryck Morton† 1,464 54.6 -4.4
Labour Phil Armson 805 30.0 +4.0
SDP Alan Jackson 411 15.3 +0.4
Turnout 2,680
Conservative hold Swing -4.2
Norcot Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Hathaway 1,024 40.8 +7.7
Liberal Joyce Wicks 1,008 40.2 +0.3
Conservative Dharam Ahuja 476 19.0 -8.0
Turnout 2,508
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +4.0
Park Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Salter 1,388 44.2 +9.7
Conservative Simon Oliver* 1,211 38.5 -1.1
SDP Rod Campbell 424 13.5 -8.5
Ecology Philip Unsworth 120 3.8 -0.1
Turnout 3,143
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.4
Peppard Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Irwin* 1,859 62.6 +3.8
SDP Clive Jones 717 24.1 -8.0
Labour Gerald (Bob) Scott 394 13.3 +4.2
Turnout 2,970
Conservative hold Swing +5.9
Redlands Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Dimmick 1,053 37.3 +5.7
Conservative Martin Lower* 963 34.1 -4.3
SDP Howard Rodaway 687 24.3 -2.7
Ecology Chris Parr 121 4.3 +1.4
Turnout 2,824
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.0
Southcote Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jack Irwin* 1,307 45.7 -5.8
Labour Norma Sinclair 951 33.3 +1.6
SDP Charles Bond 599 21.0 +4.2
Turnout 2,857
Conservative hold Swing -5.0
Thames Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pam Fuad 2,045 60.3 -6.5
Liberal Martyn Allies 935 27.6 +5.8
Labour Phil Hingley 411 12.1 +0.6
Turnout 3,391
Conservative hold Swing -6.15
Tilehurst Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Day 1,681 55.1 +8.4
Conservative Pat Layton 993 32.6 -7.0
Labour Jim Toner 376 12.3 -0.9
Turnout 3,050
Liberal hold Swing +7.7
Whitley Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony Jones 1,165 61.9 +2.8
Conservative Jack Cleminson 556 29.5 -0.6
SDP Sean O'Connell 162 8.6 -2.2
Turnout 1,883
Labour hold Swing +1.7

By-elections 1984–1986

Church by-election 1984

Church By-Election 6 December 1984
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kay Everett 909 52.0 +2.7
Conservative Grace Wray 439 25.1 -10.3
Liberal Steve Begg 401 22.9 +7.6
Majority 470 26.9
Turnout 1,749 26.5
Labour hold Swing +6.5

The Church ward by-election in 1984 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Dave Absolom.[11][12]

Battle by-election 1985

Battle By-Election 25 July 1985
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Chandler 908 43.3 -1.2
SDP Clive Jones 719 34.3 +20.8
Conservative Sue White 421 20.1 -18.6
Majority 189 9.0
Turnout 2,097 31.5
Labour hold Swing -11.0

The Battle ward by-election in 1985 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor Joe Bristow.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ "Tories walk tightrope with majority of one". Evening Post. Reading. 4 May 1984. p. 13. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Knife-edge Tories face fitness tests". Reading. 4 May 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Jim's bid foiled by independent". Evening Post. Reading. 5 May 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Campaign focus". Evening Post. Reading. 13 April 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Ecology Party's high-tech profile". Evening Post. Reading. 7 April 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  6. ^ "On the campaign trail". Evening Post. Reading. 26 April 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Council boss changes seats". Evening Post. Reading. 19 April 1984. p. 10. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Campaign report". Evening Post. Reading. 2 May 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Liberals complete election line-up". Evening Post. Reading. 22 March 1984. p. 9. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Campaign report". Evening Post. Reading. 25 April 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Leading Labour councillor quits". Evening Post. Reading. 30 October 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Swing to Labour but low turn-out". Evening Post. Reading. 7 December 1984. p. 11.
  13. ^ "Popular former mayor Joe dies suddenly". Evening Post. Reading. 14 June 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  14. ^ "By-election win for Labour". Evening Post. Reading. 26 July 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
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