# 1988 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Trafford Council in the United Kingdom were held on 5 May 1988. One-third of the council was up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a four-year term of office, expiring in 1992. The Conservative party gained overall control of the council, from no overall control.

## Election result

| Party | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats | Full Council | Full Council |
| Conservative Party | 39,639 (48.9%) | 1.2 | 13 (59.1%) | 13 / 22 | 4 | 32 (50.8%) | 32 / 63 |
| Labour Party | 29,169 (36.0%) | 5.4 | 8 (36.4%) | 8 / 22 | 1 | 27 (42.9%) | 27 / 63 |
| SLD | 11,536 (14.2%) | 6.8 | 1 (4.5%) | 1 / 22 | 3 | 4 (6.3%) | 4 / 63 |
| Green Party | 494 (0.6%) | | 0 (0.0%) | 0 / 22 | | 0 (0.0%) | 0 / 63 |
| SDP | 207 (0.3%) | N/A | 0 (0.0%) | 0 / 22 | N/A | 0 (0.0%) | 0 / 63 |
| 27 | 4 | 32 |

## Ward results
### Altrincham

Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sheila O'Beirne | 1,934 | 49.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | David Hinder | 1,516 | 38.4 | +6.4 |
| | SLD | John Mulholland | 498 | 12.6 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 418 | 10.6 | −9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,948 | 46.6 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Bowdon

Bowdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Merrell | 2,790 | 70.8 | +2.6 |
| | SLD | Vivian Plummer | 535 | 13.6 | −6.7 |
| | Labour | Bernardette Feeney | 474 | 12.0 | +3.4 |
| | Green | Mark Rowtham | 139 | 3.5 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,255 | 57.3 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,938 | 43.0 | −7.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Broadheath

Broadheath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Barltrop* | 2,084 | 51.9 | +2.7 |
| | Labour | Jane Baugh | 1,472 | 36.7 | +8.0 |
| | SLD | Frank Cameron | 459 | 11.4 | −10.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 612 | 15.2 | −5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,015 | 46.3 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Brooklands

Brooklands (2 Councillors) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rita Barber* | 2,630 | 70.3 | +12.0 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Cox | 2,528 | 67.6 | +9.3 |
| | SLD | Colin Bearfield | 630 | 16.8 | −14.6 |
| | SLD | Kenneth Humber | 579 | 15.5 | −15.9 |
| | Labour | Liam Hargadon | 565 | 15.1 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | Eric Shaw | 543 | 14.5 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,898 | 50.7 | +23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,740 | 48.1 | −8.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Bucklow

Bucklow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Paul* | 1,456 | 79.5 | +16.4 |
| | SLD | Martin Elliott | 376 | 20.5 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,080 | 59.0 | +18.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,832 | 27.3 | −11.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Clifford

Clifford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sean Rogers* | 2,379 | 74.8 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Mary Wynn | 800 | 25.2 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,579 | 49.7 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,179 | 37.8 | −0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Davyhulme East

Davyhulme East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frank Eadie* | 2,108 | 61.5 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Freda Mottley | 1,022 | 29.8 | +1.4 |
| | SLD | Colin Hedley | 296 | 8.6 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,086 | 31.7 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,426 | 44.1 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Davyhulme West

Davyhulme West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Ackerley | 2,117 | 50.1 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Laura Seex* | 1,818 | 43.0 | +11.7 |
| | SLD | David Martin | 291 | 6.9 | −13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 299 | 7.1 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,226 | 51.5 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Flixton

Flixton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roland Robinson | 2,052 | 44.6 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Philip Dowland | 1,289 | 28.0 | +3.8 |
| | SLD | Alan Vernon* | 1,265 | 27.5 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 763 | 16.6 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,606 | 57.5 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative gain from SLD | Conservative gain from SLD | Swing | | |

### Hale

Hale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roy Godwin* | 2,930 | 76.4 | +5.8 |
| | SLD | Gillian Pawson | 481 | 12.5 | −9.3 |
| | Labour | Rosemary Adams | 314 | 8.2 | +2.4 |
| | Green | John Wharton | 112 | 2.9 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,449 | 63.8 | +14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,837 | 43.5 | −9.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Longford

