1977 City of Edinburgh District Council election

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1977 City of Edinburgh Council election
← 1974 3 May 1977 (1977-05-03) 1980 →
All 64 seats to Edinburgh City Council
33 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Conservative Labour SNP
Last election 30 29 1
Seats won 34 23 5
Seat change Increase4 Decrease6 Increase4
Popular vote 73,159 43,459 31,525
Percentage 44.8% 26.6% 19.3%
Swing Increase3.8% Decrease9.4% Increase12.6%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party Liberal Independent
Last election 3 1
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Decrease2 Steady0
Popular vote 12,873 1,703
Percentage 7.9% 1.0%
Swing Decrease5.6% Decrease0.7%
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]

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[edit]

City of Edinburgh District Council election, 1977[3][4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 34 Increase4 53.1 44.8 73,159 Increase3.8
  Labour 23 Decrease6 35.9 26.6 43,459 Decrease9.4
  SNP 5 Increase4 7.8 19.3 31,525 Increase12.6
  Liberal 1 Decrease2 1.6 7.9 12,873 Decrease5.6
  Independent 1 Steady0 1.6 1.0 1,703 Decrease0.7
  Communist 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 238 Decrease0.1
  Independent Labour 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 228 New
  Scottish Socialist 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 170 New

Ward results[edit]

Ward 1: Holyrood[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour B Rutherford (Incumbent) 965
SNP A. Dear 531
Conservative T. Davies 518
Majority 454
Turnout
Ward 2: Meadows[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour R. Canns (Incumbent) 708
Conservative J. Boal 663
SNP J. Mitchell 383
Liberal J. R. Wallace 127
Majority 45
Turnout
Ward 3: Lochrin[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative W. K. Macfarlane (Incumbent) 1,253
Labour G. I. Greene 674
Majority 579
Turnout
Ward 4: Tron[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. A. Mitchell 675
SNP C. A. McAdam 462
Conservative P. McCormack 419
Majority 213
Turnout
Ward 5: Dalry[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP May Moss 669
Labour A. Milne 558
Conservative P. M. Smaill 434
Dalry Peoples' Candidate A. McCue 360
Majority 81
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 6: Tynecastle[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Elizabeth R. Mackenzie (Incumbent) 592
Conservative Isabella I. R. Jones 546
SNP Jennifer M. Law 418
Majority 46
Turnout
Ward 7: Moat[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. C. Wilson 651
SNP Joan Crawford 608
Conservative K. Alexander 489
Liberal T. B. Aitkin 489
Independent Labour D. Swanson 228
Majority 43
Turnout
Ward 8: Polworth[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal J. G. Gray (Incumbent) 985
Labour Joan F. W. Fleming 676
Conservative J. Taylor 550
Majority 409
Turnout
Ward 9: Churchill[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative K. G. Ferguson 1,122
Liberal Elizabeth C. Coates 633
Labour D. D. Johnston 261
Majority 489
Turnout
Ward 10: Braid[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Nancy H. Mansbridge (Incumbent) 2,735
Liberal B.A. Ritchie 732
Labour D. D. Johnston 293
Majority 2,003
Turnout
Ward 11: Sciennes[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative E. M. Kean (Incumbent) 1,385
Liberal J. G. Hamilton 535
Labour D. J. Mackenzie 333
Majority 850
Turnout
Ward 12: Marchmont[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative R. Brereton (Incumbent) 1,611
Liberal M. G. Falchikov 892
Labour R. Imrie 318
Communist Carol Downs 64
Majority 719
Turnout
Ward 13: Prestonfield[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative D. Ritchie (Incumbent) 1,717
Labour Jessie Rogan 951
SNP D. R. L. Stewart 696
Majority 766
Turnout
Ward 14: Mayfield[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Margaret E. S. Houston (Incumbent) 1,849
Labour R. A. P. Worral 574
Majority 1,275
Turnout
Ward 15: Inch[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. C. Campbell (Incumbent) 1,629
SNP A. McCallum 1,077
Conservative Caroline Peploe 531
Majority 552
Turnout
Ward 16: Gilmerton[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour R.M. Lonie (Incumbent) 1,432
SNP C. C. Laing 619
Conservative J. M. O. Lewis 612
Majority 813
Turnout
Ward 17: Alnwickhill[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative A. P. Metcalfe (Incumbent) 1,342
Labour D. A. Graham 860
Liberal W. D. McLaren 274
Majority 482
Turnout
Ward 18: Kaimes[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour B. R. MacKenzie (Incumbent) 1,115
Conservative H. W. De Burgh 955
SNP A. G. Symington 820
Majority 160
Turnout
Ward 19: Merchiston[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative J. L. Walls 1,600
Liberal J. F. Lawrie 1,430
Labour T. J. H. Fenton 300
Majority 170
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal
Ward 20: Alnwickhill[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative J. D. Maclennen (Incumbent) 2,574
SNP Shena R. Cole 395
Liberal L. F. Nichols 338
Labour W. Crosbie 234
Majority 2,179
Turnout
Ward 21: Fairmilehead[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative B. A. Meek (Incumbent) 2,795
SNP R. O. Socle 1,013
Labour F. R. N. Dickson 794
Majority 1,782
Turnout
Ward 22: Firrhill[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Gerturde Batton (Incumbent) 1,002
Conservative T. Fontaine 863
SNP C. D. Bisset 529
Majority 139
Turnout
Ward 23: Slighthill[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour F. Milligan (Incumbent) 1,293
SNP P. A. McGill 1,066
Conservative J. D. Train 781
Majority 227
Turnout
Ward 24: Stenhouse[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour D. F. Renton (Incumbent) 1,619
SNP K. Mackintosh 1,271
Conservative J. D. N. Iriving 719
Majority 348
Turnout
Ward 25: Slateford[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Elizabeth Alves (Incumbent) 1,024
SNP A. Westwood 700
Labour J. J. F. Henderson 510
Majority 324
Turnout
Ward 26: Hailes[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP N. R. MacCallum 1,696
Labour J. H. McKay 1,342
Conservative D. A. Robertson 673
Majority 354
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 27: Pilton[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP J. B. Carson 793
Labour R. G. D. Dalgleish 788
Liberal W. H. Bailey 154
Majority 5
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 28: Muirhouse[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Eleanor T. McLaughlin (Incumbent) 1,029
SNP H. C. Kidd 836
Majority 193
Turnout
Ward 29: Craigsbank[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative J. G. R. Crombie (Incumbent) 1,513
Liberal T. M. Frew 673
Labour J. A. Anderson 132
Majority 840
Turnout
Ward 30: Carrickknowe[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative I. G.. Anderson 1,150
Liberal Joyce Shein (Incumbent) 1,079
SNP J.W. Donaldson 662
Labour W. Coupar 466
Majority 71
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal
Ward 31: Corstorphine[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative A. J. MacLernan (Incumbent) 1,441
Liberal D. C. E. Gorrie 1,010
Labour A. Howden 200
Majority 431
Turnout
Ward 32: Drumbrae[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP N. M. Irons 1,441
Conservative I. G. Mitchell 824
Labour G. A. Munro 751
Majority 407
Turnout
SNP gain from Labour
Ward 33: Murrayfield[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Rosemary Macarthur 2,298
Liberal Veronica J. Crerar 1,010
Labour W. D. Wood 409
Majority 1,868
Turnout
Ward 34: Blackhall[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative R. M. Knox (Incumbent) 1,953
Labour A. Foggie 177
Majority 1,776
Turnout

References[edit]

  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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Edinburgh". The Glasgow Herald. 4 May 1977. p. 9. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
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