Map of the results of the 1987 Wigan council election.

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 7 May 1987, with one third of the council up for election. Previous to the election there had been two by-elections held, resulting in a Labour gain of the seat being fought in Swinley from the Conservatives and Labour retaining one of their Hindley Green seats. Participation for this election increased substantially from the previous year's lows. Only one ward went unopposed (Leigh Central) as Labour reliably provided a full-slate of candidates, the Alliance all but Atherton and the Conservatives up from 16 to 18, by way of fielding candidates in the Labour strongholds of Abram and Worsley Mesnes this time around. An Independent Labour candidate also fought and won Hindley, with an Independent victory last seen in 1976, and Independent representation in 1980, when that same victor failed to survive the re-warding.

The results seen an end to four years of consecutive increases in Labour's share, peaking with last year's all-time high, as they slipped back into a respectable high-fifties and their loss dispersing to each of the opposition parties. Labour lost four seats in total, with the aforementioned Independent Labour loss in Hindley, an Alliance casualty from last year's elections re-elected in Winstanley, another loss to Alliance in Aspull-Standish and the Conservatives comfortable retaking the seat in Swinley they'd lost in the earlier mentioned by-election. These losses were offset somewhat by a gain from Alliance in Tyldesley East, returning the ward to entire Labour representation. Overall turnout rose to an above-average 37.1%.[1]

Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1987
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 19 1 4 -3 79.2 59.3 49,800 -5.7%
  Alliance 3 2 1 +1 12.5 23.1 19,406 +1.3%
  Conservative 1 1 0 +1 4.2 15.3 12,820 +2.2%
  Independent Labour 1 1 0 +1 4.2 2.2 1,894 +2.2%

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 65 62
SDP-Liberal Alliance 5 6
Conservatives 2 3
Independent Labour 0 1
Total 72 72
Working majority  58   52 

