1972 Edinburgh Corporation election

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1972 Edinburgh Corporation election
Flag of Edinburgh.svg
  1971 2 May 1972 (1972-05-02) 1973  

23 of the 69 seats to the Edinburgh Corporation
35 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Leader Jack Kane Brian Meek
Party Labour Progressives Conservative
Last election28279
Seats before28269
Seats won1073
Seats after33219
Seat changeIncrease2.svg5Decrease2.svg5Steady2.svg
Popular vote59,45631,47925,808
Percentage42.0%22.2%18.2%

 Fourth partyFifth party
 
LeaderRobert Smith
Party Liberal Independent
Last election32
Seats before43
Seats won21
Seats after52
Seat changeIncrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg1
Popular vote14,5544,286
Percentage10.3%3.0%

Edinburgh Corporation election, 1972.svg
Results by ward.

Council control before election


No overall control

Council control after election


No overall control

An Election to the Edinburgh Corporation was held on 2 May 1972, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the councils 69 seats, 23 were up for election. [1]

Contents

Following the election, with two by-elections pending, Edinburgh Corporation was composed of 33 Labour councillors, 21 Progressives, 9 Conservatives, and 5 Liberals. Labour did particularly well in the 1972 municipal elections across Scotland, and this was also the case in Edinburgh, where the party came close to gaining control of the council for the first time, controlling 33 of the councils 68 seats. The Liberals, with 5 seats, held the balance of power in the new council. [1] Following the election Edinburgh corporation would elect its first Labour Lord Provost; Jack Kane. [2]

The election also witnessed the continuation of the decline of the Progressives, who lost 5 seats. [1]

Turnout was 42.1%.

Aggregate results

Edinburgh Corporation election, 1972 [1]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1150Increase2.svg543.542.059,456
  Progressives 505Decrease2.svg530.422.231,479
  Conservative 422Steady2.svg13.018.225,808
  Liberal 210Increase2.svg18.710.314,554
  Independent 101Decrease2.svg14.33.04,286
  SNP 000Steady2.svg0.02.94,142
  Communist 000Steady2.svg0.01.01,382

