South Lanarkshire Council is the unitary authority serving the South Lanarkshire council area in Scotland. The council has its headquarters in Hamilton, has 16,000 employees, and an annual budget of almost £1bn. The large and varied geographical territory takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark, Strathaven and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and East Kilbride which was Scotland's first new town. The area was formed in 1996 from the areas of Clydesdale, Hamilton and East Kilbride districts, and some outer areas of Glasgow district ; all were previously within the Strathclyde region from 1975 but in historic Lanarkshire prior to that.
Elections to Strathclyde Regional Council were held on Thursday 5 May 1994, on the same day as the eight other Scottish regional elections. This was the final election to the regional council which was abolished in 1995 along with the 19 district councils and replaced by 12 unitary authorities following the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
Elections to South Lanarkshire Council took place on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Elections to East Kilbride District Council were held on 7 May 1992, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the final election to the district council which was abolished in 1995 along with Hamilton District Council and Clydesdale District Council and, combined with part of the abolished City of Glasgow District Council, was replaced by South Lanarkshire Council following the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. The regional council, Strathclyde, was also abolished and the new unitary authority took on its responsibilities.
Elections to Hamilton District Council were held on 7 May 1992, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the final election to the district council which was abolished in 1995 along with East Kilbride District Council and Clydesdale District Council and, combined with part of the abolished City of Glasgow District Council, was replaced by South Lanarkshire Council following the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. The regional council, Strathclyde, was also abolished and the new unitary authority took on its responsibilities.
Clydesdale West is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 19,350 people.
Clydesdale East is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 13,165 people
East Kilbride West is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 13,737 people.
Cambuslang West is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 14,096 people.
Blantyre is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Re-established in 2007, the ward initially elected four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system before a boundary review in 2017 reduced the number of councillors to three. It covers an area with a population of 15,968 people.
Bothwell and Uddingston is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 13,261 people.
Elections to South Lanarkshire Council were held on 6 May 1999, alongside elections to the Scottish Parliament. This was the second election following the local government reforms in 1994 and the first following the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements which resulted in six fewer seats from the previous election.
The first elections to East Ayrshire Council were held on 6 April 1995, on the same day as the 28 other Scottish local government elections. The council was created from the former Cumnock and Doon Valley and Kilmarnock and Loudoun district councils and assumed some of the responsibilities of the former Strathclyde Regional Council following the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
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.
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 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.
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.
Hillhouse was one of 67 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Hamilton District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.
Elections to East Kilbride 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.
