# 1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 3 May 1990, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. There were 16 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council.
Labour took most votes, gaining two extra seats. The Conservatives also gained a seat, increasing their majority on the council. The continuing Social Democratic Party lost every seat it was defending, leaving it with just one seat on the council. With poor results across the country the party disbanded shortly after the election. The one remaining SDP councillor in North Hertfordshire was Tony Quinn, whose term ran until 1991; following the demise of his party he joined Labour for the remainder of his term.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
1990 North Hertfordshire District Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 7 | 2 | 43.8 | 8 | 15 | 30.0 | 16,522 | 43.8 | +11.6 |
| | Conservative | 8 | 1 | 50.0 | 21 | 29 | 58.0 | 14,248 | 37.8 | -3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 0 | | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 4.0 | 3,263 | 8.6 | -8.5 |
| | Ratepayers | 1 | | 6.3 | 2 | 3 | 6.0 | 1,423 | 3.8 | -1.5 |
| | SDP | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 2.0 | 1,278 | 3.4 | -0.5 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 799 | 2.1 | +1.7 |
| | Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 204 | 0.5 | new |

## Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.
Baldock ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael John Parlour (Mick Parlour) | 1,713 | 52.2 | +10.0 |
| | Conservative | Mark Wilfred Seaman Hill | 1,569 | 47.8 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,953 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.5 | |
Codicote ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Ian Smith* | 763 | 57.3 | −18.6 |
| | Labour | Peter Charles Read | 569 | 42.7 | +18.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 56.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,381 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -18.6 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jennifer Alice Marr* | 1,375 | 63.8 | +9.8 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Francis Porter | 545 | 25.3 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Oliver Canning | 235 | 10.9 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,475 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Peter Boddey | 964 | 37.3 | −8.9 |
| | SDP | Evelyn Mary Burton* (Mary Burton) | 747 | 28.9 | +9.0 |
| | Labour | David John Tizzard | 670 | 25.9 | +10.7 |
| | Independent | Norman Vincent Hyde | 204 | 7.9 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,086 | | |
| | Conservative gain from SDP | Conservative gain from SDP | Swing | -9.0 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Alexander Smith* (Harry Smith) | 1,368 | 68.4 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Penelope Mary Lambourne | 367 | 18.3 | +18.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Clark | 266 | 13.3 | −16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,175 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.3 | |
Hitchin Priory ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Stanley Flatman* (Bob Flatman) | 822 | 53.9 | −12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Kenneth Harbron | 455 | 29.8 | +8.9 |
| | Labour | Janet Lynne Gosling | 249 | 16.3 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 55.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,741 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.5 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ratepayers | Jack Swain* | 1,423 | 47.5 | −14.5 |
| | Labour | Martin John Stears | 1,289 | 43.0 | +16.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Elizabeth Sefton | 284 | 9.5 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,004 | | |
| | Ratepayers hold | Ratepayers hold | Swing | -15.3 | |
Kimpton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alison Kathryn Martin | 509 | 59.8 | +59.8 |
| | Labour | John Saunders | 342 | 40.2 | +21.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 52.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,636 | | |
| | Conservative gain from SDP | Conservative gain from SDP | Swing | +19.4 | |
Knebworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gordon Cartwright Dumelow* | 1,013 | 56.3 | −6.1 |
| | Labour | Caroline Rebecca Doyle | 415 | 23.1 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael John Stiff | 202 | 11.2 | −8.2 |
| | Green | Stuart Wanstall Madgin | 170 | 9.4 | +9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 52.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,419 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.5 | |
Letchworth East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Jarman | 1,435 | 57.7 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Gloria June Storer | 595 | 23.9 | −6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Gammell | 247 | 9.9 | −6.9 |
| | Green | Eric Morris Blakeley | 209 | 8.4 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 54.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,600 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.3 | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Donald Kitchiner* | 1,826 | 65.2 | +22.6 |
| | Conservative | Michael Douglas Muir | 604 | 21.6 | −6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronald Victor Alan Streeter | 245 | 8.7 | −15.1 |
| | Green | Ian Thomassen Barrett | 126 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 55.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,083 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +14.6 | |
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John James Wilkinson (Jack Wilkinson) | 1,591 | 47.8 | +20.4 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Raymond Whalley | 1,097 | 33.0 | −6.1 |
| | SDP | Graham Leigh Wellfare | 347 | 10.4 | −13.4 |
| | Green | Sylvia Stevens | 294 | 8.8 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 54.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,091 | | |
| | Labour gain from SDP | Labour gain from SDP | Swing | +13.3 | |
Letchworth South East had previously been held by SDP councillor Geoff Williams, although the seat had been vacant since his resignation in November 1989.
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lynda Ann Needham | 1,341 | 48.3 | 0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Simpson | 800 | 28.8 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | Nigel Edward Agar | 637 | 22.9 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 60.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,592 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.4 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mantle* | 1,320 | 59.4 | +13.4 |
| | Conservative | Hilary Elizabeth Wilkins | 668 | 30.1 | −12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sara Louise Tustin | 233 | 10.5 | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 55.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,996 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +13.1 | |
Royston East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Douglas Drake | 1,087 | 48.2 | −10.0 |
| | Labour | Jessie Etheridge | 686 | 30.4 | +13.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian Waterhouse | 296 | 13.1 | −11.9 |
| | SDP | Michael Harrison | 184 | 8.2 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 54.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,170 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -11.9 | |
Royston West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Doyle* (Tim Doyle) | 1,261 | 37.7 | −9.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Cook | 1,043 | 31.2 | −1.7 |
| | Labour | Leslie Baker | 1,037 | 31.0 | +10.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 54.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,125 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.7 | |