# 1988 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council election

The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council elections were held on Thursday, 5 May 1988, with one third of the council up for election as well as vacancies in Eccleshill & Wyke to be elected. Labour lost control of the council to no overall control following numerous losses to the Conservatives.

## Election result

Bradford Local Election Result 1988 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 18 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 56.2 | 43.7 | 61,462 | +3.3% |
| Labour | 13 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 40.6 | 43.1 | 60,709 | +7.9% |
| SLD | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.1 | 10.4 | 14,643 | -10.4% |
| SDP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1,522 | +1.1% |
| Ratepayers Association | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1,446 | -2.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.3 | 479 | +0.0% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.2 | 305 | +0.2% |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.1 | 189 | +0.1% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 49 | 44 |
| | Conservatives | 38 | 44 |
| | Social and Liberal Democrats | 3 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 8 | -2 |

## Ward results

Baildon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Cope | 2,769 | 44.1 | +0.1 |
| | SLD | S. Duckham | 2,560 | 40.8 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | P. Lancaster | 757 | 12.1 | +0.7 |
| | Green | C. Harris | 191 | 3.0 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 209 | 3.3 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,420 | | |
| | Conservative gain from SLD | Conservative gain from SLD | Swing | +1.1 | |
Bingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Seager | 2,415 | 52.6 | +11.8 |
| | Labour | E. Sinclair | 1,487 | 32.4 | +10.5 |
| | SLD | M. Fielden | 358 | 7.8 | −10.8 |
| | Ratepayers Association | R. Reay | 251 | 5.5 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 928 | 20.2 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,594 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
Bingley Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | P. Pettit | 2,600 | 56.9 | +9.4 |
| | Labour | M. Gregory | 973 | 21.3 | +7.9 |
| | Ratepayers Association | L. Reay | 615 | 13.5 | −7.5 |
| | SLD | M. Thornton | 379 | 8.3 | −9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,627 | 35.6 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,566 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |
Bolton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Gaunt | 2,039 | 51.4 | +5.6 |
| | Labour | R. Kitson | 1,546 | 39.0 | +6.7 |
| | SLD | M. Thornton | 379 | 9.6 | −12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 493 | 12.4 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,964 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
Bowling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L. Coughlin | 2,645 | 67.1 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | F. Khan | 841 | 21.3 | −1.6 |
| | SLD | G. Beacher | 458 | 11.6 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,804 | 45.7 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,944 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
Bradford Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Khaliq | 2,470 | 60.9 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | J. Rees | 942 | 23.2 | −2.9 |
| | SLD | I. Horner | 338 | 8.3 | −9.1 |
| | Independent | M. Khan | 305 | 7.5 | +7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,528 | 37.7 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,055 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
Clayton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Owen | 3,127 | 56.4 | +2.2 |
| | Labour | G. Sutcliffe | 2,420 | 43.6 | +11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 707 | 12.7 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,547 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -4.6 | |
Craven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Waddington | 2,803 | 53.7 | +10.9 |
| | SLD | A. Gale | 1,425 | 27.3 | −16.7 |
| | Labour | L. Whiteley | 996 | 19.1 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,378 | 26.4 | +25.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,224 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +13.8 | |
Eccleshill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Dewhirst | 1,934 | 47.4 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative | B. Larkin | 1,780 | 43.6 | +2.0 |
| | Labour | P. Donohue | 1,775 | | |
| | Conservative | M. Roberts | 1,599 | | |
| | SLD | J. Taylor | 368 | 9.0 | −10.9 |
| | SLD | J. Midgley | 346 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 154 | 3.8 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,082 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.4 | |
Great Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | P. Deeny | 2,383 | 53.3 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | V. Owen | 1,742 | 39.0 | −3.3 |
| | SLD | P. Joseph-Gray | 181 | 4.0 | −10.5 |
| | SDP | D. Hartley | 165 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 641 | 14.3 | +13.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,471 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.7 | |
Heaton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. King | 2,651 | 49.4 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | V. Fanning | 2,270 | 42.3 | +7.0 |
| | SDP | J. Hewitt | 278 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| | SLD | B. Salmons | 164 | 3.1 | −12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 381 | 7.1 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,363 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.9 | |
Idle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SLD | D. Ward | 1,836 | 37.2 | +6.0 |
| | Labour | K. Baxter | 1,608 | 32.6 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | M. Barnes | 1,485 | 30.1 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 228 | 4.6 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,929 | | |
| | SLD hold | SLD hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
Ilkley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Blann | 2,900 | 61.6 | +7.9 |
| | Labour | J. Liuba | 941 | 20.0 | +8.3 |
| | SLD | D. Price | 728 | 15.5 | −19.0 |
| | Ratepayers Association | P. Cheney | 135 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,959 | 41.6 | +22.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,704 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.2 | |
