# 1990 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1990 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council elections were held on Thursday, 3 May 1990, with one third of the council to be elected. There had been a number of by-elections the previous year, with the net result being Liberal Democrat gains from the Conservatives in Shirley East and the Independent Ratepayers & Residents in Packwood. The Conservatives narrowly retained control of the council. Voter turnout was 49.5%.

## Election result

Solihull Local Election Result 1990 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 7 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 41.2 | 41.3 | 31,876 | -10.6 |
| Labour | 6 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 35.3 | 31.9 | 24,615 | +5.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 11.8 | 16.7 | 12,849 | +1.1 |
| Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 11.8 | 7.1 | 5,499 | +1.0 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 2,214 | +2.9 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 62 | +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 |
| | Conservatives | 28 | 27 |
| | Labour | 14 | 15 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 | 5 |
| | Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 3 | 4 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 5 | 3 |

## Ward results

Bickenhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Ryan | 2,733 | 48.4 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | Peter Kellie | 2,510 | 44.5 | −9.8 |
| | Green | Simone Sharpe | 402 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 223 | 3.9 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,645 | 57.5 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.7 | |
Castle Bromwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Beryl Bennett | 2,513 | 50.8 | −16.9 |
| | Labour | Robert Overton | 1,935 | 39.1 | +13.3 |
| | Green | Paul Adams | 496 | 10.0 | +10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 578 | 11.7 | −30.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,944 | 50.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -15.1 | |
Chelmsley Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Shaw | 2,571 | 76.0 | +7.4 |
| | Conservative | Michael Wyldbore-Smith | 463 | 13.7 | −10.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Honor Cox | 349 | 10.3 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,108 | 62.3 | +17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,383 | 37.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.7 | |
Elmdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sheila Brookes | 2,344 | 48.7 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Norman Page | 1,620 | 33.7 | −11.2 |
| | Independent Ratepayers | Jane Granger | 844 | 17.5 | +17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 724 | 15.1 | +14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,808 | 55.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.0 | |
Fordbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Harper | 2,196 | 83.1 | +9.9 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Plaister | 447 | 16.9 | −9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,749 | 66.2 | +19.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,643 | 37.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.9 | |
Kingshurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ben Magee | 2,047 | 76.2 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Wallace | 640 | 23.8 | −8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,407 | 52.4 | +16.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,687 | 41.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.2 | |
Knowle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Wright | 2,834 | 64.3 | −8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernadette Pruden | 962 | 21.8 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | Stephen Parkes | 611 | 13.9 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,872 | 42.5 | −12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,407 | 50.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.1 | |
Lyndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norman Chapple | 2,441 | 54.6 | +11.4 |
| | Labour | Frederick Austin | 1,020 | 22.8 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Alan Power | 1,011 | 22.6 | −16.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,421 | 31.8 | +28.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,472 | 54.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +2.9 | |
Meriden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lea | 2,866 | 61.1 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Crossley | 1,287 | 27.4 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth O'Brien | 536 | 11.4 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,579 | 33.7 | +5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,689 | 55.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
Olton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Windmill | 2,462 | 49.4 | +13.3 |
| | Conservative | Michael Goodwin | 1,941 | 38.9 | −16.6 |
| | Labour | Arthur Davis | 583 | 11.7 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 521 | 10.4 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,986 | 53.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +15.0 | |
Packwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Llewellyn | 2,459 | 49.6 | −13.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judy Morris | 2,212 | 44.6 | +13.4 |
| | Labour | Eileen Turner | 286 | 5.8 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 247 | 5.0 | −26.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,957 | 53.4 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | -13.2 | |
Shirley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Lewis | 1,973 | 42.5 | −9.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Raymond Moore | 1,815 | 39.1 | +39.1 |
| | Labour | Aiden Cairns | 852 | 18.4 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 158 | 3.4 | −14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,640 | 47.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -24.2 | |
Shirley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Ratepayer | Richard Jackson | 2,796 | 45.5 | −8.1 |
| | Conservative | Peter Cooke | 2,360 | 38.4 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | William Tooth | 992 | 16.1 | +7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 436 | 7.1 | −8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,148 | 65.6 | |
| | Independent Ratepayers hold | Independent Ratepayers hold | Swing | -4.4 |
Shirley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Ratepayers | Benda Otton | 1,859 | 39.2 | +39.2 |
| | Conservative | Keith Samuels | 1,561 | 32.9 | −20.3 |
| | Labour | Jeffrey Potts | 1,325 | 27.9 | +6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 298 | 6.3 | −21.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,745 | 37.3 | |
| | Independent Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Independent Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Swing | +29.7 |
Silhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Hill | 2,629 | 50.9 | −17.4 |
| | Labour | Calvin Tattersall | 1,121 | 21.7 | +8.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Blight | 719 | 13.9 | −4.6 |
| | Green | Clifford Hards | 635 | 12.3 | +12.3 |
| | National Front | Norman Tomkinson | 62 | 1.2 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,508 | 29.2 | −20.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,166 | 54.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -13.0 | |
Smith's Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hugh Hendry | 2,983 | 83.1 | +7.8 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Allsopp | 606 | 16.9 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,377 | 66.2 | +15.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,589 | 35.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.8 | |
St. Alphege :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Fraser Mitchell | 3,443 | 66.1 | −10.1 |
| | Green | Adrian Mabe | 681 | 13.1 | +13.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernard Winchcombe | 602 | 11.6 | −5.2 |
| | Labour | Maurice Jones | 480 | 9.2 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,762 | 53.0 | −6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,206 | 56.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -11.6 | |

## By-elections between 1990 and 1991

Shirley West by-election 13 December 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Ratepayers | Jane Granger | 1,115 | 56.6 | +17.4 |
| | Conservative | Keith Samuels | 643 | 32.6 | −0.3 |
| | Labour | Eileen Turner | 213 | 10.8 | −17.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 472 | 24.0 | +17.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,971 | 21.2 | −16.1 |
| | Independent Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Independent Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Swing | +29.7 |