1987 United Kingdom local elections

1987 United Kingdom local elections
← 1986 7 May 1987 1988 →
All 36 metropolitan boroughs, all 296 English districts and all 37 Welsh districts
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Margaret Thatcher (1983).jpg
Start campagne voor Europese verkiezingen van PvdA (Rotterdam) Neal Kinnoch , k, Bestanddeelnr 932-9811.jpg
DavidSteel1987 cropped.jpg
David Owen-1.jpg
Leader Margaret Thatcher Neil Kinnock David Steel
and David Owen
Party Conservative Labour SDP–Liberal Alliance
Leader since 11 February 1975 2 October 1983 7 July 1976
and 21 June 1983
Percentage 38% 32% 27%
Councillors +/- Decrease 75 Decrease 234 Increase 669

The 1987 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 7 May 1987.[1][2][3] It was the first time since 1983 that the Conservatives had enjoyed the largest share of the vote in local council elections.

Soon after the elections, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called a general election which resulted in a second successive Conservative landslide, although Labour managed to cut the government's overall majority, while the Alliance endured another disappointing performance and was soon disbanded as the SDP and Liberals agreed on a merger the following year.

The number of councillors was somewhat reduced from the previous year. The Conservatives lost 75 seats, Labour lost 234 and the Liberal-SDP Alliance gained 669.

  1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1987, Volume 1. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1987, Volume 2. The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.