1983 Bracknell District Council election

The 1983 Bracknell District Council election took place on 5 May 1983, to elect all 40 members in 19 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election was held on the same day as other local elections as part of the 1983 United Kingdom local elections. The Conservative Party won a third term in office, securing an electoral wipeout of the opposition parties by winning all 40 seats, a feat it would repeat in 1987.[2]

1983 Bracknell District Council election
← 1979 5 May 1983 (1983-05-05) 1987 →

All 40 seats to Bracknell District Council
21 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Con
All
Leader David Tubbs
(outgoing)[1]
N/A
Party Conservative Alliance
Leader's seat Great Hollands South N/A
Last election 27 0
Seats won 40 0
Seat change Increase 13 Steady 0
Popular vote 14,494 6,909
Percentage 51.3% 24.4%
Swing Increase 1.9% Increase 14.5%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Lab
Ind
Leader Denis Tunnicliffe
Party Labour Independent
Leader's seat Ran in Hanworth (lost)
Last election 10 3
Seats won 0 0
Seat change Decrease 10 Decrease 3
Popular vote 6,466 407
Percentage 22.9% 1.4%
Swing Decrease 15.5% Decrease 0.9%

Council control before election

Conservative

Council control after election

Conservative

The local Labour Party was riven by internal disputes, cultivated since the last election by the national split and the creation of the Social Democratic Party. In late 1981, Labour group leader Jack Delbridge and other Labour local luminaries, including former council leader Bill Lindop, defected to the SDP, claiming left-wing militants controlled the local Labour party and the relationship was untenable.[3] Of the 10 Labour councillors elected in 1979, 6 would stand for election under the SDP–Liberal Alliance banner, 3 would not stand for re-election, while only Denis Tunnicliffe stood again, leading the rump Labour group - symbolic of the split was his wife standing for the Alliance in Great Hollands South.[4]

Summary

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Votes for the SDP–Liberal Alliance are compared against the Liberal Party in 1979.

1983 Bracknell District Council election
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 40   13   0   13 100.0 51.3 14,494
  Alliance 0   0   0   0 0.0 24.4 6,909
  Labour 0   0   10   10 0.0 22.9 6,466
  Independent 0   0   3   3 0.0 1.4 407

Ward results

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An asterisk (*) denotes an incumbent councillor standing for re-election.

Votes for the SDP–Liberal Alliance are compared against the Liberal Party in 1979.

Ascot

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Ascot (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Benwell D.* 1,034 59.8 −40.2
Conservative Dauncey M. 938
Conservative Jackson R.* 936
Alliance Glynn J. 508 29.4 New
Alliance Harrison R. 419
Alliance Rennie-Fielding J. Ms. 419
Labour Porter M. 188 10.9 New
Labour Williams R. 184
Labour Bayle M. Ms. 176
Turnout 42.7 N/A
Registered electors 4,050
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Binfield

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Binfield (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edwards J. Ms. 705 63.4 +12.1
Conservative Taylor G. 663
Alliance Biddlecombe M. 273 24.6 −5.0
Alliance Sabberton R. 187
Labour Harman J. 134 12.1 −7.1
Labour Glasson E. 127
Turnout 49.5 −33.7
Registered electors 2,246
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Bullbrook

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Bullbrook (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Coombs M. Ms.* 1,086 45.8 −10.1
Conservative Blake L. 1,051
Conservative Strong P. Ms.* 1,037
Labour Cook H. 700 29.5 −14.6
Labour Newbury J. 621
Alliance Hanson R. 585 24.7 New
Alliance Moignard M. Ms. 582
Labour Wilson D. 581
Alliance Lees N. 550
Turnout 43.5 −26.3
Registered electors 5,445
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

College Town

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College Town (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arnold A. 587 49.8 +8.5
Conservative Simonds R. 506
Alliance Routledge M. 345 29.3 New
Alliance Watts M. 341
Labour Wood R. 247 20.9 +1.2
Labour Urquhart C. 175
Turnout 54.3
Registered electors 2,172
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Cranbourne

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Cranbourne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ballin M. Ms. 334 68.2 New
Independent Smart R. 112 22.9 New
Labour Foord M. 44 9.0 New
Turnout 43.8 N/A
Registered electors 1,118
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Crowthorne

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Crowthorne (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Finnie J.* 1,060 59.9 −8.3
Conservative Cheney A.* 916
Conservative Richardson R. 913
Alliance Seaman D. 535 30.2 New
Alliance Lancashire A. 520
Alliance Murray A. 486
Labour Vertigen G. 174 9.8 −22.0
Labour King S. 167
Labour Wheaton T. 149
Turnout 49.2 −6.1
Registered electors 3,595
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Garth

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Garth (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Aspey F. 680 42.6 −3.5
Conservative Sturman C. 606
Labour Palmer J. Ms. 512 32.1 −21.8
Labour Loneragan D. 450
Alliance Lindop W. 403 25.3 New
Alliance Pocknee J. 381
Turnout 52.3 −22.8
Registered electors 3,052
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Great Hollands North