Ward results

Abram[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Cumberbach 2,687 80.0 N/A
Conservative J. Wright 377 11.2 N/A
Alliance R. Murphy 296 8.8 N/A
Majority 2,310 68.7 N/A
Turnout 3,360 34.8 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Ashton-Golborne[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hilton 2,206 65.3 -7.3
Conservative S. Edwards 718 21.2 +6.2
Alliance B. Miners 453 13.4 +1.2
Majority 1,488 44.0 -13.5
Turnout 3,377 34.6 +4.3
Labour hold Swing -6.7
Aspull-Standish[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance G. Davies 2,153 42.0 +0.5
Labour A. Durkin 2,117 41.3 -4.6
Conservative K. Hart 860 16.7 +4.0
Majority 36 0.7 -3.7
Turnout 5,130 49.4 +4.8
Alliance gain from Labour Swing +2.5
Atherton[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Sumner 2,507 76.1 -6.6
Conservative M. Sharland 1,418 23.8 +6.6
Majority 1,722 52.3 -13.1
Turnout 3,292 35.0 +5.4
Labour hold Swing -6.6
Bedford-Astley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Hayes 1,999 58.5 -9.1
Alliance D. Wilkinson 1,418 41.5 +9.1
Majority 581 17.0 -18.2
Turnout 3,417 34.2 +3.5
Labour hold Swing -9.1
Beech Hill[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H. Antill 1,834 57.2 -17.0
Alliance J. McGarty 929 29.0 +13.7
Conservative R. Gibson 44.2 13.8 +3.2
Majority 905 28.2 -30.7
Turnout 3,205 36.1 +4.2
Labour hold Swing -15.3
Bryn[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Foster 2,709 72.9 -5.9
Conservative R. Clayton 560 15.1 +3.8
Alliance W. Claypole 448 12.0 +2.0
Majority 2,149 57.8 -9.7
Turnout 3,717 37.5 +3.7
Labour hold Swing -4.8
Hindley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Labour E. Edwardson 1,894 54.2 N/A
Labour M. O'Halloran 1,140 32.6 N/A
Alliance S. Galeazzi 459 13.1 N/A
Majority 754 21.6 N/A
Turnout 3,493 36.4 N/A
Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing N/A
Hindley Green[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. McAllister 2,275 72.1 N/A
Alliance J. Cranfield 880 27.9 N/A
Majority 1,395 44.2 N/A
Turnout 3,155 28.2 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hindsford[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Little 2,189 64.0 -9.3
Alliance S. Jones 1,232 36.0 +9.3
Majority 957 28.0 -18.7
Turnout 3,421 32.0 +3.6
Labour hold Swing -9.3
Hope Carr[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour L. Birtles 1,976 55.8 -10.2
Conservative E. Manson 1,103 31.2 -2.7
Alliance G. Pullin 460 13.0 +13.0
Majority 873 24.7 -7.5
Turnout 3,539 36.2 +1.8
Labour hold Swing -3.7
Ince[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Molyneaux 2,385 87.7 -1.2
Alliance A. Robinson 172 6.3 +0.5
Conservative D. Edwards 161 5.9 +0.7
Majority 2,213 81.4 -1.7
Turnout 2,718 34.0 +0.6
Labour hold Swing -0.8
Langtree[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance S. Jeffers 2,220 44.4 -2.6
Labour S. Turner 1,945 38.9 -4.6
Conservative J. Wolstenholme 839 16.8 +7.2
Majority 275 5.5 +2.0
Turnout 5,004 46.3 -0.9
Alliance hold Swing +1.0
Leigh Central[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Leigh East[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Caley 1,857 61.6 -12.4
Conservative M. Turner 722 24.0 -1.9
Alliance P. Claypole 433 14.4 +14.4
Majority 1,135 37.7 -10.5
Turnout 3,012 29.3 +1.6
Labour hold Swing -5.2
Lightshaw[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Strett 2,406 58.6 -8.9
Conservative G. Jackson 1,071 26.1 +7.6
Alliance J. Wilson 628 15.3 +1.2
Majority 1,335 32.5 -16.5
Turnout 4,105 38.9 -2.9
Labour hold Swing -8.2
Newtown[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Milligan 2,406 77.0 -7.0
Conservative I. Nicholson 419 13.4 +4.8
Alliance W. Hewer 300 9.6 +2.2
Majority 1,987 63.6 -11.8
Turnout 3,125 34.5 +3.0
Labour hold Swing -5.9
Norley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Smith 2,544 85.5 -2.7
Alliance R. Richardson 231 7.8 +1.0
Conservative J. Carrington 200 6.7 +1.7
Majority 2,313 77.7 -3.7
Turnout 2,975 37.5 +2.1
Labour hold Swing -1.8
Orrell[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Capstick 1,946 46.4 -0.3
Conservative D. Patmore 1,346 32.1 +10.2
Alliance N. Somers 903 21.5 -9.9
Majority 600 14.3 -0.8
Turnout 4,195 40.8 +1.2
Labour hold Swing -5.2
Swinley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Dowling 1,908 40.0 +1.8
Labour M. Gallagher 1,767 37.0 +0.4
Alliance C. Rhys 1,096 23.0 -2.2
Majority 141 2.9 +1.3
Turnout 4,771 53.0 +5.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +0.7
Tyldesley East[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Hopkinson 2,104 56.0 -5.6
Alliance A. Shaw 1,653 44.0 +5.6
Majority 451 12.0 -11.1
Turnout 3,757 35.7 -3.6
Labour gain from Alliance Swing -5.6
Whelley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Pendleton 2,448 77.0 -2.9
Conservative F. Sidebotham 387 12.2 +3.8
Alliance D. Armstrong 342 10.7 -0.9
Majority 2,061 64.9 -3.4
Turnout 3,177 36.0 +0.5
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Winstanley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance J. Fitzpatrick 2,171 44.8 +1.1
Labour G. Taberner 2,049 42.2 -4.0
Conservative N. Edmond 630 13.0 +2.9
Majority 122 2.5 -0.0
Turnout 4,850 42.2 +2.1
Alliance gain from Labour Swing +2.5
Worsley Mesnes[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Baldwin 2,304 73.7 -10.5
Alliance B. Pryle 529 16.9 +1.2
Conservative C. Michaels 292 9.3 +9.3
Majority 1,775 56.8 -11.7
Turnout 3,125 31.5 +3.8
Labour hold Swing -5.8

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
Categories