Strathclyde Regional Council election, 1982

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Map showing results in Strathclyde Regional Council. Strathclyde Regional Council election, 1982.svg
Map showing results in Strathclyde Regional Council.

The second election to Strathclyde Regional Council was held on 6 May 1982 and yielded a significant Labour majority. The election saw the Labour majority increase its majority from 45 to 55.

Contents

The leader of the Conservative group, Leonard Turpie, lost his seat to the SDP-Liberal Alliance. The Conservatives also lost the adjoining seat to Labour. Both seats were contained within the Glasgow Hillhead constituency won in March by SDP figure Roy Jenkins. [1]

Glasgow Hillhead was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.

The election saw the Conservatives reduced to their lowest ever result of 15 seats, whilst Labour emerged with 79 members, the SDP-Liberal Alliance with 4, SNP with 3, and 2 Independents. [2]

Following the election there was an attempt to unseat the incumbent Leader of Strathclyde Regional Council Dick Stewart, who had held the position since the councils creation. He was challenged for the leadership by his longtime friend and colleague Charles Gray at the first meeting of the Labour group, on 6 May, following the election. The attempt however failed, with Stewart retaining the leadership with 40 votes to Gray's 38. [2]

Sir Charles Ireland Gray is a Labour Party politician. Having joined the Labour Party at age 16, he has now had 68 years of continuous Labour Party membership. Charles Gray rose to become leader of Strathclyde Regional Council from 1986-1992 and President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Aggregate results

Strathclyde Regional election, 1982
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 79 6 1Increase2.svg5 76.7 45.8 340,118Increase2.svg2.8
  Conservative 15Decrease2.svg9 14.6 22.5 169,910Decrease2.svg7.5
  SDP–Liberal Alliance 4 3.9 17.8 126,708Increase2.svg16.1
  SNP 3 1 0Increase2.svg1 2.9 12.5 92,927Decrease2.svg10.0
  Independent 2 1.9 1.6 12,204Increase2.svg0.9

Ward results

Argyll and Bute

Kintyre
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Conservative J McCorkindale 2,444 65.6
Labour D McMillan 1,274 34.2
Majority 1,170 31.4
Turnout 3,718 43.4
Conservative hold Swing
Mid-Argyll/Islay
PartyCandidateVotes%±
SNP N MacNeil 2,635 60.0
Conservative J Mackie 1,396 28.2
Ecology C Gladstone 352 8.0
Majority 1,240 31.4
Turnout 4,383 42.3
SNP hold Swing
Lorn and Mull
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Conservative D Webster unopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Bute/West Cowal
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Conservative J McMillan 2,292 55.1
SNP R Strong 1,232 29.6
Labour M McGrorarty 624 15.0
Majority 1,060 25.6
Turnout 4,148 49.8
Conservative hold Swing
Dunoon/East Cowal
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Independent J Walsh 1,318 29.8
Conservative J.A. Douglas 1,121 25.3
Independent J MacKinnon 603 13.6
Independent M Murton 469 10.6
Liberal A Lyall 456 10.3
Labour J Cullen 456 10.3
Majority 197 4.5
Turnout 4,423 49.4
Independent gain from Liberal Swing

Dumbarton

Dumbarton
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour I MacDonald 3,751 44.5
Liberal J Murricane 2,178 25.9
Conservative R Graham 1,632 19.4
SNP G Clarkson 851 10.1
Majority 1,573 18.6
Turnout 8,412 45.2
Helensburgh
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Independent W Petrie 6,735 73.5
Social Democratic R Sawyer 1,337 14.6
Labour J Carleton 609 6.6
SNP J.B. Cowey 465 5.1
Majority 5,398 58.9
Turnout 9,146 50.4
Independent hold Swing
Vale of Leven
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour D Mills 6,181 62.0
SNP N McEwan 1,609 16.1
Conservative P Grant 1,250 12.5
Communist Jim Bollan 496 5.0
Independent Labour G Muir 402 4.0
Majority 4,572 45.9
Turnout 9,938 48.9
Labour hold Swing
Drumry/Summerhill
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour A McLean 3,460 63.5
SNP T Humble 1,445 26.5
Conservative D Gibson 436 8.0
Communist A Jackson 96 1.8
Majority 2,015 37.0
Turnout 5,437 35.0
Labour hold Swing

Glasgow

Blairdarrie/Knightscliffe
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J.W. MacKechnie 3,253 46.2
Social Democratic G Beattie 1,521 21.6
Conservative C.A. Lawson 1,340 19.1
SNP J Ruddy 912 13.0
Majority 1,732 24.6
Turnout 7,026 40.0
Labour hold Swing
Yoker/Knightswood
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour W Perry 4,175 62.1
Conservative E Ledgewood 1,211 18.0
SNP J Lang 1,203 17.9
Communist J Moffat 117 1.7
Majority 2,964 44.1
Turnout 6,706 37.2
Labour hold Swing
Scotstoun/Broomhill
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour K Murray 2,835 32.5
Social Democratic C Ainsworth 2,385 27.4
Conservative L.M. Rosin 2,227 25.6
SNP W Lindsay Jnr. 1,141 13.1
Communist L.D. Bain 124 1.4
Majority 450 5.1
Turnout 8,712 45.7
wing =
Kelvinside/Kelvindale
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Liberal C.M. Mason 3,833 40.7
Conservative L MacK Turpie 3,809 40.5
Labour C.F. Rushton 1,223 13.0
SNP P.D. Johnson 435 4.6
Ecology A Whitelaw 104 1.1
Majority 24 0.2
Turnout 9,404 47.7
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

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References

  1. "Crushing Blow to Tories". The Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1982. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 "Challenge to Strathclyde Leader Fails". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1982. p. 13.