1968 Glasgow Corporation election

Last updated May 18, 2025

Elections to Glasgow Corporation were held on 8 May 1968, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the councils 111 seats, 37 were up for election. The election saw Labour losing its majority for the first time since 1952, with the council being gained by a Progressive-Conservative alliance, who emerged from the election with a total of 54 of the council's 111 seats. The Scottish National Party achieved a major breakthrough, winning a plurality of the popular vote and 13 seats.^[1]

Election result

Glasgow Corporation election, 1968
	Seats	Votes %	Votes
Progressive-Conservative alliance	54	34.7	93,153
Labour	44	25.5	68,538
SNP	13	36.0	96,505
Other parties	0	3.8	10,075

Ward results

Anderston

Anderston
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	W. E. Dale*	1,463	38.3
	SNP	J. Jeffrey	1,169	30.6
	Labour	G. McGrath	1,134	29.7
	Communist	R. Anderson	56	1.4
Majority			294	7.7
Turnout			3,822	45.0
	Progressives hold		Swing

Calton

Calton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	W. E. Dale*	1,237	44.8
	SNP	G. Barclay	807	28.4
	Progressives	J. R. Harper	687	24.2
	Communist	D. Currie	75	2.6
Majority			466	16.4
Turnout			2,842	28.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Camphill

Camphill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	J. Allan*	4,962	61.0
	SNP	L. Anderson	2,520	31.0
	Labour	T. McCalmont	428	5.2
	Communist	A. Dewar	224	2.8
Majority			2,442	30.0
Turnout			8,134	54.9
	Progressives hold		Swing

Cathcart

Cathcart
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	G. Spence*	10,459	58.6
	SNP	B. Nandell	3,658	20.5
	Labour	T. Muir	3,138	17.6
	Communist	J. Towill	598	3.3
Majority			6,801	38.1
Turnout			17,853	45.6
	Progressives hold		Swing

Cowcaddens

Cowcaddens
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	A. McIntosh	1,323	41.1
	Labour	A. Coventry*	1,193	36.9
	Progressives	R. Wilson	657	20.3
	Communist	J. Reilly	56	1.7
Majority			130	4.2
Turnout			3,229	41.4
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Cowlairs

Cowlairs
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	A. Campbell	1,323	42.8
	Labour	E. Clark*	1,802	37.3
	Conservative	M. Nurse	825	17.1
	Communist	J. Turner	138	2.8
Majority			265	5.5
Turnout			4,832	33.3
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Craigton

Craigton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	H. Henderson	6,668	43.9
	Progressives	G. Mason*	5,563	36.7
	Labour	R. McKay	2,699	17.8
	Communist	G. Neave	242	1.6
Majority			1,105	7.2
Turnout			15,172	56.8
	SNP gain from Progressives		Swing

Dalmarnock

Dalmarnock
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	I. Lindsey	1,998	41.4
	Labour	J. Robertson	1,866	38.7
	Progressives	D. Carlaw	657	18.0
	Communist	J. B. Dick	94	1.9
Majority			132	2.7
Turnout			4,827	29.8
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Dennistoun

Dennistoun
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	J. B. McKenna*	3,580	48.1
	SNP	D. Horne	2,366	31.8
	Labour	J. Gunn	1,343	18.0
	Communist	A. Scott	157	2.1
Majority			1,214	16.3
Turnout			7,446	46.8
	Progressives hold		Swing

Exchange

Exchange
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	J. J. Thompson*	1,476	56.0
	Independent Nationalist	R. J. Gillies	547	20.7
	SNP	J. E. Alton	484	18.3
	Communist	F. Hill	131	5.0
Majority			929	35.2
Turnout			2,638	33.3
	Progressives hold		Swing

Fairfield

Fairfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	C. Brotherstone	2,405	41.1
	Labour	J. McAteer*	2,520	29.9
	SNP	W. Pettigrew	1,553	26.5
	Communist	J. Craig	142	2.5
Majority			655	11.2
Turnout			5,850	47.2
	Progressives gain from Labour		Swing

