Before (end of 1985) (45 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 27 · Conservative 15 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 3 · Other 0
After (end of 1986) (45 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 30 · Conservative 11 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 4 · Other 0
Ward results
Blackbird Leys1 seat
| A. Smith | Labour | 1,685 ✓ |
| D. Carter | Conservative | 261 |
| D. Sealey | Lib/Sdp | 198 |
Central1 seat
| P. Gray | Labour | 1,080 ✓ |
| A. Adonis | Lib/Sdp | 1,057 |
| M. Pittock | Conservative | 508 |
| P. Jeffrey | Green | 288 |
Cherwell1 seat
| F. Bland | Conservative | 1,142 ✓ |
| M. Watney | Lib/Sdp | 670 |
| A. Geldman | Labour | 574 |
East1 seat · turnout 42.5%
| B. Harrison | Labour | 1,305 ✓ |
| B. Hicks | Conservative | 529 |
| J. Wolstenholme | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 392 |
| D. Dalton | Green | 146 |
Headington1 seat
| L. Lawrence | Labour | 1,324 ✓ |
| N. Tiffany | Conservative | 976 |
| D. Hindley | Lib/Sdp | 513 |
Iffley1 seat
| B. Keen | Labour | 1,463 ✓ |
| P. Yardley | Conservative | 1,205 |
| D. Penwarden | Lib/Sdp | 380 |
| A. Minns | Independent | 40 |
Marston1 seat
| E. Standingford | Labour | 1,343 ✓ |
| D. Plowman | Conservative | 574 |
| H. Lawton Smith | Lib/Sdp | 355 |
North1 seat
| P. Farrar | Lib/Sdp | 1,112 ✓ |
| M. Christian | Labour | 763 |
| N. Thomas | Conservative | 662 |
Quarry1 seat · turnout 48.6%
| G. Kershaw | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 1,062 ✓ |
| H. Liddy | Conservative | 953 |
| J. Jacottet | Labour | 816 |
South1 seat · turnout 49.1%
| W. Baker | Labour | 1,493 ✓ |
| T. Modood | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 718 |
| T. Curtin | Conservative | 571 |
| P. Symonds | Independent | 22 |
St Clement's1 seat
| M. Stott | Labour | 1,557 ✓ |
| B. Tannant | Conservative | 743 |
| S. Palmer | Lib/Sdp | 535 |
Temple Cowley1 seat
| C. Simm | Labour | 1,219 ✓ |
| C. Martin | Conservative | 717 |
| C. Hammond | Lib/Sdp | 302 |
West1 seat
| C. Barnes | Labour | 1,198 ✓ |
| J. Howson | Lib/Sdp | 508 |
| L. Browne | Conservative | 396 |
| D. Weston | Green | 154 |
| Smith P. No | to Confront | 9 |
Wolvercote1 seat
| Q. Whorley | Conservative | 1,161 ✓ |
| T. Jones | Lib/Sdp | 885 |
| D. Bygott | Labour | 604 |
Wood Farm1 seat
| R. Zetter | Labour | 1,114 ✓ |
| J. Campbell | Conservative | 570 |
| N. Blanks | Lib/Sdp | 396 |