1983 – 5th May – Kenilworth Town Council Elections

Abbey (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Kenneth Rawnsley	Conservative	1922
Kenneth Hogarth	Conservative	1864
Michael Coker	Conservative	1821
*Jack Bastock	Liberal	1817
*John Cooke	Conservative	1781
John Hatfield	Conservative	1718
D. Barfield	Conservative	1678
*Graham Windybank	Liberal	1594
*Haydn Thomas	Liberal	1544
*Kenneth Griffiths	Liberal	1457
*Enys Thomas	Liberal	1444
John Sumner	Liberal	1417
Teresa Blackwell	Labour	326
Melanie Lomas	Labour	325
Geoffrey Cleave	Labour	313
M. Hirons	Labour	296
R. Smith	Labour	288
Richard Wood	Labour	278

Turnout 61.3%

St John’s (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Robert Wooller	Conservative	2046
Peggy Cox	Conservative	1984
*James Whitby	Conservative	1961
Pauline Edwards	Conservative	1919
*Viki McClean	Conservative	1882
Mike James	Conservative	1838
*Bill Wozencroft	Labour	1170
John Whitehouse	SDP	873
Mary Harrison	SDP	809
M. Reynolds	SDP	687
H. Makura	SDP	631
I. Rixom	SDP	627
Brenda Payne	Labour	622
Mark Juby	Labour	603
John Payne	Labour	563
Thomas Swallow	Labour	554
l. Mountney	Labour	533

Turnout 56.7%

Park Hill (4 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
Spencer Harrison	Conservative	970
*Robert Butler	Liberal	956
Thomas Dalton	Conservative	925
Paul Weatherall	Liberal	883
Ian Hills	Conservative	842
T. Sturgess	Conservative	794
Eric Deal	Liberal	790
Vera Royston	Liberal	743
John Airey	Labour	202
Chris Payne	Labour	180
Rosemary Ellis	Labour	178
David Peggs	Labour	139

Turnout 61.4 %

*denotes retiring councillors

TORIES TAKE CONTROL IN NEW WARD SYSTEM

The six traditional wards were replaced by three larger ones. The historical: Windy Arbour, Borrowell and Castle wards were gone. Also, the number of councillors was reduced from 18 down to 16. One further change was that elections would now be every four years, replacing the longstanding triennial polls.

These changes did not go down well with the heavily defeated Liberals. They claimed the results on the new ward boundaries had favoured the Tories, and had been engineered by them. Town Major, Bill Wozencroft lost his seat, as did three others members, deputy Mayor Haydn Thomas, his wife, Enys and Liberal leader Graham Windybank. The Liberals were now down to just three councillors, a reduction of four from the 1979 election.

Jack Bastock, one of the Liberals who survived the rout, stated that the new boundaries were a ‘big con’, the wards were so large the result was distorted. The Liberals also believed that many new people on the Knight’s Meadow estate were not aware of the Liberals strength or hard work they do in Kenilworth, and as a result voted politically.

New to the Tory ranks are solicitor, Michael Coker and Spencer Harrison who are also District Councillors. Other new members include Peggy Cox, wife of the late, Jack Cox. Tony Dalton, an office equipment supplier, has lived in Kenilworth for seven years and was elected in Park Hill. Mike James, John Hatfield and Pauline Edwards are also completely new to council work. But Kenneth Hogarth is an ‘old’ face to the council having been Town Mayor (1976-77) and Chairman of the old KUDC (1973-74), before losing his seat in 1979.

Viki McClean is not entirely a new face, having been co-opted onto the council in March this year. Bob Wooller, following his by-election success last September, topped the tree in St John’s with a whopping 2046 votes, the highest of any candidate.

Kenilworth Town Councillors

13 Conservatives (S. Harrison, T. Dalton, R. Wooller, P. Cox, J. Whitby, P. Edwards, V. McClean, M. James, K. Rawnsley, K. Hogarth, M. Coker, J. Cooke, J, Hatfield)

3 Liberals (J. Bastock, R. Butler, P. Weatherall)

Mayors

Town Clerk – Harry Sunley