Gorbals

Gorbals
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	W. Lindsay*	1,396	55.1
	SNP	A. Ewing	923	36.4
	Conservative	H. A. Vesey	184	7.3
	Communist	T. Biggam	32	1.2
Majority			473	18.7
Turnout			2,535	31.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Govan

Govan
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	D. Doherty*	1,931	40.6
	SNP	W. Ford	1,560	32.8
	Conservative	E. H. Macdonald	1,075	22.6
	Communist	G. Cormack	192	4.0
Majority			371	7.8
Turnout			4,758	36.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Govanhill

Govanhill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	D. Wood*	2,722	37.8
	SNP	U. Miller	2,407	33.4
	Labour	G. M. Shaw	1,820	25.2
	Communist	C. Campbell	260	3.6
Majority			315	4.4
Turnout			7,209	43.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Hutchesontown

Hutchesontown
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	J. J. McCrossan*	1,332	44.7
	Progressives	T. M. Moore	903	30.3
	SNP	M. McManus	673	22.6
	Communist	D. Burns	70	2.4
Majority			429	14.4
Turnout			2,978	36.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Kelvinside

Kelvinside
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	L. M. Turpie	5,785	68.7
	SNP	A. Da Costa	1,710	20.3
	Liberal	L. Steedman	928	11.0
Majority			4,075	48.4
Turnout			8,423	54.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Kingston

Kingston
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	M. Reilly*	1,025	35.8
	SNP	G. McClean	901	31.4
	Conservative	W. Johnston	889	31.0
	Communist	P. Devitt	52	1.8
Majority			124	4.4
Turnout			2,867	38.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Kinning Park

Kinning Park
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	M. G. Cowie*	2,279	45.1
	SNP	J. Michie	1,616	31.9
	Labour	A. McGill	940	18.6
	Communist	J. McClymont	232	4.6
Majority			663	13.2
Turnout			5,058	41.8
	Progressives hold		Swing

Knightswood

Knightswood
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	G. Wotherspoon	5,153	40.3
	Labour	D. McColl*	4,171	32.6
	Conservative	E. Davidson	2,870	22.4
	Communist	H. D. Boyd	591	4.7
Majority			982	7.7
Turnout			12,785	43.2
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Langside

Langside
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	R. Wallace*	5,965	63.5
	SNP	I. Barclay	2,124	22.6
	Labour	A. McFarlane	974	10.4
	Communist	J. Downes	336	3.5
Majority			3,841	40.9
Turnout			9,399	49.9
	Progressives hold		Swing

Maryhill

Maryhill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	R. A. Stevenson	3,030	39.3
	Labour	J. M. Craigen*	2,754	35.8
	Conservative	T. K. Smith	1,770	23.0
	Communist	D. Whyte	147	1.9
Majority			276	3.5
Turnout			7,701	45.8
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Mile-End

Mile-End
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	W. F. McLaughlin	1,696	41.7
	Labour	T. Henderson	1,297	31.9
	Conservative	J. H. Lorimer	903	22.1
	Communist	C. Glen	173	4.3
Majority			399	9.8
Turnout			4,069	28.7
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

North Kelvin

North Kelvin
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	W. M. Hutcheson*	2,594	48.6
	SNP	C. McLachlan	2,126	39.9
	Labour	M. Boyle	481	9.0
	Communist	M. McMillan	133	2.5
Majority			468	8.7
Turnout			5,334	39.2
	Progressives hold		Swing

Park

Park
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	W. N. Samuels*	2,169	56.8
	SNP	H. F. Smith	1,648	43.2
Majority			521	13.6
Turnout			3,817	38.0
	Progressives hold		Swing

