1990 Epping Forest District Council election

1990 Epping Forest District Council election

3 May 1990 (1990-05-03)
19 out of 59 seats to Epping Forest District Council 30 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	50.2%
First party Second party Third party   Party Conservative Labour Loughton Residents Last election 37 seats, 48.1% 11 seats, 29.3% 7 seats, 11.0% Seats before 37 11 7 Seats after 36 13 7 Seat change 1 2 Popular vote 14,410 11,419 3,252 Percentage 39.7% 31.4% 8.9% Swing 8.4% 2.1% 2.1%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party SDP Liberal Democrats W. Abbey Residents Last election 0 seats, 0.7% 2 seats, 10.7% N/A Seats before 0 2 0 Seats after 1 0 0 Seat change 1 2 Popular vote 1,296 4,325 1,366 Percentage 3.5% 11.9% 3.7% Swing 2.8% 1.2% N/A
Winner of each seat at the 1990 Epping Forest District Council election
Leader before election Conservative Leader after election Conservative

The 1990 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 3 May 1990 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. 19 members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex were elected. The council remained under Conservative majority control.

Background

As with other English local elections held that spring, the contest occurred against the backdrop of significant national political upheaval and controversy surrounding the introduction of the Community Charge, better known as the "poll tax". A number of council seats were up for re-election across the district, and while the Conservative Party retained overall control, Labour and the local Residents Association candidates made notable advances in several wards.

The election followed district boundary changes introduced by the Essex (District Boundaries) Order 1989, which transferred small parts of Epping Forest district—specifically sections of the parishes of Matching and North Weald Bassett—into neighbouring Harlow District. The overall number of council seats remained the same, but the changes altered the electoral map to tiny extents ahead of polling day.

Results were mixed at ward level. Labour recorded strong performances in areas in Loughton such as Broadway, Debden Green, and Waltham Abbey Paternoster, and Waltham Abbey West, often securing clear majorities. The Conservatives held firm in many rural and suburban wards such as Chigwell Row, Chigwell Village, Theydon Bois, and Nazeing. The Liberal Democrats (contesting as Social and Liberal Democrats, SLD) and remnants of the Social Democratic Party also polled respectably in some wards, though rarely enough to overtake the two main parties. Local Residents groups and independents also retained influence in Loughton wards.

Nationally, the elections were shaped by widespread discontent with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Government. The introduction of the poll tax in England and Wales on 1 April 1990 had triggered mass protests, including a violent demonstration in London on 31 March, and millions of people refused payment. Labour, under Neil Kinnock, was ahead in opinion polls, buoyed by Conservative divisions over Europe and by resentment at high interest rates, which reached 15% by early 1990. The period also saw by-election swings against the Conservatives, most notably the Mid Staffordshire by-election in March, which Labour won on a large swing.

By November 1990 Thatcher would be forced to resign, toppled by her own MPs after Michael Heseltine challenged her leadership. The 1990 local elections, including those in Epping Forest, reflected the shifting political mood of the time, with the Conservatives retaining control locally but on increasingly fragile foundations.

Summary

1990 Epping Forest District Council election
Party		This election			Full council			This election
		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Conservative	10	1	52.6	26	36	61.0	14,410	39.7	8.4
	Labour	5	2	26.3	8	13	22.0	11,419	31.4	2.1
	Loughton Residents	3		5.0	4	7	11.8	3,252	8.9	2.1
	SDP	1	1	5.2	0	1	1.6	1,296	3.5	2.8
	Independent	1		1.6	0	1	1.6	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Ind. Conservative	0		0.0	1	1	1.6	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	0	2	0.0	0	0	0.0	4,325	11.9	1.2
	W. Abbey Residents	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	1,366	3.7	N/A
	BNP	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	326	0.8	N/A

Results

Buckhurst Hill East

Buckhurst Hill East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SDP	S. Robinson	1,012	44.2	N/A
	Conservative	A. Torgut	561	24.5	21.3
	Liberal Democrats	P. Spencer	389	17.0	19.9
	Labour	B. Mooney	330	14.4	2.9
Majority			451	19.7	N/A
Turnout			2,292	58.0	18.2
Registered electors			3,962
	SDP gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Buckhurst Hill West

Buckhurst Hill West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Braybrook*	1,336	58.8	6.0
	Liberal Democrats	Ms S. Anderson	624	27.5	2.6
	Labour	R. Baddock	312	13.7	4.3
Majority			712	31.3	8.6
Turnout			2,272	47.2	14.0
Registered electors			4,840
	Conservative hold		Swing

Chigwell Row

Chigwell Row

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Pratt	553	68.4	19.0
	Liberal Democrats	Ms C. Bartrip	255	31.6	6.6
Majority			298	36.8	25.7
Turnout			808	46.0	2.0
Registered electors			1,763
	Conservative hold		Swing

Chigwell Village

Chigwell Village

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Murphy	1,031	72.8	6.7
	Liberal Democrats	Ms J. Netherclift	386	27.2	16.0
Majority			645	45.5	22.8
Turnout			1,417	44.0	16.9
Registered electors			3,273
	Conservative hold		Swing

Debden Green

Debden Green

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ms J. Ormston	1,325	71.2	3.9
	Conservative	L. Daniel	439	23.6	1.3
	BNP	Ms I. Hernon	97	5.2	N/A
Majority			886	47.6	2.6
Turnout			1,861	46.1	11.5
Registered electors			3,984
	Labour hold		Swing