Longford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mary Ryan | 1,934 | 54.7 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | Shirley Dirikis | 1,604 | 45.3 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 330 | 9.3 | +6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,538 | 47.4 | −5.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Mersey-St. Mary's

Mersey St. Marys :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Silverman* | 2,613 | 60.5 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | Peter Miller | 1,017 | 23.6 | +6.3 |
| | SLD | Ray Thompson | 687 | 15.9 | −7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,596 | 37.0 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,317 | 45.0 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Park

Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Philip Morgan | 1,521 | 57.7 | +13.9 |
| | Conservative | David Meadowcroft | 942 | 35.7 | −3.1 |
| | SLD | Francis Beswick | 174 | 6.6 | −10.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 579 | 22.0 | +17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,637 | 43.3 | −2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Priory

Priory :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Flynn | 1,426 | 38.2 | +0.2 |
| | SLD | John Golding* | 1,190 | 31.9 | −3.5 |
| | Labour | Robin Joinson | 1,113 | 29.8 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 236 | 6.3 | +3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,729 | 45.8 | −5.8 |
| | Conservative gain from SLD | Conservative gain from SLD | Swing | | |

### Sale Moor

Sale Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barry Brotherton* | 1,679 | 46.8 | +7.8 |
| | Conservative | Graham Burrows | 1,526 | 42.5 | +6.4 |
| | SLD | John Hunter | 386 | 10.7 | −12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 153 | 4.3 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,591 | 45.4 | −3.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St. Martin's

St. Martins :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul English | 2,030 | 51.8 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Maley | 1,471 | 37.6 | +0.3 |
| | SLD | Terence Corbett | 334 | 8.5 | −7.7 |
| | Green | John Bowden | 82 | 2.1 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 14.3 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,917 | 41.3 | −6.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Stretford

Stretford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terry Beer | 1,872 | 47.9 | +10.0 |
| | Conservative | Frank Redfern* | 1,826 | 46.8 | −2.0 |
| | SDP | Lesley Sumner | 207 | 5.3 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 46 | 1.2 | −9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,905 | 47.8 | −3.1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Talbot

Talbot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Larry Sullivan* | 1,775 | 70.8 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative | Colin Levenston | 731 | 29.2 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,044 | 41.7 | +16.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,506 | 34.8 | −5.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Timperley

Timperley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ken Davies | 2,075 | 50.1 | +1.3 |
| | SLD | John Davenport* | 1,242 | 30.0 | −5.6 |
| | Labour | Mary Atherton | 726 | 17.5 | +3.6 |
| | Green | Keith Robinson | 97 | 2.3 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 833 | 20.1 | +6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,140 | 46.5 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative gain from SLD | Conservative gain from SLD | Swing | | |

### Urmston

Urmston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Warbrick* | 1,913 | 47.2 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | David Acton | 1,847 | 45.5 | +5.9 |
| | SLD | Peter Carlon | 295 | 7.3 | −7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 66 | 1.6 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,055 | 50.9 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Village

Village :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SLD | Ray Bowker* | 1,818 | 43.1 | +5.1 |
| | Conservative | Robert Walsh | 1,539 | 36.5 | −4.5 |
| | Labour | David Holland | 799 | 18.9 | −1.0 |
| | Green | Erica Wright | 64 | 1.5 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 279 | 6.6 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,220 | 49.9 | −4.1 |
| | SLD hold | SLD hold | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 1988 and 1990

Urmston By-Election 24 November 1988 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | D. Acton | 1,563 | 52.6 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | J. G. Graham | 1,406 | 47.4 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 157 | 5.3 | +3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,969 | 37.2 | +14.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Bowdon By-Election 15 June 1989 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. C. Harney | 2,582 | 59.6 | −11.2 |
| | Labour | H. F. Busteed | 674 | 15.6 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | G. P. Pawson | 567 | 13.1 | −0.5 |
| | Green | M. R. Rowtham | 506 | 11.7 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,908 | 44.1 | +3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,329 | 47.3 | +14.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |