Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, local councils and community councils. Before the United Kingdom left the European Union, Scotland elected members to the European Parliament.
Motherwell and Wishaw is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of North Lanarkshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality method of election. It is also one of nine constituencies in the Central Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
Elections to North Lanarkshire Council were held on 3 May 2012 on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used the twenty wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 70 Councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.
The 2017 local council election to South Ayrshire Council was held on Thursday 4 May 2017, on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. It was the third successive Local Council election in South Ayrshire to run under the STV Electoral System. Following the election, a coalition administration was formed between the SNP, Labour and Independent councillors, despite the fact that the Conservatives remained the largest party on the council, increasing their lead over the SNP by 2 seats.
Elections to North Lanarkshire Council were held on 4 May 2017, on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election utilised twenty-one wards with 77 Councillors being elected. This represented an increase of 7 seats and 1 additional ward when compared to 2012. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.
Clydesdale West is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it elects four councillors. Its territory covers the small town of Carluke and the surrounding rural area which includes the villages of Braidwood, Crossford and Law – these boundaries were unaffected by a 2017 national review. In 2019, the ward had a population of 19,124.
Clydesdale East is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. It elects three councillors. Its territory covers a large, rural and sparsely populated area of southern and eastern Clydesdale, bordering four other local authority areas. The largest settlement is Biggar; villages include Abington, Carnwath, Carstairs, Carstairs Junction, Cleghorn, Crawford, Leadhills, Symington and Thankerton – these boundaries were unaffected by a 2017 national review. In 2019, the ward had a population of 13,065.
Clydesdale South is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. It elects three councillors. Its territory covers a primarily rural area in western Clydesdale bisected by the M74 motorway; the largest settlements are Blackwood/Kirkmuirhill and Lesmahagow, also including villages such as Coalburn, Douglas and Rigside – these boundaries were unaffected by a 2017 national review. In 2019, the ward had a population of 14,647.
East Kilbride Central North is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it currently elects three councillors. As the name suggests, its territory covers the parts of East Kilbride just north of the town centre with the southern boundary being the Queensway (A726) dual carriageway, including the central retail and administrative area itself as well as the neighbourhoods of East Mains, Kirktonholme, the Village and West Mains, most of St Leonards and part of Calderwood. A 2017 national review removed a few streets in the east of the ward which had only a small effect on the electorate but caused the loss of one seat from the original four to balance with other wards with similar populations but only three seats. In 2019, the population was 16,799.
East Kilbride West is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it elects three councillors. Its territory covers the parts of East Kilbride on the north-west and western peripheries of the town, including the neighbourhoods of Gardenhall, Hairmyres, Mossneuk, Nerston, Newlandsmuir, Philipshill and Stewartfield, plus the College Milton industrial area and the outlying village of Thorntonhall – these boundaries were unaffected by a 2017 national review. In 2019, the ward's population was 13,695.
Hamilton North and East is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it elects three councillors. Its territory covers northern parts of Hamilton including the town centre, Barncluith, Burnbank, Chantinghall, Hamilton West and Whitehill, plus the separate village of Ferniegair/Allanton, the eastern boundary formed by the River Clyde. A 2017 national review saw the addition of a few streets at Ballantrae Road and the removal of some territory south of the town centre. In 2019, the ward's population was 15,036.
Hamilton South is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it elects four councillors. Its territory covers south-eastern parts of suburban Hamilton including the Avon Grove, Cadzow, Eddlewood, Fairhill, Laighstonehall, Low Waters, Meikle Earnock, Silvertonhill, Torhead Farm and Woodhead neighbourhoods. A 2017 national review saw the addition of some territory in the north of the ward, the northern boundary moving to the Argyle Line railway tracks. In 2019 the ward's population was 21,793, the highest in the council area.
Kilsyth is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council. It elects three councillors and covers the town of Kilsyth with a population of 13,772 in 2019. Created in 2007, its boundaries remained unchanged in a 2017 review.
Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council. It currently elects three councillors and, as its name suggests, covers the settlements of Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead with a combined population of 12,290 in 2019.
Airdrie North is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of North Lanarkshire Council. It elects four councillors and covers northern and eastern parts of Airdrie plus the outlying villages of Caldercruix, Wattston, Plains and Glenmavis. Established in 2007, a boundary review in 2017 resulted in a very minor change. In 2019, the ward's population was 20,137.
Fortissat is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it originally returned three councillors; a 2017 national review resulted in no changes in the boundaries but an extra seat being added. The ward's territory covers the town of Shotts and surrounding areas with a population of 15,730 in 2019.
Thorniewood is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council. It elects three councillors and covers the Viewpark, Tannochside and Birkenshaw areas. Its south-west boundary is the M74 motorway bordering the Bothwell and Uddingston ward of South Lanarkshire.
Mossend and Holytown is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, it elects three councillors.
Wishaw is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council. It elects four councillors and covers the town centre of Wishaw plus the neighbourhoods to its south and east including Gowkthrapple, Netherton, Overtown, Pather and Waterloo, with a population of 17,974 in 2019; created in 2007, its territory remained almost unchanged in a 2017 national review, other than the loss of a few streets by moving a section of the boundary south from the Temple Gill burn to the edge of Belhaven Park.
Elections to North Lanarkshire Council took place on 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 21 wards created following the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland's 5th Review, with 77 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.
