1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 3 May 1990, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. There were 16 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council.[1]

1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election
← 1988 3 May 1990 (1990-05-03) 1991 →

16 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
Lab
RA
Leader Bob Flatman
Party Conservative Labour Ratepayers
Seats before 28 13 3
Seats after 29 15 3
Seat change Increase1 Increase2 Steady

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
LD
SDP
Party Liberal Democrats SDP
Seats before 2 4
Seats after 2 1
Seat change Steady Decrease3

Leader before election

Bob Flatman
Conservative

Leader after election

Bob Flatman
Conservative

Labour took most votes, gaining two extra seats. The Conservatives also gained a seat, increasing their majority on the council. The continuing Social Democratic Party lost every seat it was defending, leaving it with just one seat on the council. With poor results across the country the party disbanded shortly after the election. The one remaining SDP councillor in North Hertfordshire was Tony Quinn, whose term ran until 1991; following the demise of his party he joined Labour for the remainder of his term.[2][3]

Overall results

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The overall results were as follows:[4]

1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 7  2 43.8 8 15 30.0 16,522 43.8 +11.6
  Conservative 8  1 50.0 21 29 58.0 14,248 37.8 -3.3
  Liberal Democrats 0   0.0 2 2 4.0 3,263 8.6 -8.5
  Ratepayers 1   6.3 2 3 6.0 1,423 3.8 -1.5
  SDP 0  3 0.0 1 1 2.0 1,278 3.4 -0.5
  Green 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 799 2.1 +1.7
  Independent 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 204 0.5 new

Ward results

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

Baldock ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael John Parlour
(Mick Parlour)
1,713 52.2 +10.0
Conservative Mark Wilfred Seaman Hill 1,569 47.8 −2.9
Turnout 47.2
Registered electors 6,953
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +6.5
Codicote ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Ian Smith* 763 57.3 −18.6
Labour Peter Charles Read 569 42.7 +18.6
Turnout 56.0
Registered electors 2,381
Conservative hold Swing -18.6
Hitchin Bearton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jennifer Alice Marr* 1,375 63.8 +9.8
Conservative Nicholas Francis Porter 545 25.3 −3.4
Liberal Democrats Richard Oliver Canning 235 10.9 +3.0
Turnout 48.2
Registered electors 4,475
Labour hold Swing +6.6
Hitchin Highbury ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Peter Boddey 964 37.3 −8.9
SDP Evelyn Mary Burton*
(Mary Burton)
747 28.9 +9.0
Labour David John Tizzard 670 25.9 +10.7
Independent Norman Vincent Hyde 204 7.9 +7.9
Turnout 50.8
Registered electors 5,086
Conservative gain from SDP Swing -9.0
Hitchin Oughton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Alexander Smith*
(Harry Smith)
1,368 68.4 −2.2
Conservative Penelope Mary Lambourne 367 18.3 +18.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Clark 266 13.3 −16.2
Turnout 47.9
Registered electors 4,175
Labour hold Swing -10.3
Hitchin Priory ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Stanley Flatman*
(Bob Flatman)
822 53.9 −12.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Kenneth Harbron 455 29.8 +8.9
Labour Janet Lynne Gosling 249 16.3 +3.1
Turnout 55.7
Registered electors 2,741
Conservative hold Swing -10.5
Hitchin Walsworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ratepayers Jack Swain* 1,423 47.5 −14.5
Labour Martin John Stears 1,289 43.0 +16.1
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Elizabeth Sefton 284 9.5 +1.1
Turnout 49.9
Registered electors 6,004
Ratepayers hold Swing -15.3
Kimpton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alison Kathryn Martin 509 59.8 +59.8
Labour John Saunders 342 40.2 +21.0
Turnout 52.0
Registered electors 1,636
Conservative gain from SDP Swing +19.4
Knebworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Cartwright Dumelow* 1,013 56.3 −6.1
Labour Caroline Rebecca Doyle 415 23.1 +4.9
Liberal Democrats Michael John Stiff 202 11.2 −8.2
Green Stuart Wanstall Madgin 170 9.4 +9.4
Turnout 52.6
Registered electors 3,419
Conservative hold Swing -5.5
Letchworth East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Jarman 1,435 57.7 +4.5
Conservative Gloria June Storer 595 23.9 −6.1
Liberal Democrats Martin Gammell 247 9.9 −6.9
Green Eric Morris Blakeley 209 8.4 +8.4
Turnout 54.0
Registered electors 4,600
Labour hold Swing +5.3
Letchworth Grange ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Kitchiner* 1,826 65.2 +22.6
Conservative Michael Douglas Muir 604 21.6 −6.6
Liberal Democrats Ronald Victor Alan Streeter 245 8.7 −15.1
Green Ian Thomassen Barrett 126 4.5 +4.5
Turnout 55.1
Registered electors 5,083
Labour hold Swing +14.6
Letchworth South East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John James Wilkinson
(Jack Wilkinson)
1,591 47.8 +20.4
Conservative Gordon Raymond Whalley 1,097 33.0 −6.1
SDP Graham Leigh Wellfare 347 10.4 −13.4
Green Sylvia Stevens 294 8.8 +8.8
Turnout 54.7
Registered electors 6,091
Labour gain from SDP Swing +13.3

Letchworth South East had previously been held by SDP councillor Geoff Williams, although the seat had been vacant since his resignation in November 1989.

Letchworth South West ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lynda Ann Needham 1,341 48.3 0.0
Liberal Democrats Ian Simpson 800 28.8 +0.8
Labour Nigel Edward Agar 637 22.9 +6.2
Turnout 60.5
Registered electors 4,592
Conservative hold Swing -0.4
Letchworth Wilbury ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mantle* 1,320 59.4 +13.4
Conservative Hilary Elizabeth Wilkins 668 30.1 −12.8
Liberal Democrats Sara Louise Tustin 233 10.5 −0.5
Turnout 55.6
Registered electors 3,996
Labour hold Swing +13.1
Royston East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Douglas Drake 1,087 48.2 −10.0
Labour Jessie Etheridge 686 30.4 +13.8
Liberal Democrats Gillian Waterhouse 296 13.1 −11.9
SDP Michael Harrison 184 8.2 +8.2
Turnout 54.0
Registered electors 4,170
Conservative hold Swing -11.9
Royston West ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Doyle*
(Tim Doyle)
1,261 37.7 −9.1
Liberal Democrats Stuart Cook 1,043 31.2 −1.7
Labour Leslie Baker 1,037 31.0 +10.8
Turnout 54.6
Registered electors 6,125
Conservative hold Swing -3.7

References

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  1. ^ The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1442)
  2. ^ "Rivals set for votes battle". Letchworth and Baldock Gazette. 6 April 1990. p. 18.
  3. ^ Hunter, John (11 May 1990). "Labour gains town victory". Letchworth and Baldock Gazette. p. 13.
  4. ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.