Parkhead

Parkhead
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	A. McCue*	2,182	43.5
	SNP	T. Brady	1,670	33.3
	Labour	D. B. McCulloch	1,083	21.6
	Communist	J. McFadden	85	1.6
Majority			512	10.2
Turnout			5,020	44.1
	Progressives hold		Swing

Partick East

Partick East
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	A. S. Warren*	3,152	50.5
	SNP	L. Herring	2,374	38.1
	Labour	J. G. Buchan	565	9.1
	Communist	W. Armstrong	145	2.3
Majority			778	12.4
Turnout			6,236	48.4
	Progressives hold		Swing

Partick West

Partick West
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	J. H. Fraser*	2,978	48.7
	SNP	M. MacRurry	2,469	40.4
	Labour	W. Meikle	415	6.8
	Communist	S. Barr	251	4.1
Majority			509	8.3
Turnout			6,113	46.1
	Progressives hold		Swing

Pollokshaws

Pollokshaws
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	G. A. Leslie	6,210	45.6
	Labour	W. H. Cockburn*	4,248	31.2
	Conservative	D. S. Wright	2,892	21.2
	Communist	E. Coffey	260	2.0
Majority			1,962	14.4
Turnout			13,610	47.8
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Pollokshields

Pollokshields
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressives	W. C. Munro	5,073	43.5
	SNP	E. J. Barwick	3,505	30.0
	Labour	P. O'Rourke	2,682	23.0
	Communist	W. Aitken	414	3.5
Majority			1,568	13.5
Turnout			11,674	49.6
	Progressives hold		Swing

Provan

Provan
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	J. Airth	8,461	47.1
	Labour	R. McCutcheon*	6,641	37.0
	Progressives	C. Pirie	2,031	11.3
	Communist	J. Jackson	827	4.6
Majority			1,820	10.1
Turnout			17,960	40.4
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Ruchill

Ruchill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	J. Dewar	4,308	44.8
	Labour	T. E. Hollywood	3,832	39.8
	Progressives	J. Davidson	1,097	11.4
	Communist	J. Furey	381	4.0
Majority			476	5.0
Turnout			9,618	37.6
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Shettleston & Tollcross

Shettleston & Tollcross
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	W. Lindsay	6,210	43.6
	Labour	T. B. Duncan*	4,155	39.0
	Conservative	J. D. Train	1,631	15.3
	Communist	T. McAdam	223	2.1
Majority			499	4.6
Turnout			10,663	40.3
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Springburn

Springburn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	W. Morton	3,977	47.5
	Labour	W. H. Russell*	3,264	38.9
	Progressives	J. Ogilvie	1,097	9.6
	Communist	N. MacLellan	335	4.0
Majority			713	8.5
Turnout			8,381	41.9
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing

Townhead

Whiteinch

Woodside

Yoker

By-elections between 1968 and 1969

References

↑ "'SNP End Labour Control of Glasgow,'". Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1968.

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[1] "'SNP End Labour Control of Glasgow,'". Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1968.

[1]

v t e Elections in Glasgow
Glasgow Town Council	1846
Glasgow Corporation	1895 1896 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 Abolished
Glasgow District Council	1974 1977 1980 1984 1988 1992 Abolished
Glasgow City Council	1995 1999 2003 2007 2012 2017 2022
Strathclyde Regional Council	1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 Abolished

v t e (1967 ←) 1968 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1969)
London boroughs	Barking Barnet Bexley Brent Bromley Camden Croydon Ealing Enfield Greenwich Hackney Hammersmith Haringey Harrow Havering Hillingdon Hounslow Islington Kensington and Chelsea Kingston upon Thames Lambeth Lewisham Merton Newham Redbridge Richmond upon Thames Southwark Sutton Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth Westminster
County boroughs	Cardiff Leeds Liverpool Merthyr Tydfil Manchester Newport Sheffield Swansea
City corporations	Aberdeen Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow
Elections in the London boroughs were due in May 1967, but were postponed one year by the London Government Act 1967.