1974 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election

Last updated

1974 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election
7 May 1974 (1974-05-07) 1977  

All 16 seats to Annandale and Eskdale
9 seats needed for a majority
 First party
 
Ind
Party Independent
Seats won16
Popular vote4,788
Percentage100.0%

Council Leader after election


Independent

Elections to Annandale and Eskdale District Council were held on 7 May 1974, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the first election to the district council following the implementation of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

Contents

The election used the 16 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting. [1]

Annandale and Eskdale was a non-partisan district. No political party contested the election and all 16 seats were won by independents.

Background

Prior to 1974, the area that was to become Annandale and Eskdale, included five of the seven burghs in County of Dumfries. The burghs – namely Annan, Langholm, Lochmaben, Lockerbie and Moffat – were all small burghs so the burgh council had limited powers which included some control over planning as well as local taxation, building control, housing, lighting and drainage with the rest of the local government responsibility falling to the county council. [2]

Following the recommendations in the Wheatly Report, the old system of counties and burghs – which had resulted in a mishmash of local government areas in which some small burghs had larger populations but far fewer responsibilities than some large burghs and even counties [2] – was to be replaced by a new system of regional and district councils. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 implemented most of the recommendations in the Wheatly Report. The eastern part of the County of Dumfries which included the five burghs was placed into the Annandale and Eskdale district within the Dumfries and Galloway region. [2] [3]

Results

1974 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election result
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Independent 16N/A100.0100.04,788N/A

Source: [4]

Ward results

Greenknowe
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent G. Willacy 378 56.8
Independent D.J. Ivison28743.2
Galabank
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent R.L. Stevenson 472 71.1
Independent W. Graham19228.9
Standalane
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J.L. Wallace 445 78.8
Independent J. McKinna12021.2
Brydekirk
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent G. ProudfootUnopposed
Eastriggs
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J.W. DavidsonUnopposed
Gretna
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent R.G. GreenhowUnopposed
Langholm
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J. Grieve 514 54
Independent Jean M. White43846
Buccleuch
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent R. Carruthers 400 65.6
Independent Margaret E. Pool21034.4
Kirtle
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J. RaeUnopposed
Milk
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J.H.O BridgemanUnopposed
Moffat
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J. Cockayne 326 44.2
Independent R. Chisholm24032.5
Independent T.M. Sweetman17223.3
Beattock
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent C.M. Collins 267 44.9
Independent I.G. Ramsay23940.2
Independent D.C. Fell8814.8
Cummertrees
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent J.D. McKayUnopposed
Lochmaben
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Margaret E. WilsonUnopposed
Dryfe
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Sir W.E. JardineUnopposed
Lockerbie
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent P. CameronUnopposed

Source: [4]

Aftermath

Annandale and Eskdale, like the other three districts in Dumfries and Galloway, was non-partisan and controlled by Independent candidates who won all 16 seats. Independents also controlled the regional council which held its first election on the same day. Across Scotland, Labour won the most votes, the most seats and the most councils of any party. [4]

References

  1. "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Information Paper Local government in Scotland: before 1975" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  3. Turnock, David (1970). "The Wheatley Report: Local Government in Scotland". Area. 2 (2). Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers: 10–12. JSTOR   20000437.
  4. 1 2 3 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 4 April 2025.