1977 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election

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1977 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election
  1974 3 May 1977 (1977-05-03) 1980  

All 10 seats to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council
6 seats needed for a majority
Registered33,600
Turnout51.7%
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Lab
SLP
Con
Party Labour SLP Conservative
Last election8 seats, 35.5%N/A1 seat, 20.7%
Seats won621
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 2Increase2.svg 2Steady2.svg
Popular vote4,6132,845954
Percentage40.1%24.7%8.3%
SwingIncrease2.svg 4.6Increase2.svg 24.7Decrease2.svg 12.4

Council Leader before election


Labour

Council Leader after election


Labour

Elections to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council were held on 3 May 1977, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the second election to the district council following the local government reforms in 1974.

Contents

The election used the original 10 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting. [1]

Despite losing two seats, Labour maintained control of the district council, winning six of the 10 seats. The 1977 local elections were the first test for the nationalist Scottish Labour Party (SLP) which had been formed as a breakaway from Labour by South Ayrshire MP Jim Sillars alongside John Robertson and Alex Neil. The SLP achieved its best results in Cumnock and Doon Valley by winning two seats from Labour and taking more than 25% of the popular vote but the party ultimately fared poorly across the country. The Conservatives remained on one seat after losing their seat in Mauchline and gaining Catrine and Sorn. This was the last time the Conservatives would win a seat in the area until the 2017 local elections, 40 years later. The remaining seat was won by an independent candidate.

Results

1977 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election result
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 624Decrease2.svg 260.040.14,613Increase2.svg 4.6
  SLP 220Increase2.svg 220.024.72,845New
  Conservative 111Steady2.svg10.08.3954Decrease2.svg 12.4
  Independent 110Increase2.svg 110.06.4732New
  SNP 000Steady2.svg0.0017.31,984New
  Independent Labour 001Decrease2.svg 10.003.2373Decrease2.svg 40.6
Total10 11,501

Source: [2] [3]

Ward results

Cumnock Burgh

Cumnock Burgh
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. King 912 40.3
SLP W. Dick84337.3
SNP J. McHardy50622.4
Majority693.0
Turnout 2,26148.3
Registered electors 4,695
Labour hold

Source: [2] [3]

Lugar, Logan and Muirkirk

Lugar, Logan and Muirkirk
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour M. Lochhead 948 66.7
SNP I. Cole47333.3
Majority47533.4
Turnout 1,42142.0
Registered electors 3,389
Labour hold

Source: [2] [3]

Old Cumnock Parish

Old Cumnock Parish
PartyCandidateVotes%
SLP W. Pender 543 51.8
Labour J. Smith50648.2
Majority373.6
Turnout 1,04944.0
Registered electors 2,399
SLP gain from Labour

Source: [2] [3]

Auchinleck

Auchinleck
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. AllanUnopposed
Registered electors 3,495
Labour hold

Source: [2] [3]

Catrine and Sorn

Catrine and Sorn
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative J. McInnes 496 36.9
Independent Labour H. Nisbet37327.8
Labour G. Smith33424.9
SLP E. Standring14010.4
Majority1239.1
Turnout 1,34358.5
Registered electors 2,305
Conservative gain from Labour

Source: [2] [3]

New Cumnock

New Cumnock
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. PatersonUnopposed
Registered electors 3,970
Labour hold

Source: [2] [3]

Dalmellington

Dalmellington
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent A. Johnstone 682 40.9
SLP J. Stewart58535.1
Labour P. Conway35021.0
Independent R. Hill503.0
Majority975.8
Turnout 1,66750.4
Registered electors 3,309
Independent gain from Labour

Source: [2] [3]

Patna and Dalrymple

Patna and Dalrymple
PartyCandidateVotes%
SLP T. Hainey 734 39.4
Labour M. Rooney63634.1
SNP G. Guthrie49526.5
Majority985.3
Turnout 1,86559.0
Registered electors 3,178
SLP gain from Labour

Source: [2] [3]

Drongan, Ochiltree, Rankinston and Stair

Drongan, Ochiltree, Rankinston and Stair
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. HodgeUnopposed
Registered electors 3,797
Labour gain from Independent Labour

Source: [2] [3]

Mauchline

Mauchline
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Shankland 927 48.9 Increase2.svg 0.9
SNP J. Strawthorn51026.9New
Conservative J. Downes45824.2Decrease2.svg 27.8
Majority41722.0N/A
Turnout 1,89561.9Increase2.svg 12.3
Registered electors 3,063
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase2.svg 14.3

Source: [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

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Elections to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council were held on 5 May 1988, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the fifth election to the district council following the local government reforms in the 1970s.

Elections to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council were held on 3 May 1984, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the fourth election to the district council following the local government reforms in the 1970s.

Elections to Cumnock and Doon Valley 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.

Mauchline was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Patna and Dalrymple was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Dalmellington was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

New Cumnock was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Muirkirk, Lugar and Logan was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974 as Lugar, Logan and Muirkirk before being renamed in 1999, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Auchinleck was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before it was abolished in 1984. Following the local government reforms in the 1990s, the ward was reestablished in 1999 as part of East Ayrshire. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Drongan, Ochiltree, Rankinston and Stair was one of 30 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Cumnock Burgh was one of 10 electoral wards of Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council. Created in 1974, the ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Old Cumnock Parish was one of 10 electoral wards of Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council. Created in 1974, the ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Catrine and Sorn was one of 10 electoral wards of Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council. Created in 1974, the ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Cumnock East was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1984, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Cumnock South and Old Cumnock was one of 30 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1984, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Cumnock West and Auchinleck was one of 30 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1984, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Catrine, Sorn and North Auchinleck was one of 30 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1984, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

References

  1. "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1977). The Scottish District Elections 1977: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 3 January 2023.