# 1987 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1987 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council elections were held on Thursday, 7 May 1987, with one third of the council to be elected. The Conservatives retained control of the council. Voter turnout was 43.2%

## Election result

Solihull Local Election Result 1987 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 64.7 | 51.0 | 34,504 | +10.8 |
| Labour | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 | 17.9 | 12,130 | -10.1 |
| Alliance | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.9 | 22.8 | 15,412 | -0.6 |
| Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 5,499 | -0.2 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 60 | -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 | 29 | 29 |
| | Labour | 14 | 14 |
| | Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 6 | 5 |
| | Alliance | 2 | 3 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 7 | 7 |

## Ward results

Bickenhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mary Dingley | 2,605 | 55.1 | +10.7 |
| | Labour | Peter McLoughlin | 1,342 | 28.4 | −9.3 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | David Moore | 784 | 16.6 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,263 | 26.7 | +20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,731 | 47.1 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +10.0 | |
Castle Bromwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Rees | 2,886 | 64.5 | +15.2 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | John Walker | 827 | 18.5 | −4.3 |
| | Labour | Robert Overton | 763 | 17.0 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,059 | 46.0 | +24.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,476 | 46.4 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.8 | |
Chelmsley Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nicholas Stephens | 1,461 | 51.5 | −12.0 |
| | Conservative | Robin Draycott | 789 | 27.8 | +8.7 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | Thomas Wrenn | 529 | 18.6 | +1.1 |
| | National Front | Norman Tomkinson | 60 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 672 | 23.7 | −20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,839 | 31.3 | +5.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.3 | |
Elmdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Wood | 2,107 | 48.8 | +14.0 |
| | Labour | Rona Miller | 1,371 | 31.8 | −11.7 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | Richard Blight | 837 | 19.4 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 736 | 17.1 | +8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,315 | 48.4 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +12.8 | |
Fordbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angela Reid | 1,150 | 52.7 | −28.8 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Plaister | 643 | 29.4 | +10.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Bernadette Pruden | 390 | 17.9 | +17.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 507 | 23.3 | −39.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,183 | 28.9 | +4.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -19.9 | |
Kingshurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Threlkeld | 1,362 | 52.5 | −17.6 |
| | Conservative | Daphne Cleghorn | 843 | 32.5 | +2.7 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Mark Akhurst | 387 | 14.9 | +14.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 519 | 20.0 | −20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,592 | 41.6 | +6.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.1 | |
Knowle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Morrison | 2,726 | 66.6 | +8.4 |
| | Alliance | Jennifer Wright | 1,182 | 28.9 | −5.2 |
| | Labour | Maurice Livingstone | 183 | 4.5 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,544 | 37.7 | +13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,091 | 46.1 | +9.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.8 | |
Lyndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | Ian Gillett | 1,648 | 43.5 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | David Wilkes | 1,584 | 41.8 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | Walter Kinder | 559 | 14.7 | −9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 64 | 1.7 | −14.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,791 | 44.6 | +8.0 |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | -7.3 | |
Meriden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Meacham | 2,411 | 56.8 | +10.1 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | John Johnson | 1,655 | 39.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Eveline Benton | 176 | 4.1 | −7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 756 | 17.8 | +12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,242 | 50.1 | +8.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.4 | |
Olton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Eyre | 2,614 | 54.3 | +12.8 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | Timothy Farazmand | 1,910 | 39.7 | −7.0 |
| | Labour | Sean McWhinne | 291 | 6.0 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 704 | 14.6 | +9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,815 | 50.0 | +13.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.9 | |
Packwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Vernon | 2,281 | 47.8 | +4.3 |
| | Independent Residents | David van Rest | 2,270 | 47.6 | −2.3 |
| | Labour | Sheila Brookes | 217 | 4.5 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 0.2 | −6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,768 | 50.9 | +10.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent Residents | Conservative gain from Independent Residents | Swing | +3.3 |
Shirley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Reginald Davies | 1,967 | 49.5 | +10.1 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Ernest Garwood | 854 | 21.5 | −3.1 |
| | Independent Residents & Ratepayers | Richard Jackson | 810 | 20.4 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | Margaret Brittin | 346 | 8.7 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,113 | 28.0 | +13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,977 | 40.1 | +7.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
Shirley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Ratepayers | James Eames | 2,419 | 47.9 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative | Peter Hogarth | 2,223 | 44.0 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Maurice Jones | 408 | 8.1 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 3.9 | −11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,050 | 42.4 | +9.3 |
| | Independent Ratepayers hold | Independent Ratepayers hold | Swing | -5.8 |
Shirley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Terence Powell | 2,071 | 54.2 | +15.3 |
| | Alliance (Liberal) | John Reeve | 1,303 | 34.1 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | Christine Horton | 449 | 11.7 | −10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 768 | 20.1 | +18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,823 | 39.1 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.2 | |
Silhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Gibbons | 2,647 | 60.4 | +12.0 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Peter Congdon | 1,363 | 31.1 | −6.0 |
| | Labour | Colin Smith | 372 | 8.5 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,284 | 29.3 | +18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,382 | 42.2 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.0 | |
Smith's Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Donald Cornock | 1,529 | 51.5 | −28.0 |
| | Conservative | Mark Saunders | 818 | 27.5 | +7.0 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Ann Clements | 623 | 21.0 | +21.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 711 | 24.0 | −35.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,970 | 32.3 | +4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -17.5 | |
St. Alphege :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ronald Herd | 3,289 | 72.1 | +12.9 |
| | Alliance (SDP) | Gomer Thomas | 1,120 | 24.6 | −10.7 |
| | Labour | Graham Craig | 151 | 3.3 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,169 | 47.6 | +23.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,560 | 47.6 | +13.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +11.8 | |