# 1983 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council election

Elections to City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council were held on Thursday, 5 May 1983, with one third of the council to be elected. The council remained under no overall control.

## Election result

Bradford Local Election Result 1983 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 16 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 53.3 | 40.2 | 61,335 | +1.6% |
| Labour | 14 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 46.7 | 39.7 | 60,473 | +7.0% |
| Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 20.0 | 30,432 | -8.1% |
| Ecology | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 178 | +0.0% |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 79 | +0.0% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Conservatives | 43 | 44 |
| | Labour | 41 | 40 |
| | Alliance | 6 | 6 |
| Total | Total | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Working majority | Working majority | -4 | -2 |

## Ward results

Baildon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Lightowler | 2,780 | 45.7 | +2.9 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | I. Blaine | 2,419 | 39.8 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | E. English | 878 | 14.4 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 361 | 5.9 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,077 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.6 | |
Bingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | T. Shaw | 2,536 | 47.6 | −3.7 |
| | Labour | G. Foster | 1,847 | 34.7 | +10.1 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | N. Tregoning | 943 | 17.7 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 689 | 12.9 | −13.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,326 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.9 | |
Bingley Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Conquest | 3,203 | 62.2 | +1.9 |
| | Labour | T. Ball | 1,099 | 21.3 | +4.9 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | M. Greenwood | 849 | 16.5 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,104 | 40.8 | +3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,151 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.5 | |
Bolton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | T. Hall | 2,096 | 45.0 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | G. Porter | 1,638 | 35.2 | +6.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | J. Minshull | 925 | 19.8 | −10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 458 | 9.8 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,659 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.7 | |
Bowling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Coughlin | 2,923 | 62.0 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | B. Moore | 1,083 | 23.0 | +1.4 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | G. Sutcliffe | 707 | 15.0 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,840 | 39.0 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,713 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
Bradford Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Lambert | 3,311 | 62.8 | +10.3 |
| | Conservative | G. Moore | 1,085 | 20.6 | −2.4 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | W. Whitley | 872 | 16.5 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,226 | 42.3 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,268 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.3 | |
Clayton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Farley | 2,548 | 47.0 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | G. Mitchell | 2,153 | 39.7 | +6.5 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | P. Garbutt | 722 | 13.3 | −10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 395 | 7.3 | −2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,423 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.2 | |
Craven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Jerome | 2,602 | 47.1 | +7.1 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | G. Funnell | 1,839 | 33.3 | −14.9 |
| | Labour | J. Fisk | 1,083 | 19.6 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 763 | 13.8 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,524 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +11.0 | |
Eccleshill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | L. Crawforth | 2,140 | 44.1 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | K. Sotomayor-Sugden | 1,792 | 37.0 | −3.8 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | J. Ryan | 916 | 18.9 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 348 | 7.2 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,848 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
Great Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Godward | 2,606 | 49.2 | +11.8 |
| | Conservative | E. Byrom | 2,136 | 40.3 | +1.7 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | J. Hargreaves | 554 | 10.5 | −13.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 470 | 8.9 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,296 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.0 | |
Heaton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Huggon | 2,824 | 50.2 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | M. Qureshi | 1,582 | 28.1 | +2.7 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | M. Pollard | 1,217 | 21.6 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,242 | 22.1 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,623 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
Idle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | K. Baxter | 1,705 | 36.0 | +12.1 |
| | Conservative | A. Garnett | 1,523 | 32.2 | +1.0 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | D. Ward | 1,503 | 31.8 | −13.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 182 | 3.8 | −9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,731 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.5 | |
Ilkley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Lightband | 3,099 | 63.8 | +2.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | V. Lister | 1,238 | 25.5 | −4.7 |
| | Labour | A. Corina | 518 | 10.7 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,861 | 38.3 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,855 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
Keighley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | A. Trigg | 2,176 | 37.5 | +2.7 |
| | Labour | F. Sunderland | 2,077 | 35.8 | +3.7 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | D. Beaumont | 1,549 | 26.7 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 99 | 1.7 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,802 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
Keighley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | G. Eccleston | 2,796 | 61.5 | +11.9 |
| | Conservative | T. Whitley | 965 | 21.2 | +5.6 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | S. Green | 786 | 17.3 | −17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,831 | 40.3 | +25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,547 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.1 | |
Keighley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Thorne | 2,828 | 50.9 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | M. Cowen | 1,974 | 35.5 | +4.6 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | J. Arnold | 752 | 13.5 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 854 | 15.4 | −2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,554 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.2 | |
Little Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | A. Hameed | 2,371 | 54.5 | −1.0 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | J. McKenna | 1,141 | 26.2 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative | V. Holdsworth | 841 | 19.3 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,230 | 28.3 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,353 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.1 | |
Odsal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | B. Kearns | 2,403 | 46.0 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | R. Warren | 2,021 | 38.7 | +1.4 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | D. Rowley | 796 | 15.2 | −7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 382 | 7.3 | +4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,220 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
Queensbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Hirst | 2,526 | 45.6 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | J. Kerr | 2,156 | 39.0 | +3.6 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | M. Farrar | 853 | 15.4 | −9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 370 | 6.7 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,535 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
Rombalds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | R. Wightman | 3,204 | 58.1 | +0.9 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | C. Svensgaard | 1,614 | 29.3 | −4.5 |
| | Labour | J. Warwick | 697 | 12.6 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,590 | 28.8 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,515 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7 | |
Shipley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | E. Saville | 2,493 | 54.3 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | B. Larkin | 1,341 | 29.2 | +2.5 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | I. Horner | 758 | 16.5 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,152 | 25.1 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,592 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.4 | |
Shipley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Evans | 3,266 | 55.4 | +5.3 |
| | Labour | G. Carey | 1,467 | 24.9 | +1.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | K. Trobridge | 988 | 16.7 | −7.4 |
| | Ecology | S. Shepherd | 178 | 3.0 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,799 | 30.5 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,899 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
Thornton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Kinder | 2,281 | 50.6 | −1.2 |
| | Labour | F. Bastow | 1,479 | 32.8 | +4.3 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | B. Payne | 749 | 16.6 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 802 | 17.8 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,509 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.7 | |
Toller :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Sunderland | 2,238 | 41.4 | +1.1 |
| | Labour | B. Swindells | 2,179 | 40.3 | +4.4 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | H. Rashid | 983 | 18.2 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 59 | 1.1 | −3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,400 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.6 | |
Tong :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Mahon | 2,563 | 67.1 | +15.5 |
| | Conservative | J. Sizer | 793 | 20.8 | −0.8 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | L. Robinson | 462 | 12.1 | −14.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,770 | 46.4 | +21.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,818 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.1 | |
Undercliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | J. Allinson | 2,408 | 51.4 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | H. Ibbotson | 1,612 | 34.4 | −2.1 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | R. Jenkins | 666 | 14.2 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 796 | 17.0 | +6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,686 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | T. Rooney | 3,707 | 63.6 | +30.0 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | S. Akbar | 1,351 | 23.2 | −19.2 |
| | Conservative | D. Baggley | 693 | 11.9 | −2.9 |
| | Communist | M. Ward | 79 | 1.4 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,356 | 40.4 | +31.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,830 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +24.6 | |
Wibsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Butterfield | 2,030 | 43.3 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | R. Cannell | 1,913 | 40.8 | +8.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | C. Thain | 749 | 16.0 | −11.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 117 | 2.5 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,692 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -2.9 | |
Worth Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Eric Pickles | 2,530 | 56.4 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | B. Leitch | 1,302 | 29.0 | +6.3 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | R. Taylor | 654 | 14.6 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,228 | 27.4 | −5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,486 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.8 | |
Wyke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | C. Wardman | 2,151 | 47.1 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | D. Owen | 1,537 | 33.7 | +1.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | C. Delaney | 877 | 19.2 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 614 | 13.4 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,565 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |