Local Elections 1981
Local Elections 1981 was held on 7 May 1981. 1,488 seats were filled across 3,969 wards and divisions in 68 councils, from 12,122 candidates. The Labour Party won 767, Conservative Party won 488 and Independent won 104.
- Date
- 7 May 1981
- Seats filled
- 1,488
- Candidates
- 12,122
- Councils
- 68
| Party | Candidates | Seats won | Votes | Vote share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Labour Party | 3,908 | 767 | 6,966,594 | 40.8% |
| Conservative Party | 3,746 | 488 | 6,289,416 | 36.9% |
| Independent | 725 | 104 | 480,896 | 2.8% |
| The Liberal Party | 659 | 58 | 1,038,080 | 6.1% |
| LIB | 1,898 | 47 | 1,700,685 | 10.0% |
| RES | 63 | 6 | 72,348 | 0.4% |
| Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | 187 | 5 | 119,499 | 0.7% |
| Ind Con | 30 | 4 | 22,408 | 0.1% |
| Residents | 22 | 3 | 24,374 | 0.1% |
| Ind Re | 2 | 1 | 4,817 | 0.0% |
| SDP | 5 | 1 | 1,906 | 0.0% |
| Cpn | 1 | 1 | 1,633 | 0.0% |
| Vop | 1 | 1 | 1,498 | 0.0% |
| Ndm | 1 | 1 | 1,254 | 0.0% |
| Whig | 1 | 1 | 1,131 | 0.0% |
| Other | 276 | 0 | 83,387 | 0.5% |
| SOC DEM | 73 | 0 | 50,902 | 0.3% |
| RATE | 30 | 0 | 35,506 | 0.2% |
| Green Party | 105 | 0 | 34,975 | 0.2% |
| Ecol | 178 | 0 | 34,805 | 0.2% |
| Social Democratic Party | 12 | 0 | 17,025 | 0.1% |
| Ind Lab | 18 | 0 | 13,731 | 0.1% |
| COMM | 26 | 0 | 7,281 | 0.0% |
| PBP | 3 | 0 | 4,590 | 0.0% |
| NT | 3 | 0 | 4,159 | 0.0% |
| MK | 14 | 0 | 3,331 | 0.0% |
| BRIT 1ST | 14 | 0 | 3,246 | 0.0% |
| Ind RA | 4 | 0 | 2,856 | 0.0% |
| Ind SD | 5 | 0 | 2,800 | 0.0% |
| PABAG | 2 | 0 | 2,592 | 0.0% |
| NF | 33 | 0 | 2,368 | 0.0% |
| SDP-Liberal Alliance | 1 | 0 | 2,243 | 0.0% |
| Ind Li | 7 | 0 | 2,227 | 0.0% |
| Rutland Con | 1 | 0 | 1,983 | 0.0% |
| Downe Ind | 1 | 0 | 1,660 | 0.0% |
| Ind Rp | 4 | 0 | 1,589 | 0.0% |
| WRP | 15 | 0 | 1,438 | 0.0% |
| NEW BRIT | 5 | 0 | 1,421 | 0.0% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 0 | 1,412 | 0.0% |
| Ind So | 3 | 0 | 1,379 | 0.0% |
| Council | Wards / divisions | Seats filled | Largest party | Its seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon | 76 | 26 | Conservative | 13 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| Bath | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| Bedfordshire | 45 | 3 | Labour | 2 |
| Bedfordshire | 10 | 16 | Labour | 12 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | 8 | 0 | — | — |
| Berkshire | 68 | 7 | Labour | 4 |
| Berkshire County Council | 10 | 7 | Labour | 3 |
| Buckinghamshire | 49 | 23 | Conservative | 18 |
| Cambridgeshire | 67 | 10 | Conservative | 4 |
| Cheshire | 15 | 2 | Conservative | 2 |
| Cheshire | 56 | 5 | Conservative | 3 |
| Cleveland | 39 | 1 | Labour | 1 |
| Cleveland | 12 | 11 | Labour | 7 |
| Clwyd | 48 | 21 | Labour | 10 |
| Clwyd | 10 | 4 | Independent | 2 |
| Cornwall | 75 | 30 | Independent | 18 |
| County Durham | 25 | 1 | Labour | 1 |
| Cumbria | 84 | 10 | Conservative | 6 |
| Derbyshire | 83 | 5 | Labour | 4 |
| Devon | 90 | 35 | Conservative | 26 |
| Dorset | 81 | 21 | Conservative | 15 |
| Dorset County Council | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| Durham | 12 | 2 | Labour | 2 |
| Durham | 35 | 10 | Labour | 10 |
| Dyfed | 80 | 22 | Independent | 12 |
| East Sussex | 81 | 15 | Conservative | 7 |
| Essex | 98 | 22 | Labour | 9 |
| Essex County Council | 2 | 0 | — | — |
| Gloucestershire | 62 | 15 | Conservative | 7 |
| Greater London Council | 92 | 92 | Labour | 50 |
| Greater Manchester County Council | 104 | 106 | Labour | 78 |
| Gwent | 66 | 15 | Labour | 15 |
| Gwynedd | 64 | 27 | Independent | 22 |
| Hampshire | 102 | 17 | Conservative | 9 |
| Hertfordshire | 77 | 11 | Labour | 6 |
| Humberside | 72 | 11 | Labour | 8 |
| Isle Of Wight | 43 | 5 | Conservative | 2 |
| Kent | 99 | 31 | Conservative | 17 |
| Lancashire | 99 | 7 | Conservative | 3 |
| Leicestershire | 77 | 28 | Labour | 18 |
| Leicestershire County Council | 3 | 0 | — | — |
| Lincolnshire | 76 | 16 | Conservative | 11 |
| Merseyside County Council | 95 | 99 | Labour | 57 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 68 | 19 | Labour | 17 |
| Norfolk | 83 | 13 | Conservative | 7 |
| Norfolk County Council | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| North Yorkshire | 89 | 19 | Conservative | 11 |
| Northamptonshire | 67 | 6 | Labour | 4 |
| Northumberland | 66 | 8 | LIB | 4 |
| Nottinghamshire | 86 | 7 | Labour | 4 |
| Oxfordshire | 69 | 8 | Conservative | 4 |
| Powys | 52 | 35 | Independent | 26 |
| Shropshire | 67 | 12 | Labour | 4 |
| Somerset | 58 | 13 | Conservative | 9 |
| South Glamorgan | 34 | 67 | Labour | 35 |
| South Yorkshire County Council | 74 | 100 | Labour | 82 |
| Staffordshire | 80 | 5 | Labour | 3 |
| Suffolk | 77 | 14 | Conservative | 10 |
| Surrey | 76 | 24 | Conservative | 15 |
| Surrey County Council | 8 | 0 | — | — |
| Tyne and Wear County Council | 95 | 104 | Labour | 72 |
| Warwickshire | 62 | 9 | Conservative | 5 |
| West Glamorgan | 36 | 8 | Labour | 4 |
| West Midlands County Council | 96 | 104 | Labour | 74 |
| West Sussex | 75 | 19 | Conservative | 15 |
| West Yorkshire County Council | 83 | 88 | Labour | 63 |
| Wiltshire | 74 | 17 | Conservative | 8 |