Keighley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | K. Jepson | 2,545 | 48.4 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | S. Price | 2,297 | 43.7 | +7.5 |
| | SLD | S. Green | 412 | 7.8 | −15.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 248 | 4.7 | −0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,254 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -0.0 | |
Keighley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Flanagan | 2,738 | 71.8 | +11.5 |
| | Conservative | V. Earle | 802 | 21.0 | −1.9 |
| | SLD | T. Figgess | 275 | 7.2 | −9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,936 | 50.7 | +13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,815 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.7 | |
Keighley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | S. Mitchell | 2,397 | 50.2 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | N. Phillips | 1,940 | 40.7 | +6.3 |
| | SLD | J. Hopkinson | 434 | 9.1 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 457 | 9.6 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,771 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
Little Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Cairns | 2,414 | 69.5 | +10.6 |
| | Conservative | G. Johnson | 713 | 20.5 | −1.0 |
| | Independent Labour | M. Potts | 189 | 5.4 | +5.4 |
| | SLD | P. Robinson | 189 | 4.5 | −15.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,701 | 49.0 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,472 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
Odsal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Warren | 3,029 | 49.6 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | L. Woodward | 2,529 | 41.4 | +9.3 |
| | SLD | J. Micklethwaite | 387 | 6.3 | −16.8 |
| | SDP | D. Hartley | 165 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 500 | 8.2 | −4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,110 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -2.2 | |
Queensbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Beeson | 2,465 | 45.9 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | E. Hey | 2,315 | 43.1 | +11.5 |
| | Ratepayers Association | K. Craven | 262 | 4.9 | −7.4 |
| | SLD | E. Hallmann | 181 | 3.4 | −11.0 |
| | SDP | M. Dowson | 151 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 150 | 2.8 | −7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,374 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.6 | |
Rombalds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Smith | 3,327 | 62.0 | +7.3 |
| | Labour | B. Wheeler | 1,160 | 21.6 | +6.7 |
| | SLD | J. Ryan | 877 | 16.3 | −14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,167 | 40.4 | +16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,364 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
Shipley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. English | 2,390 | 59.6 | +11.2 |
| | Conservative | E. Barraclough | 1,277 | 31.9 | +0.8 |
| | SLD | F. Marcham | 340 | 8.5 | −12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,113 | 27.8 | +10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,007 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
Shipley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | B. Nunn | 2,907 | 52.4 | +8.1 |
| | Labour | J. O'Neill | 2,060 | 37.2 | +10.6 |
| | SLD | B. Moore | 575 | 10.4 | −9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 847 | 15.3 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,542 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.2 | |
Thornton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Townsend | 2,316 | 53.2 | +5.7 |
| | Labour | S. Callaghan | 1,569 | 36.1 | +2.2 |
| | SLD | A. Griffiths | 281 | 6.5 | −5.3 |
| | Ratepayers Association | K. McGill | 183 | 4.2 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 747 | 17.2 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,349 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
Toller :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. Rangzeb | 2,905 | 56.2 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative | E. SKinner | 2,265 | 43.8 | +8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 640 | 12.4 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,170 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
Tong :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Senior | 2,023 | 69.0 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | J. Holdsworth | 709 | 24.2 | +1.3 |
| | SDP | R. Dowson | 201 | 6.9 | +6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,314 | 44.8 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,933 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.6 | |
Undercliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Moore | 1,988 | 44.8 | +10.0 |
| | Labour | A. Ahmed | 1,881 | 42.4 | −6.7 |
| | SLD | D. Midgley | 570 | 12.8 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 107 | 2.4 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,439 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +8.3 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Ajeeb | 4,048 | 74.2 | +15.2 |
| | Conservative | A. Khan | 904 | 16.6 | −17.3 |
| | Green | J. Bird | 288 | 5.3 | +0.6 |
| | SLD | E. Wilkes | 213 | 3.9 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,144 | 57.7 | +32.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,453 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +16.2 | |
Wibsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Manogue | 1,998 | 45.5 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | E. Logan | 1,938 | 44.2 | +12.0 |
| | SLD | B. Boulton | 453 | 10.2 | −13.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 60 | 1.3 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,389 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.5 | |
Worth Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Hodgson | 2,485 | 58.3 | +2.2 |
| | Labour | J. Leitch | 1,462 | 34.3 | +8.5 |
| | SLD | M. Malone | 316 | 7.4 | −10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,023 | 24.0 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,263 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.1 | |
Wyke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Ryan | 2,153 | 49.7 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | M. Beeley | 2,139 | | |
| | Conservative | R. Warren | 1,698 | 39.2 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | A. Murphy | 1,564 | | |
| | SDP | T. Lindley | 479 | 11.1 | +11.1 |
| | SDP | W. Whitley | 468 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 455 | 10.5 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,330 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.6 | |