1977 City of Edinburgh District Council election

Last updated

1977 City of Edinburgh Council election
Flag of Edinburgh.svg
  1974 3 May 1977 (1977-05-03) 1980  

All 64 seats to Edinburgh City Council
33 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Party Conservative Labour SNP
Last election30291
Seats won34235
Seat changeIncrease2.svg4Decrease2.svg6Increase2.svg4
Popular vote73,15943,45931,525
Percentage44.8%26.6%19.3%
SwingIncrease2.svg3.8%Decrease2.svg9.4%Increase2.svg12.6%

 Fourth partyFifth party
 
Party Liberal Independent
Last election31
Seats won11
Seat changeDecrease2.svg2Steady2.svg0
Popular vote12,8731,703
Percentage7.9%1.0%
SwingDecrease2.svg5.6%Decrease2.svg0.7%

Council control before election


No overall control

Council control after election


Conservative

Elections for the City of Edinburgh District Council took place on 3 May 1977, alongside elections to the councils of Scotland's various other districts. These were the second election to the City of Edinburgh District Council. Conservatives won a majority with 34 of the Council's 64 seats. Across Scotland the elections saw the Conservatives and SNP make gains, while Labour lost seats. The Glasgow Herald said the Conservatives gaining control of Edinburgh District Council "crowned" what was "a night of considerable success" for the party. [1]

Contents

Writing in The Glasgow Herald, journalist Tom McConnell stated that "it was a disappointing night" for the SNP in Edinburgh, as while the party came close to taking several seats from Labour, in the end they managed to gain just four seats and also failed to trouble the Conservatives. He also blamed the Liberal result, which saw the party lose two of the three seats they had held, on voters reacting negatively to the recent Lib-Lab pact. [2]

Aggregate results

City of Edinburgh District Council election, 1977 [3] [4]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 34Increase2.svg453.144.873,159Increase2.svg3.8
  Labour 23Decrease2.svg635.926.643,459Decrease2.svg9.4
  SNP 5Increase2.svg47.819.331,525Increase2.svg12.6
  Liberal 1Decrease2.svg21.67.912,873Decrease2.svg5.6
  Independent 1Steady2.svg01.61.01,703Decrease2.svg0.7
  Communist 0Steady2.svg00.00.1238Decrease2.svg0.1
  Independent Labour 0Steady2.svg00.00.1228New
 Scottish Socialist0Steady2.svg00.00.1170New