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Great Hollands North (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bouchard J. Ms. 635 42.5 +9.7
Conservative Cumming C. 617
Labour Chapman P. Ms. 560 37.5 −7.6
Labour Lomax V. Ms. 491
Alliance Campbell-Grant I. 300 20.1 −2.0
Alliance Jones E. Ms. 293
Turnout 44.7 −34.3
Registered electors 3,346
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Great Hollands South

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Great Hollands South (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative McCracken I. 727 54.2 +6.1
Conservative Angell R. 719
Labour Jamison N. 310 23.1 −9.9
Alliance Biggs K. Ms. 305 22.7 +3.8
Labour Sanderson B. 303
Alliance Tunnicliffe S. Ms. 296
Turnout 46.5 −29.9
Registered electors 2,884
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Hanworth

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Hanworth (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elford D.* 1,416 48.9 +6.5
Conservative Percy R. 1,401
Conservative Wallace M. 1,338
Labour Grayson H. 893 30.8 −5.6
Labour Tunnicliffe D. 834
Labour Ozanne P. 797
Alliance Balfour A. 587 20.3 −0.9
Alliance Gee L. 561
Alliance Miles M. 556
Turnout 47.9 −29.8
Registered electors 6,049
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Harmanswater

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Harmanswater (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ainscough T.* 1,308 49.2 −1.9
Conservative Mills T. 1,285
Conservative Teesdale G. Ms. 1,257
Labour Munn M. Ms. 778 29.2 −2.4
Labour Scorer A. 749
Labour Williams A. Ms. 742
Alliance Hughes W. 575 21.6 +4.3
Alliance White P. 537
Alliance Spencer J. 530
Turnout 44.2 −33.6
Registered electors 6,014
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Little Sandhurst

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Little Sandhurst (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cohen H.* 779 58.1 −11.1
Conservative Marsden J. 775
Alliance Lyne H. 368 27.4 New
Alliance Hewitt H. 315
Labour Wood J. Ms. 194 14.5 −16.3
Labour Goddard R. 190
Turnout 46.4 −30.5
Registered electors 2,890
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Old Bracknell

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Old Bracknell (3)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Fox P. 842 44.5 +11.0
Conservative Cavill D. 841
Conservative Egan J. 819
Labour Newbury C. 613 32.4 −12.3
Labour Ryan V. Ms. 608
Labour Warwick S. Ms. 586
Alliance Maxwell D. 439 23.2 +1.4
Alliance McCartan H. 388
Alliance Carson C. 378
Turnout 38.0 −40.0
Registered electors 4,981
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Owlsmoor

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Owlsmoor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas R. 674 51.7 −48.3
Alliance Nicholson J. 527 40.4 New
Labour Draper R. 103 7.9 New
Turnout 58.1
Registered electors 2,246
Conservative hold Swing

Priestwood

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Priestwood (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Furniss A. 483 36.2 −3.4
Conservative Shean J. 461
Labour Drukker M. 457 34.3 −26.1
Labour Tarry A. 421
Alliance Mountjoy T.*[n 1] 394 29.5 New
Alliance Cain F.*[n 1] 376
Turnout 43.8 −31.3
Registered electors 3,046
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Sandhurst

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Sandhurst (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ward A. 665 48.5 −12.1
Conservative Brookes C.* 600
Alliance Murray L. Ms. 310 22.6 New
Independent Allum G. 295 21.5 New
Alliance Duerden M. 258
Labour Crew R. 101 7.4 −32.0
Labour Brierley A. 95
Turnout 53.4 −24.4
Registered electors 2,567
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

St. Marys

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St. Marys
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Warren J.* 426 85.9 −14.1
Labour Wheaton A. Ms. 70 14.1 New
Turnout 46.4 N/A
Registered electors 1,068
Conservative hold Swing

Warfield

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Warfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kay J. Ms.* 455 69.3 −3.8
Alliance Thompson I. 115 17.5 New
Labour Murnane J. 87 13.2 −13.7
Turnout 46.4 −23.6
Registered electors 1,415
Conservative hold Swing

Wildridings

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Wildridings (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mattick J.* 598 48.3 −2.6
Conservative Wreglesworth N. 548
Alliance Mullarky P. 340 27.4 New
Alliance Cole C. Ms. 328
Labour Hignell W. 301 24.3 −24.8
Labour Onyewu A. 258
Turnout 53.0 −23.4
Registered electors 2,338
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Cain and Mountjoy were elected as Labour Party candidates in 1979.

References

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  1. ^ "Tories grab 40 seats in a landslide". Reading Evening Post. 7 May 1983. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Bracknell Forest Borough Council Election Results 1973-1995" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  3. ^ Kerr, Terry (4 November 1981). "'Why we quit Labour' by SDP converts". Reading Evening Post. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  4. ^ "'Misguided' - Sue in bid for power". Reading Evening Post. 28 April 1983. Retrieved 29 January 2023.