1982 Scottish regional elections

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1982 Scottish regional elections
Flag of Scotland.svg
  1980 6 May 1982 (1982-05-06) 1984  
Registered3,828,322
Turnout42.9
 First partySecond party
  Michael Foot (1981).jpg Margaret Thatcher (1983).jpg
Leader Michael Foot Margaret Thatcher
Party Labour Conservative
Leader since10 November 198011 February 1975
Seats won186119
Seat changeIncrease2.svg10Decrease2.svg17
Popular vote572,776382,891
Percentage37.625.1
SwingDecrease2.svg2.0Decrease2.svg 5.2

 Third partyFourth party
  DavidSteel1987 cropped.jpg
Leader David Steel Gordon Wilson
Party Alliance SNP
Leader since197615 September 1979
Seats won2523
Seat changeIncrease2.svg19Increase2.svg5
Popular vote276,824204,774
Percentage18.113.4
SwingIncrease2.svg 15.8Decrease2.svg7.5

Scottish local Regional elections, 1982.svg
Colours denote the winning party with outright control

Scottish Regional Council election, 1982.svg
Results by ward

Regional elections were held in Scotland on Thursday 6 May 1982, as part of the wider 1982 United Kingdom local elections. Whilst the 1982 elections saw the Conservatives hold up relatively well in England, the Tories did comparatively poorly in Scotland, where their already disadvantageous position worsened. The Conservatives did particularly poorly in Strathclyde, where the Conservative group leader lost his seat. [1]

Contents

Despite this poor performance, the Conservatives were actually seen as doing somewhat well in the overall Scottish context; the Conservative vote had, prior to the election, been languishing around 18% in Scotland. This was somewhat credited to a modest "Falkland Effect;" a surge in Conservative support due to their handling of the ongoing Falklands War. [2]

The SDP-Liberal Alliance managed to displace the SNP into fourth place, although this increase in support ultimately did not translate into major seat gains due to the FPTP nature of the ward electoral system. [2]

Also notable was the success of candidates in Shetland supportive of Home Rule for the islands, who wished for something similar to that enjoyed by the Faroe Islands. Whilst no candidates appeared on the ballot as members of the Shetland Movement, the Shetland Movement did publish a list of candidates supportive of Shetland Home Rule. Ultimately, of the 25 members of the Shetland Islands Council, 14 were supporters of the movement. [3]

National results

Summary of the 1982 Scottish regional council election results [4] [5]
PartiesVotesVotes %Wards
Labour 572,77637.6186
Conservative 382,89125.1119
Alliance 276,82418.125
SNP 204,77413.423
Communist 5,5370.41
Protestant Crusade Against the Papal Visit
1,2280.10
Ecology 9970.10
Independent Labour 4020.030
Democratic Socialist Party
2640.20
Workers Revolutionary 2520.020
Twentieth Century Reformation Movement
1360.010
Ratepayer
300.0020
Independent 77,6265.187
Total1,446,111100.0441

Results by council area

CouncilLabourConservativeSNPSDP-Liberal AllianceIndependentOtherTurnoutControl
Details
Borders080312041.1% Independent hold Details
Central224512044.7% Labour hold Details
Dumfries and Galloway443222039.0% Independent hold Details
Fife2710142143.2% Labour hold Details
Grampian1528362034.3% Conservative Hold Details
Highland512242041.0% Independent Hold Details
Lothian2222131047.6% No overall control Gain from Labour Details
Orkney Independent Hold Details
Shetland10001014 Independent Hold Details
Strathclyde7915342042.4% Labour Hold Details
Tayside1227502045.3% Conservative Hold Details
Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) Independent Hold Details

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References

  1. "Scots spurn Tories as apathy again hits polls". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1982. p. 12.
  2. 1 2 Towards a Four Party System: The Regional Elections of 1982, p.78-82
  3. "Shetland home rulers returned". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1982. p. 12.
  4. McConnell, Alan (2004), Scottish Local Government, Edinburgh University Press, ISBN   978-0-7486-2005-0
  5. Bochel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. Scottish Regional Election 1982: Results and Statistics. University of Dundee and University of Lancaster. pp. 59–63.