Epping Hemnall

Epping Hemnall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ms J. Ashbridge	933	42.6	16.5
	Liberal Democrats	Ms S. Mann	608	27.8	11.2
	Labour	D. Sturrock	512	23.4	0.9
	SDP	G. Dunseath	135	6.2	N/A
Majority			325	14.8	17.7
Turnout			2,188	47.7	14.7
Registered electors			4,605
	Conservative hold		Swing

Epping Lindsey

Epping Lindsey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	June O'Brien*	929	39.1	13.7
	Labour	D. Tetlow	775	32.6	4.3
	Liberal Democrats	Janet Whitehouse	523	22.0	3.1
	SDP	Ms L. Barry	149	6.3	N/A
Majority			154	6.5	18.0
Turnout			2,376	48.7	14.6
Registered electors			4,880
	Conservative hold		Swing

Grange Hill

Grange Hill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Gunby	1,110	48.4	6.2
	Liberal Democrats	A. Thompson	914	39.8	4.7
	Labour	Ms J. Faiz	271	11.8	1.4
Majority			196	8.5	11.0
Turnout			1,695	49.0	15.3
Registered electors			4,700
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Loughton Broadway

Loughton Broadway

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stephen Murray*	1,765	76.6	3.1
	Conservative	I. Holman	463	20.1	0.2
	BNP	R. Jarvis	75	3.3	N/A
Majority			1,302	56.5	2.9
Turnout			2,303	55.6	17.7
Registered electors			4,145
	Labour hold		Swing

Loughton Forest

Loughton Forest

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Loughton Residents	R. Gow*	780	54.6	8.6
	Conservative	A. Brock	484	33.9	4.0
	Labour	Ms E. Stewart	165	11.5	3.6
Majority			296	20.7	12.7
Turnout			1,429	48.6	9.2
Registered electors			2,939
	Loughton Residents hold		Swing

Loughton Roding

Loughton Roding

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Larner	934	42.1	2.7
	Loughton Residents	Ms P. Meadows	677	30.5	N/A
	Conservative	A. Brock	557	25.1	30.1
	BNP	S. Turnell	52	2.3	N/A
Majority			257	11.6	N/A
Turnout			2,220	53.5	13.9
Registered electors			4,157
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Loughton St. Johns

Loughton St. Johns

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Loughton Residents	Ms D. Rhodes*	970	51.2	1.6
	Conservative	C. Finn	605	32.0	7.4
	Labour	Ms C. Wardell	318	16.8	8.8
Majority			365	19.3	6.2
Turnout			1,893	46.7	6.8
Registered electors			4,059
	Loughton Residents hold		Swing

Loughton St. Marys

Loughton St. Marys

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Loughton Residents	R. Heath	825	52.2	17.5
	Conservative	H. Taylor	436	27.6	8.6
	Labour	S. Barnes	319	20.2	8.8
Majority			389	24.6	26.1
Turnout			1,580	47.6	8.0
Registered electors			3,318
	Loughton Residents hold		Swing

Nazeing

Nazeing

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Welch	1,150	65.4	1.1
	Labour	D. Mills	609	34.6	16.8
Majority			541	30.8	15.6
Turnout			1,759	49.0	2.6
Registered electors			3,607
	Conservative hold		Swing

North Weald Bassett

North Weald Bassett

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Hudspeth*	1,037	52.3	15.6
	Labour	I. Standfast	661	33.4	19.7
	Liberal Democrats	S. Ward	284	14.3	4.1
Majority			376	19.0	19.0
Turnout			1,982	45.0	2.8
Registered electors			4,393
	Conservative hold		Swing

Theydon Bois

Theydon Bois

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Padfield	940	62.9	19.1
	Labour	Ms S. Gymer	339	22.7	4.7
	Liberal Democrats	D. Weldon	216	14.4	N/A
Majority			601	40.2	23.8
Turnout			1,540	47.5	15.9
Registered electors			3,159
	Conservative hold		Swing

Waltham Abbey East

Waltham Abbey East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. O'Reilly*	964	37.5	18.5
	Labour	F. Harewood	922	35.8	8.2
	Waltham Abbey Residents	Ms G. Hall	562	21.8	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	I. Myers	126	4.9	N/A
Majority			42	1.6	30.2
Turnout			2,574	53.7	21.9
Registered electors			4,792
	Conservative hold		Swing

Waltham Abbey Paternoster

Waltham Abbey Paternoster

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S. Riley*	973	56.3	4.6
	Conservative	D. Esau	389	22.5	16.6
	Waltham Abbey Residents	Ms Y. Greensall	341	19.7	N/A
	BNP	S. Hernon	25	1.4	N/A
Majority			584	33.8	12.1
Turnout			1,728	48.9	13.8
Registered electors			3,536
	Labour hold		Swing	1.4

Waltham Abbey West

Waltham Abbey West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Pennell	889	46.3	16.6
	Conservative	G. Jialler*	493	25.7	31.2
	Waltham Abbey Residents	Ms L. Dryden	463	24.1	N/A
	BNP	S. Bone	77	4.0	N/A
Majority			396	20.6	N/A
Turnout			1,922	49.3	8.4
Registered electors			3,909
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing