Before (end of 1985) (45 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 23 · Conservative 20 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 2 · Other 0
After (end of 1986) (45 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 26 · Conservative 15 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 4 · Other 0
Ward results
Bargate2 seats
| A. Mawle | Labour | 2,352 |
| K. Street | Labour | 2,089 |
| R. Egleton | Conservative | 836 |
| W. Nevill | Conservative | 799 |
| D. Allen | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 506 |
| T. Sluckin | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 457 |
Bassett1 seat
| N. Best | Conservative | 2,378 |
| E. Andrews | Labour | 1,198 |
| R. Gundy | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 1,116 |
Bitterne1 seat
| J. Truscott | Labour | 1,878 |
| R. Mockford | Conservative | 1,196 |
| S. Habron | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 734 |
Bitterne Park1 seat
| R. Finch | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 1,844 |
| C. Barber | Conservative | 1,641 |
| E. Deans | Labour | 1,514 |
Coxford1 seat
| P. Melrose | Labour | 2,012 |
| T. Crompton | Conservative | 1,209 |
| P. Peachey | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 970 |
Freemantle1 seat
| B. Parnell | Conservative | 1,603 |
| P. Jenks | Labour | 1,453 |
| A. Hayes | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 931 |
Harefield1 seat
| A. Lloyd | Labour | 2,188 |
| W. Husk | Conservative | 2,005 |
| G. Chilcott | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 1,021 |
Millbrook1 seat
| J. Kelly | Labour | 1,840 |
| P. Roberts | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 1,656 |
| A. Samuels | Conservative | 1,175 |
Peartree1 seat
| J. Ward | Labour | 1,977 ✓ |
| P. Reynolds | Conservative | 1,597 |
| F. McManus | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 970 |
| L. Hickman | Ind Lab | 97 |
Portswood1 seat
| H. Spring | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 2,014 |
| N. Kelly | Labour | 1,281 |
| P. Lankford | Conservative | 1,220 |
Redbridge1 seat
| B. Roost | Labour | 2,334 |
| A. Sangster | Conservative | 887 |
| S. Palmer | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 731 |
Shirley1 seat
| P. Adams | Conservative | 2,188 |
| A. Smith | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 1,310 |
| P. Blatch | Labour | 1,032 |
Sholing1 seat
| G. Heaney | Labour | 1,968 |
| E. Brown | Conservative | 1,510 |
| F. Taylor | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 927 |
St. Lukes1 seat
| W. Jeffery | Labour | 2,003 ✓ |
| C. Po | Conservative | 1,228 |
| C. Massey | Alliance For Local Living (ALL) | 657 |
| M. Omasia | Green | 183 |