Ward results

Location of Broughton ward Broughton ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Broughton ward
Broughton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressives G. Fraser 2,446
Labour R. Cairns1,784
SNP J. Maxwell431
Majority662
Turnout 38.62%
Progressives hold
Location of Calton ward Calton ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Calton ward
Calton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour M. Moules 2,087
Progressives Josephine Dickson1,921
Majority166
Turnout 40.00%
Labour gain from Progressives
Location of Central Leith ward Central Leith ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Central Leith ward
Central Leith [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. Hastle 2,496
Conservative Margaret Houston791
SNP J. Geddes354
Communist L. Farquhar33
Majority1705
Turnout 34.04%
Labour hold
Location of Colinton ward Colinton ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Colinton ward
Colinton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative A. Meek 5,286
Labour J. H. McKay4,908
Progressives D. Mackenzie1,162
SNP J. McKernan752
Majority378
Turnout 48.03%
Conservative hold
Location of Corstorphine ward Corstorphine ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Corstorphine ward
Corstorphine [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberal Joyce Sheln 3,465
Progressives Mrs Robertson Murray2,405
Conservative W. Percy1,847
Labour B. R. MacKenzie1,226
SNP A. S. Weir246
Majority1,060
Turnout 51.88%
Liberal gain from Progressives
Location of Craigentinny ward Craigentinny ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Craigentinny ward
Craigentinny [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour W. S. Dalgleish 4,181
Conservative G. V. McAra2,159
Communist T. Burns111
Majority2,022
Turnout 43.37%
Labour hold
Location of Craigmillar ward Craigmillar ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Craigmillar ward
Craigmillar [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour R. Fox 4,393
Conservative Norma-Ann Clayton622
Communist J. O'Donnell140
Majority3731
Turnout 33.01%
Labour hold
Location of George Square ward George Square ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of George Square ward
George Square [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressives C. Murphy 1,525
Labour J. F. Stephen1,515
Liberal M. G. Falchikov402
Independent NationalistR. M. S. Tuck150
Majority10
Turnout 36.17%
Progressives hold
Location of Gorgie-Dalry ward Gorgie-Dalry ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Gorgie-Dalry ward
Gorgie-Dalry [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour M. McGregor 2,785
Conservative J. McConnell1,188
SNP E. Milne651
Majority1597
Turnout 34.55%
Labour gain from Conservative
Location of Holyrood ward Holyrood ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Holyrood ward
Holyrood [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour O. Hand 1,546
Conservative P. Jones688
Majority
Turnout 34.37%
Labour hold
Location of Liberton ward Liberton ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Liberton ward
Liberton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. C. Campbell 7,705
Conservative A. H. Lester4,025
Communist W. Cowan133
Majority3680
Turnout 46.06%
Labour gain from Conservative
Location of Merchiston ward Merchiston ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Merchiston ward
Merchiston [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberal J. G. Gray 3,444
Progressives J. Dalgleish1,573
Labour R. N. F. Halliday756
Majority1871
Turnout 49.23%
Liberal hold
Location of Morningside ward Morningside ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Morningside ward
Morningside [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressives J. Bateman 3,252
Liberal N. L. Gordon2,718
SNP R. J. Shirley427
Majority534
Turnout 46.76%
Progressives hold
Location of Murrayfield-Cramond ward Murrayfield-Cramond ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Murrayfield-Cramond ward
Murrayfield-Cramond [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative G. G. Norval 5,648
Labour W. J. Taylor3,247
Liberal E. Sutherland-Loveday1,111
Majority2401
Turnout 44.98%
Conservative gain from Progressives
Location of Newington ward Newington ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Newington ward
Newington [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J. D. Kidd 4,286
Labour B. Rutherford1,798
Liberal J. Grahamslaw1,298
SNP Christina MacWhirter413
Communist Michele Gunn78
Majority2488
Turnout 46.39%
Independent hold
Location of Pilton ward Pilton ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Pilton ward
Pilton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour R. W. Irvine 5,244
Conservative Sarah Pringle1,149
Communist C McManus131
Majority4095
Turnout 33.79%
Labour hold
Location of Portobello ward Portobello ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Portobello ward
Portobello [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressives K. W. Borthwick 3,860
Labour Mary Hutchison2,215
Majority1645
Turnout 42.14%
Progressives hold
Location of St Andrews ward St Andrews ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of St Andrews ward
St. Andrews [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative I. A. Cramond 1,496
Labour P. McGhee855
Liberal C. S. Waterman474
Majority6358
Turnout 38.99%
Conservative hold
Location of St Bernards ward St Bernards ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of St Bernards ward
St. Bernard's [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative J. Sanderson 4,000
Labour R. D. Anderson2,581
Liberal R. H. Guild1,227
Majority1419
Turnout 43.87%
Conservative gain from Progressives
Location of St Giles ward St Giles ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of St Giles ward
St. Giles [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. McInally 1,542
Conservative D. J. Walker525
Majority1017
Turnout 24.13%
Labour hold
Location of Sighthill ward Sighthill ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of Sighthill ward
Sighthill [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour D. Renton 4,920
Conservative W. Scott1,175
Communist W. Miller889
SNP R. MacKenna542
Liberal A. A. Mackay415
Majority3745
Turnout 43.90%
Labour gain from Independent
Location of South Leith South Leith ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of South Leith
South Leith [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour I. R. Hoy 2,614
Progressives C. Waugh2,362
SNP J. Sinclair326
Protestant Action J. Maclean151
Majority252
Turnout 46.16%
Labour gain from Progressives
Location of West Leith ward West Leith ward in Edinburgh Corporation.svg
Location of West Leith ward
West Leith [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressives W. S. Lyle 3,397
Labour N. Lindsay1,843
Majority1554
Turnout 46.18%
Progressives hold

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Results in the Municipal Elections". The Glasgow Herald. 3 May 1972. p. 2.
  2. p.6