1990 Merton London Borough Council election

← 1986 3 May 1990 (1990-05-03) 1994 →
All 57 council seats up for election toMerton London Borough Council 29 seats needed for a majority
Registered	126,284[1]
Turnout	67,764, 53.66%[1]
First party Second party   Party Labour Conservative Seats before 25 27 Seats won 29[2] 22 Seat change 4 7 Popular vote 76,583 74,857 Percentage 42.22% 41.27%   Third party Fourth party   Party Merton Park Residents Longthornton and Tamworth Residents Seats before 0 3 Seats won 3 3 Seat change 3 Popular vote 5,567 3,822 Percentage 3.07% 2.11%   Fifth party   Party Liberal Democrats Seats before 0 Seats won 0 Seat change Popular vote 11,741 Percentage 6.47%
Map of the results of the 1990 Merton London Borough council election.
Council leader before election John Elvidge Conservative Council leader after election Geoff Smith Labour

Elections for theLondon Borough of Merton were held on 3 May 1990 to elect members ofMerton London Borough Council inLondon,England. This was on the same day asother local elections in England and Scotland.

The whole council was up for election and theLabour Party gained overall control of the council from theConservatives with a majority of one seat.^[3][4]

At thelast election, theConservatives had gained a majority of one seat. In October 1989, they lost a by-election inMerton Park to Bridget Smith of theMerton Park Ward Residents Association, which had contested the by-election in opposition to the proposed extension of theA24 relief road.^[5][6] This by-election resulthung the council, but the Conservatives continued to govern Merton as a minority administration.^[6]

This was the first whole council election which was contested by the MPWRA.

The Conservatives lost their one-seat overall majority of the council toLabour, who themselves gained a one-seat overall majority of the council. The Merton Park Ward Residents Association won all three seats in Merton Park from the Conservatives; they have since maintained these seats in subsequent elections.^[4]

Merton local election result 1990^{[7][8][n 1]}

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	29	4	0	4	50.88	42.22	76,583
	Conservative	22	0	7	7	38.60	41.27	74,857
	Merton Park Residents	3	3	0	3	5.26	3.07	5,567
	Longthornton and Tamworth Residents	3	0	0		5.26	2.11	3,822
	Liberal Democrats	0	0	0		0.00	6.47	11,741
	Green	0	0	0		0.00	2.82	5,106
	West Barnes Independent Residents	0	0	0		0.00	1.53	2,781
	Independent	0	0	0		0.00	0.51	932
Total		57						181,389

In Durnsford, incumbent Conservative councillor and future ConservativePrime MinisterTheresa May topped the poll. This was the last election she contested in Merton.

Notes

References

• Council elections in the London Borough of Merton
• 1990 London Borough council elections

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