1988 Reading Borough Council election
← 1987 5 May 1988 (1988-05-05) 1990 →
15 seats of 45 on council
23 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
Con
SLD
Leader Mike Orton Geoff Canning Jim Day
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Seats before 24 16 5
Seats after 25 15 5
Seat change Increase1 Decrease 1 Steady
Popular vote 16,154 16,342 5,706
Percentage 39.9 40.4 14.1
Swing Increase8.9 Decrease0.6 Decrease12.5

The 1988 Reading Borough Council election was held on 5 May 1988, 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 Labour increase its majority on the council by one seat.[1]

It was the first election following the merger of the SDP-Liberal Alliance to become the "Social and Liberal Democrats" as they were called at this election, before changing the name to Liberal Democrats the following year. Some SDP members opposed to the merger formed a new Social Democratic Party, which fielded several candidates in Reading in 1988.

Results

Reading Borough Council Election, 1986
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 9 1 0 +1 60.0 39.9 16,154 +8.9
  Conservative 5 0 1 -1 33.3 40.4 16,342 -0.6
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 0 0 6.7 14.1 5,706 -12.5
  SDP 0 0 4.2 1710 New
  Green 0 0 1.2 481 -0.1
  Independent 0 0 0.2 62 New

Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows (candidates with an asterisk* were the previous incumbent standing for re-election):[2][3][4][1]

Abbey Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick John Silverthorne*
(John Silverthorne) 		1,351 62.8 +16.4
Conservative H. C. S. Webb
(Chris Webb) 		548 25.5 -7.7
Liberal Democrats Jeremy P. Sharpe 151 7.0 -9.7
Green Howard J. Darby 100 4.7 +1.0
Turnout 2,150 32.0
Labour hold Swing +12.05
Battle Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive R. Chandler* 1,350 58.9 +11.9
Conservative Gill S. Turnbull 721 31.4 +0.2
SDP Stephen R. Hanson 153 6.7 n/a
Green Maureen P. Gray 69 3.0 +0.1
Turnout 2,293 35.1
Labour hold Swing +5.85
Caversham Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline S. Palmer* 2,205 67.0 -0.2
Labour Geoffrey Robert Mander
(Geoff Mander) 		757 23.0 +4.0
Liberal Democrats Maureen A. Stagg 204 6.2 -7.6
SDP Mary E. Hargreaves 126 3.8 n/a
Turnout 3,292 43.5
Conservative hold Swing -2.1
Church Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Maureen Lockey* 1,135 52.0 +5.6
Conservative Elaine A. Beadle 792 36.3 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Brian W. Howells 137 6.3 -13.5
SDP David Gask 119 5.5 n/a
Turnout 2,183 37.9
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Katesgrove Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Christopher Sutton 1,017 54.1 +7.2
Conservative Shirley M. Mills 531 28.2 -10.4
Liberal Democrats Diana M. Bailey 274 14.6 -0.1
SDP Nikola Sergt 58 3.1 n/a
Turnout 1,880 31.7
Labour hold Swing +8.8
Kentwood Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen P. Thomas* 1,278 46.6 +6.0
Liberal Democrats Margaret Bridget Fryett 844 30.8 -11.6
Labour Stella M. Higgins 522 19.0 +1.9
SDP Tom F. R. Usher 99 3.6 n/a
Turnout 2,743 41.2
Conservative hold Swing +8.8
Minster Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Deryck Mitchell Morton* 1,448 51.5 +1.7
Labour Katharine Neville
(Kathy Neville) 		1,069 38.0 +10.0
SDP A. W. Ellis
(Tony Ellis) 		235 8.4 n/a
Independent Ivan Young 62 2.2 n/a
Turnout 2,814 42.8
Conservative hold Swing -4.15
Norcot Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen M. Hathaway* 1,570 60.1 +16.4
Conservative Nick P. Burkinshaw 640 24.5 -0.4
Liberal Democrats Norman A. Edwards 272 10.4 -23.1
SDP Ian Gray 94 3.6 n/a
Green David A. Chaplin 37 1.4 -0.4
Turnout 2,613 38.4
Labour hold Swing +6.45
Park Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin John Salter* 1,785 58.2 +10.4
Conservative John Norman Pearson
(Norman Pearson) 		880 28.7 -4.3
Liberal Democrats Stephen H. Begg
(Steve Begg) 		172 5.6 -10.1
Green Philip J. Unsworth 119 3.9 +0.4
SDP David J. Cornes 113 3.7 n/a
Turnout 3,069 45.5
Labour hold Swing +7.35
Peppard Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Irwin* 1,945 57.7 +10.2
Liberal Democrats Ian M. Fenwick 930 27.6 -16.9
Labour David M. Booth 397 11.8 +3.9
SDP Peter E. Littlewood 97 2.9 n/a
Turnout 3,369 45.6
Conservative hold Swing +13.55
Redlands Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Stephen Dimmick* 1,460 45.3 +11.7
Conservative Heather M. Oliver 1,005 31.2 -3.1
SDP Robert Owen Biggs Wilson
(Rob Wilson) 		393 12.2 n/a
Liberal Democrats Jeremy B. C. Lazenby 367 11.4 -17.8
Turnout 3,225 42.0
Labour hold Swing +7.4
Southcote Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roberta Richardson
(Bobbie Richardson) 		1,715 52.2 +11.1
Conservative Alfred John Irwin*
(Jack Irwin) 		1,322 40.3 -6.7
Liberal Democrats Stuart F. Hinson 129 3.9 -11.8
SDP Anna M. C. Ellis 117 3.6 n/a
Turnout 3,283 49.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +8.9
Thames Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pam Fuad* 1,872 63.0 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Annette Hendry 634 21.3 -10.7
Labour K. Mike Hogarth 311 10.5 +3.0
Green Louise A. Barnes 156 5.2 +1.9
Turnout 2,973 45.6
Conservative hold Swing +8.25
Tilehurst Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ronald James Day*
(Jim Day) 		1,536 59.6 +3.7
Conservative Stephen J. Coles 642 24.9 -6.5
Labour David R. Warren 399 15.5 +2.8
Turnout 2,577 38.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +5.1
Whitley Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Cook 1,316 66.1 +12.4
Conservative Philip A. Wickens 513 25.8 -5.7
SDP Clive R. Jones 106 5.3 n/a
Liberal Democrats John William Wood 56 2.8 -12.0
Turnout 1,991 29.5
Labour hold Swing +9.05