Ward results

Ward 1: Holyrood [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour B Rutherford (Incumbent) 965
SNP A. Dear531
Conservative T. Davies518
Majority454
Turnout
Ward 2: Meadows [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour R. Canns (Incumbent) 708
Conservative J. Boal663
SNP J. Mitchell383
Liberal J. R. Wallace127
Majority45
Turnout
Ward 3: Lochrin [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative W. K. Macfarlane (Incumbent) 1,253
Labour G. I. Greene674
Majority579
Turnout
Ward 4: Tron [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. A. Mitchell 675
SNP C. A. McAdam462
Conservative P. McCormack419
Majority213
Turnout
Ward 5: Dalry [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
SNP May Moss 669
Labour A. Milne558
Conservative P. M. Smaill434
Dalry Peoples' CandidateA. McCue360
Majority81
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 6: Tynecastle [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour Elizabeth R. Mackenzie (Incumbent) 592
Conservative Isabella I. R. Jones546
SNP Jennifer M. Law418
Majority46
Turnout
Ward 7: Moat [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. C. Wilson 651
SNP Joan Crawford608
Conservative K. Alexander489
Liberal T. B. Aitkin489
Independent Labour D. Swanson228
Majority43
Turnout
Ward 8: Polworth [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberal J. G. Gray (Incumbent) 985
Labour Joan F. W. Fleming676
Conservative J. Taylor550
Majority409
Turnout
Ward 9: Churchill [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative K. G. Ferguson 1,122
Liberal Elizabeth C. Coates633
Labour D. D. Johnston261
Majority489
Turnout
Ward 10: Braid [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative Nancy H. Mansbridge (Incumbent) 2,735
Liberal B.A. Ritchie732
Labour D. D. Johnston293
Majority2,003
Turnout
Ward 11: Sciennes [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative E. M. Kean (Incumbent) 1,385
Liberal J. G. Hamilton535
Labour D. J. Mackenzie333
Majority850
Turnout
Ward 12: Marchmont [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative R. Brereton (Incumbent) 1,611
Liberal M. G. Falchikov892
Labour R. Imrie318
Communist Carol Downs64
Majority719
Turnout
Ward 13: Prestonfield [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative D. Ritchie (Incumbent) 1,717
Labour Jessie Rogan951
SNP D. R. L. Stewart696
Majority766
Turnout
Ward 14: Mayfield [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative Margaret E. S. Houston (Incumbent) 1,849
Labour R. A. P. Worral574
Majority1,275
Turnout
Ward 15: Inch [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour J. C. Campbell (Incumbent) 1,629
SNP A. McCallum1,077
Conservative Caroline Peploe531
Majority552
Turnout
Ward 16: Gilmerton [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour R.M. Lonie (Incumbent) 1,432
SNP C. C. Laing619
Conservative J. M. O. Lewis612
Majority813
Turnout
Ward 17: Alnwickhill [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative A. P. Metcalfe (Incumbent) 1,342
Labour D. A. Graham860
Liberal W. D. McLaren274
Majority482
Turnout
Ward 18: Kaimes [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour B. R. MacKenzie (Incumbent) 1,115
Conservative H. W. De Burgh955
SNP A. G. Symington820
Majority160
Turnout
Ward 19: Merchiston [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative J. L. Walls 1,600
Liberal J. F. Lawrie1,430
Labour T. J. H. Fenton300
Majority170
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal
Ward 20: Alnwickhill [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative J. D. Maclennen (Incumbent) 2,574
SNP Shena R. Cole395
Liberal L. F. Nichols338
Labour W. Crosbie234
Majority2,179
Turnout
Ward 21: Fairmilehead [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative B. A. Meek (Incumbent) 2,795
SNP R. O. Socle1,013
Labour F. R. N. Dickson794
Majority1,782
Turnout
Ward 22: Firrhill [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour Gerturde Batton (Incumbent) 1,002
Conservative T. Fontaine863
SNP C. D. Bisset529
Majority139
Turnout
Ward 23: Slighthill [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour F. Milligan (Incumbent) 1,293
SNP P. A. McGill1,066
Conservative J. D. Train781
Majority227
Turnout
Ward 24: Stenhouse [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour D. F. Renton (Incumbent) 1,619
SNP K. Mackintosh1,271
Conservative J. D. N. Iriving719
Majority348
Turnout
Ward 25: Slateford [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative Elizabeth Alves (Incumbent) 1,024
SNP A. Westwood700
Labour J. J. F. Henderson510
Majority324
Turnout
Ward 26: Hailes [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
SNP N. R. MacCallum 1,696
Labour J. H. McKay1,342
Conservative D. A. Robertson673
Majority354
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 27: Pilton [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
SNP J. B. Carson 793
Labour R. G. D. Dalgleish788
Liberal W. H. Bailey154
Majority5
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 28: Muirhouse [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour Eleanor T. McLaughlin (Incumbent) 1,029
SNP H. C. Kidd836
Majority193
Turnout
Ward 29: Craigsbank [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative J. G. R. Crombie (Incumbent) 1,513
Liberal T. M. Frew673
Labour J. A. Anderson132
Majority840
Turnout
Ward 30: Carrickknowe [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative I. G.. Anderson 1,150
Liberal Joyce Shein (Incumbent)1,079
SNP J.W. Donaldson662
Labour W. Coupar466
Majority71
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal
Ward 31: Corstorphine [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative A. J. MacLernan (Incumbent) 1,441
Liberal D. C. E. Gorrie 1,010
Labour A. Howden200
Majority431
Turnout
Ward 32: Drumbrae [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
SNP N. M. Irons 1,441
Conservative I. G. Mitchell824
Labour G. A. Munro751
Majority407
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 33: Murrayfield [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative Rosemary Macarthur 2,298
Liberal Veronica J. Crerar1,010
Labour W. D. Wood409
Majority1,868
Turnout
Ward 34: Blackhall [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative R. M. Knox (Incumbent) 1,953
Labour A. Foggie177
Majority1,776
Turnout

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References

  1. Thomson, Claude (4 May 1977). "Labour take a beating. SNP gain 15 seats in Glasgow". The Glasgow Herald. p. 1. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  2. McConnell, Tom (4 May 1977). "Conservatives snatch control of Edinburgh". The Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  3. "District Election Special". The Glasgow Herald . No. 84. 5 May 1977. p. 4.
  4. 1 2 3 J Bochel; D Denver (1977). Scottish District Elections 1977, Results and Statistics (PDF). University of Dundee. pp. 87–92 via The Election Centre, Plymouth University.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 "Edinburgh". The Glasgow Herald. 4 May 1977. p. 9. Retrieved 26 December 2022.