# 1986 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1986 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council elections were held on Thursday, 8 May 1986, with one third of the council to be elected. The Conservatives retained control of the council. Voter turnout was 34.6%.

## Election result

Solihull Local Election Result 1986 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 8 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 47.0 | 40.2 | 21,676 | -8.2 |
| Labour | 5 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 29.4 | 28.0 | 15,086 | +0.5 |
| Alliance | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 11.8 | 23.4 | 12,641 | +8.5 |
| Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 11.8 | 8.3 | 4,503 | +0.2 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 57 | -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 | 33 | 29 |
| | Labour | 13 | 14 |
| | Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 4 | 6 |
| | Alliance | 1 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 15 | 7 |

## Ward results

Bickenhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Kellie | 1,714 | 44.3 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Peter McLoughlin | 1,458 | 37.7 | −12.8 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | David Moore | 695 | 18.0 | +11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 256 | 6.6 | −2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,867 | 39.5 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.9 | |
Castle Bromwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gordon Roberts | 1,847 | 49.2 | −19.6 |
| | Labour | Robert Overton | 1,048 | 27.9 | −3.2 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | John Walker | 856 | 22.8 | +22.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 799 | 21.3 | −16.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,751 | 39.4 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.2 | |
Chelmsley Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Shaw | 1,508 | 63.4 | −12.0 |
| | Conservative | Robin Draycott | 453 | 19.1 | −5.4 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | Thomas Wrenn | 416 | 17.5 | +17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,055 | 44.4 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,377 | 25.6 | −2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.3 | |
Elmdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Johanne Spittle | 1,610 | 43.5 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | Soad Hemming | 1,290 | 34.8 | −13.3 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Timothy Parazmand | 804 | 21.7 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 320 | 8.6 | −7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,704 | 41.4 | +7.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.5 | |
Fordbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Harper | 1,513 | 81.5 | +26.0 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Plaister | 344 | 18.5 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,169 | 62.9 | +29.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,857 | 24.2 | −1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +14.9 | |
Kingshurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ben Magee | 1,648 | 70.2 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Daphne Clehorn | 701 | 29.8 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 947 | 40.3 | +7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,349 | 35.3 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.6 | |
Knowle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Wright | 1,881 | 58.2 | −8.0 |
| | Alliance | Jennifer Wright | 1,102 | 34.1 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Owen | 248 | 7.7 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 779 | 24.1 | −15.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,231 | 36.6 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.6 | |
Lyndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | Norman Chapple | 1,416 | 46.1 | +13.3 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Holdsworth | 916 | 29.8 | −14.4 |
| | Labour | Walter Kinder | 740 | 24.1 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 500 | 16.3 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,072 | 36.6 | −3.8 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | +13.9 | |
Meriden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Grahame Boakes | 1,639 | 46.7 | −9.8 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | John Johnson | 1,461 | 41.7 | +7.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Davis | 406 | 11.6 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 178 | 5.1 | −16.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,506 | 41.7 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.4 | |
Olton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | John Windmill | 1,636 | 46.6 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | Michael Goodwin | 1,454 | 41.4 | −10.3 |
| | Labour | Sylvia McKears | 419 | 11.9 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 182 | 5.2 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,509 | 36.2 | −2.3 |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.2 | |
Packwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Residents | Amanda Jenkinson | 1,902 | 49.9 | −0.0 |
| | Conservative | Miriam Harris | 1,660 | 43.5 | −1.7 |
| | Labour Co-op | Ian Jamieson | 251 | 6.6 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 242 | 6.3 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,813 | 40.5 | −1.2 |
| | Independent Residents gain from Conservative | Independent Residents gain from Conservative | Swing | -0.8 |
Shirley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Lewis | 1,242 | 39.8 | −14.2 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Ernest Garwood | 777 | 24.6 | +24.6 |
| | Labour | Rona Miller | 449 | 14.2 | +0.4 |
| | Independent Residents & Ratepayers | Judith Foster | 687 | 21.8 | −10.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 465 | 14.7 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,155 | 32.3 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -19.4 | |
Shirley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Residents & Ratepayers | Anthony Ebden | 1,914 | 51.6 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Wadsworth | 1,334 | 36.0 | −4.2 |
| | Labour | Thomas Hayes | 461 | 12.4 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 580 | 15.6 | +9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,709 | 33.1 | +2.9 |
| | Independent Residents & Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Independent Residents & Ratepayers gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.5 |
Shirley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Samuels | 1,146 | 38.9 | −10.1 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | John Reeve | 1,095 | 37.2 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | Margaret Brittan | 649 | 22.0 | +2.0 |
| | National Front | Norman Tomkinson | 57 | 1.9 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 51 | 1.7 | −18.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,947 | 30.2 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.4 | |
Silhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Hill | 1,633 | 48.4 | −11.5 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Peter Congdon | 1,251 | 37.1 | +9.6 |
| | Labour | Alfred Porter | 489 | 14.5 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 382 | 11.3 | −21.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,373 | 32.4 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.5 | |
Smith's Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frederick Austin | 2,009 | 79.4 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Wallace | 520 | 20.6 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,489 | 58.9 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,529 | 28.0 | −1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
St. Alphege :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Fraser Mitchell | 1,902 | 59.2 | −10.2 |
| | Alliance | Karol Bard | 1,132 | 35.2 | +9.5 |
| | Labour | Maurice Jones | 180 | 5.6 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 770 | 24.0 | −19.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,214 | 34.6 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.8 | |