1992 Scottish local elections

Local elections were held in Scotland in May 1992, to elect members to all 53 district councils. It was the last local election held under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which had established the two-tier system of regions and districts. Regional and district councils were abolished in 1996, and replaced with 29 new mainland unitary authorities under the terms of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.

Overview

Background

There was some speculation that these elections would be the last under the present two-tier system, as a review of council areas had been announced by the incumbent Conservative Government (The last elections were in fact the 1994 regional elections). The elections were seen as a test of the Conservative Government elected a month before in April, where the Conservatives has increased their vote share, much to the surprise of pollsters.

Outcome

The election saw a decrease in turnout of more than 5%, the lowest since District Council elections were introduced in 1974. The number of women candidates increased to 26.7%, although only 21.5% of elected councillors were women, showing that the main parties often preferred to nominate men in wards where they had a better chance of winning. Labour saw a sharp fall on their vote share, down 8.5% from 1988. The main beneficiaries of this decline were the Conservatives, up 3.8%, but still in third place behind the SNP, who gained 3.0%. The Liberal Democrats also made modest gains, taking a new record of 95 seats.

Regional Trends

Labour held most of their strongholds in the central belt, as well as Dundee and Aberdeen; even though their vote share decreased more in these areas (Such as East Lothian, down 13% from 1988 and Glasgow, down 11.8%) than elsewhere. The Conservatives were most successful in places were they hadn't stood many (if any) candidates before, such as Clackmannan (where the party only stood two candidates in 1988). Independents remained the largest party in rural areas, while the Liberal Democrats held their two councils of North East Fife and Annandale and Eskdale.^[1]

National results

style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FDF38E;" data-sort-value="Scottish National Party" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Scottish Conservative Party" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Scottish Liberal Democrats" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" |

e • d **Summary of the 1992 Scottish district council election results^[2]**
Votes Total			Votes %	Seats
Labour	504,076	34.0	468
SNP	360,014	24.3	150
Conservative	343,358	23.2	204
Liberal Democrats	140,697	9.5	94
Independent	107,586	7.4	228
style="width: 10px" bgcolor=Template:Other/meta/color\|	Other	26,057	1.9	14
Total		1,481,788	n/a	1158

Results by council area

Borders

Council	1988 result
Berwickshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative	Details
Ettrick and Lauderdale style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Roxburgh style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Tweeddale style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details

Central

Council	1988 result
Clackmannan style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Falkirk style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Stirling style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details

Dumfries and Galloway

Council	1988 result
Annandale and Eskdale style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats	Details
Wigtown style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Nithsdale style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Stewartry style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details

Fife

Council	1988 result
Dunfermline style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Kirkcaldy style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
North-East Fife style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats	Details

Grampian

Council	1988 result
Banff and Buchan style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
City of Aberdeen style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Gordon style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Kincardine and Deeside style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Moray style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details

Highland

Council	1988 result
Badenoch and Strathspey style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Caithness style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Inverness style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Lochaber style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Nairn style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Ross and Cromarty style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Skye and Lochalsh style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Sutherland style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details

Lothian

Council	1988 result
City of Edinburgh style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
East Lothian style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Midlothian style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
West Lothian style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details

Strathclyde

Council	1988 result
Argyll and Bute style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent	Details
Bearsden and Milngavie style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Clydebank style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Clydesdale style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Cunninghame style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Cumnock and Doon Valley style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Dumbarton style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
East Kilbride style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Eastwood style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative	Details
City of Glasgow style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Hamilton style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Inverclyde style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Kilmarnock and Loudoun style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Kyle and Carrick style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative	Details
Motherwell style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Monklands style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Renfrew style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Strathkelvin style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details

Tayside

Council	1988 result
Angus style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FDF38E;" data-sort-value="Scottish National Party" \|	SNP style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FDF38E;" data-sort-value="Scottish National Party" \|	SNP	Details
City of Dundee style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Scottish Labour Party" \|	Labour	Details
Perth and Kinross style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Scottish Conservative Party" \|	Conservative	Details

References

^ "Scottish District Elections 1992" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
^ Denver, David; Bochel, Hugh (Winter 2000), "The Forgotten Elections: The Scottish Council Elections of 1999", Scottish Affairs (PDF), vol. 30, archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-03, retrieved 2011-07-16McConnell, Alan (2004), Scottish Local Government, Edinburgh University Press, ISBN 978-0-7486-2005-0

[1] "Scottish District Elections 1992" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 11 January 2020.

[2] Denver, David; Bochel, Hugh (Winter 2000), "The Forgotten Elections: The Scottish Council Elections of 1999", Scottish Affairs (PDF), vol. 30, archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-03, retrieved 2011-07-16McConnell, Alan (2004), Scottish Local Government, Edinburgh University Press, ISBN 978-0-7486-2005-0

[1]

[2]

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See also: UK General election