By-elections 1988–1990

Katesgrove by-election 1988

Katesgrove By-Election 14 July 1988
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sheila Reilly 787 57.4 +3.3
Conservative Shirley M. Mills 388 28.3 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Diana M. Bailey 196 14.3 -0.3
Majority 399 29.1
Turnout 3,357 22.7
Labour hold Swing +1.6

The Katesgrove ward by-election in 1988 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Mark Hendry.[5][6]

Battle by-election 1988

Battle By-Election 17 November 1988
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Booth 999 68.1 +9.2
Conservative Gill Turnbull 373 25.4 -6.0
Liberal Democrats John Wood 95 6.5 n/a
Majority 626 42.7
Turnout 1,467
Labour hold Swing +7.6

The Battle ward by-election in 1988 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor Kevin MacDevitt.[7][8]

Abbey by-election 1989

Abbey By-Election 4 May 1989
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jane Patricia Griffiths
Conservative Tony Markham 401
Liberal Democrats John Wood 146
Green Elizabeth Callies 141
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

The Abbey ward by-election in 1989 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor John Silverthorne. Newspaper coverage indicates that Jane Griffiths, the winning candidate, took about 60% of the votes, but does not give the exact number of votes she received.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b "Jubilant Labour paints the town a victorious red". Evening Post. Reading. 6 May 1988. p. 6. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Borough candidates all set to do battle". Evening Post. Reading. 14 April 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  3. ^ "The final countdown to polling day". Evening Post. Reading. 28 April 1988. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. ^ "The fight for power on polling day". Evening Post. Reading. 21 April 1988. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Councillor quits". Evening Post. Reading. 26 May 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Sheila soars home to keep ward Labour". Evening Post. Reading. 15 July 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Labour councillor dies at newspaper launch". Evening Post. Reading. 12 September 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Labour crush rivals in poll". Evening Post. Reading. 18 November 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Shock of councillor's gas explosion death". Evening Post. Reading. 18 December 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Labour keeps tight grasp on its Abbey habit". Evening Post. Reading. 5 May 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
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