1985 United Kingdom local elections

1985 United Kingdom local elections
All 39 non-metropolitan counties, 1 sui generis authority,; all 26 Northern Irish districts and all 8 Welsh counties
	Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.

Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1985.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] The projected share of the vote was Labour 39%, Conservative 32%, Liberal-SDP Alliance 26%. Labour had the largest share of the vote in local council elections for the first time since 1981.

Both Conservatives and Labour lost some seats to the Liberal-SDP Alliance, who were rebuilding under the leadership of David Owen and enjoying strong showings (including a brief lead) in the opinion polls.

The overall results were as follows;

Conservative losses: 202
Number of Conservative councillors: 10,191

Labour losses: 124
Number of Labour councillors: 8,746

Liberal-SDP Alliance gains: 302
Number of Liberal-SDP Alliance councillors: 2,633

Summary of results

England

Non-metropolitan county councils

Council	Previous control		Result
Avon style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Bedfordshire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Berkshire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Buckinghamshire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Cambridgeshire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Cheshire style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Cleveland ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour hold	Details
Cornwall ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Cumbria style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Derbyshire style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour hold	Details
Devon ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Dorset ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Durham style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour hold	Details
East Sussex ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Essex style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Gloucestershire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Hampshire style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Hereford and Worcester ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Hertfordshire style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Humberside style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Isle of Wight style="width: 2px; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="SDP–Liberal Alliance" \|	Alliance style="width: 2px; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="SDP–Liberal Alliance" \|	Alliance hold	Details
Kent style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Lancashire style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Leicestershire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Lincolnshire style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Norfolk ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
North Yorkshire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Northamptonshire style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Northumberland style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Nottinghamshire style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour hold	Details
Oxfordshire ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Shropshire style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Somerset style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details
Staffordshire style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour hold	Details
Suffolk ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Surrey style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Warwickshire style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
West Sussex ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
1985 ‡ style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control gain	Details

‡ New electoral division boundaries

Sui generis

Council	Previous control		Result		Details
Isles of Scilly					Details

Northern Ireland

Council	Previous control		Result
Antrim style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Ards style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Armagh style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist	Details
Ballymena style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Details
Ballymoney style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Banbridge style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist	Details
Belfast style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Carrickfergus style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Castlereagh style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Coleraine style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Cookstown style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Craigavon style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Derry style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" \|	SDLP style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Down style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Dungannon style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Fermanagh style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Larne style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Limavady style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Lisburn style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Magherafelt style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Moyle style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Newry and Mourne style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" \|	SDLP style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Newtownabbey style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
North Down style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Omagh style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Strabane style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details

Wales

County councils

Council	Previous control		Result
Clwyd style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Dyfed style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Gwent style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour hold	Details
Gwynedd style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent hold	Details
Mid Glamorgan style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour hold	Details
Powys style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent hold	Details
South Glamorgan style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour hold	Details
West Glamorgan style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Welsh Labour Party" \|	Labour hold	Details

References

^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 3. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

[1] Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

[2] Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

[3] Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1985, Volume 3. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

[4] "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e (1984 ←) 1985 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1986)
County councils (England)	Avon Bedfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Cleveland Cornwall Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset Durham East Sussex Essex Gloucestershire Hampshire Hereford and Worcester Hertfordshire Humberside Isle of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Norfolk North Yorkshire Northamptonshire Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Shropshire Somerset Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Warwickshire West Sussex Wiltshire
County councils (Wales)	Clwyd Dyfed Gwent Gwynedd Mid Glamorgan Powys South Glamorgan West Glamorgan
District councils (Northern Ireland	Antrim Ards Armagh Ballymena Ballymoney Banbridge Belfast Carrickfergus Castlereagh Coleraine Cookstown Craigavon Derry Down Dungannon Fermanagh Larne Limavady Lisburn Magherafelt Moyle Newry and Mourne Newtownabbey North Down Omagh Strabane
Sui generis	Isles of Scilly

v t e Elections and referendums in the United Kingdom
General elections	1801 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 1820 1826 1830 1831 1832 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 1910 (Jan) 1910 (Dec) 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974 (Feb) 1974 (Oct) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 Next
Local elections	1889 1890 1892 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
European elections	1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019
Referendums	1975 2011 2016