1978 Strathclyde Regional Council election

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1978 Strathclyde Regional Council election
  1974 2 May 1978 (1978-05-02) 1982  

All 103 seats to Strathclyde Regional Council [lower-alpha 1]
52 seats needed for a majority
Registered1,765,635
Turnout46.2%
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Lab
Con
SNP
LeaderDick Stewart
Party Labour Conservative SNP
Last election71 seats, 44.0%20 seats, 28.4%5 seats, 15.1%
Seats won72252
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 5Decrease2.svg 3
Popular vote348,053242,721182,878
Percentage43.0%30.0%22.6%
SwingDecrease2.svg 1.0Increase2.svg 1.6Increase2.svg 7.5

Council Leader before election

Dick Stewart
Labour

Council Leader after election

Dick Stewart
Labour

Elections to Strathclyde Regional Council were held on Tuesday 2 May 1978, on the same day as the eight other Scottish regional elections. This was the second election to the regional council following the local government reforms in 1974.

Contents

The election was the last to use the 103 electoral divisions created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974. Each electoral division elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting. [2]

Labour, who had won the previous election to Strathclyde Regional Council, retained a large majority by winning 72 of the 103 seats – up one from the previous election in 1974. The Conservatives remained as the second-largest party after winning 25 seats, an increase of five from the previous election. Despite increasing their vote share by 7.5%, the Scottish National Party (SNP) lost three seats to hold just two as they ended as the joint third-largest party with the Liberal Party who had remained on two seats. One Independent Ratepayer was elected but no other independent candidates were returned.

One seat remained vacant following the election after the poll in the Crosshill and Prospecthill electoral division was postponed due to the death of Labour candidate and convener of the regional council, the Rev. Geoff Shaw on 28 April. [1]

Results

1978 Strathclyde Regional Council election
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 72Increase2.svg 169.943.0348,053Decrease2.svg 1.0
  Conservative 25Increase2.svg 524.330.0242,721Increase2.svg 1.6
  SNP 2Decrease2.svg 31.922.6182,878Increase2.svg 7.5
  Liberal 2Steady2.svg1.91.814,219Decrease2.svg 2.7
 Independent Ratepayers1Steady2.svg1.00.75,754
  SLP 000Steady2.svg0.00.86,410
  Independent 004Decrease2.svg 40.00.75,531
  Communist 000Steady2.svg0.00.32,423
  Independent Labour 000Steady2.svg0.00.21,573
  Independent Nationalist 000Steady2.svg0.00.0273
  Workers Revolutionary 000Steady2.svg0.00.0143
  Socialist Unity 000Steady2.svg0.00.077
Total102 [lower-alpha 1]

Source: [3] [4]

Electoral division results

Kilmarnock North

Kilmarnock North
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hunter 5,081 52.4 Decrease2.svg 6.8
SNP R. Brailsford2,66927.5New
Conservative P. Thomson1,94620.1Decrease2.svg 4.6
Majority2,41224.9Decrease2.svg 9.6
Turnout 9,69648.1Increase2.svg 2.2
Registered electors 20,179
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg 1.1

Source: [3] [4]

Kilmarnock South

Kilmarnock South
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Carson 3,571 39.0 Decrease2.svg 8.2
Conservative A. McCluskey2,90331.7Decrease2.svg 9.4
SNP G. Wilson2,66229.1New
Majority6687.3Increase2.svg 1.2
Turnout 9,13646.1Decrease2.svg 4.5
Registered electors 19,846
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg 0.6

Source: [3] [4]

Stewarton and Irvine Valley

Stewarton and Irvine Valley
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Fulton 4,572 42.8 Decrease2.svg 14.3
Conservative A. MacIntosh3,12729.3Increase2.svg 2.2
SNP R. Young2,97527.8New
Majority1,44513.5Decrease2.svg 14.5
Turnout 10,67451.2Decrease2.svg 2.3
Registered electors 20,870
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg 8.2

Source: [3] [4]

Cumnock

Cumnock
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Paterson 3,910 51.9 N/A
SLP W. Dick1,87724.9N/A
Conservative J. Findlay95212.6N/A
SNP I. Cole78510.4N/A
Majority2,03327.0N/A
Turnout 7,52446.1N/A
Registered electors 16,351
Labour hold Swing N/A

Source: [3] [4]

New Cumnock and Doon Valley

New Cumnock and Doon Valley
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Goudie 3,906 48.3 N/A
SLP A. Neil3,00137.1N/A
Conservative A. McInnes1,16414.4N/A
Majority90511.2N/A
Turnout 8,07147.1N/A
Registered electors 17,171
Labour hold Swing N/A

Source: [3] [4]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Although all 103 seats were due to be contested, the election in the Crosshill and Prospecthill electoral division was postponed following the death of Labour candidate and convener of the regional council, the Rev. Geoff Shaw on 28 April 1978. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "How the regions voted". The Glasgow Herald . No. 84. 4 May 1978. p. 9.
  2. "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bochel, J. M.; Denver, D. T.; McHardy, B. J. (1978). The Scottish Regional Elections 1978: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bochel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 29 December 2022.