Strathclyde Regional Council election
1982 Strathclyde Regional Council election |
All 103 seats to Strathclyde Regional Council 52 seats needed for a majority |
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Result of the election |
Council Leader before election Dick Stewart Labour | Council Leader after election Dick Stewart Labour | |
Elections to Strathclyde Regional Council were held on Thursday 6 May 1982, on the same day as the eight other Scottish regional elections. This was the third election to the regional council following the local government reforms in the 1970s.
The election was the first to use the 103 electoral divisions created by the Initial Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1978. Each electoral division elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.[1]
Labour, who had won every previous election to Strathclyde Regional Council, retained a large majority by winning 79 of the 103 seats – up seven from the previous election in 1978. The Conservatives remained as the second largest party despite their vote share falling by 7.5%. The party won 15 seats, 10 fewer than in the previous election. The Liberal Party doubled their representation on the regional council after winning four seats. Despite coming third in the popular vote, the Scottish National Party (SNP) were the fourth-largest party on the regional council after they gained only one seat to hold three. The remaining two seats were won by independent candidates.
The Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) contested this election political alliance in which only one of the two parties would stand a candidate in any given seat.[2]
The Conservative group leader, Leonard Turpie, lost his seat to the SDP-Liberal Alliance. They also lost the adjoining seat to Labour. Both seats were contained within the Glasgow Hillhead constituency won in March by SDP figure Roy Jenkins.[3]
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 council's creation. He was challenged for the leadership by his longtime friend and colleague Charles Gray at the first meeting of the Labour group following the election. The attempt however failed, with Stewart retaining the leadership with 40 votes to Gray's 38.[4]
Results
1982 Strathclyde Regional Council election Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 79 | | | 6 | 76.7 | 45.8 | 340,118 | 2.8 |
| Conservative | 15 | | | 10 | 14.6 | 22.5 | 166,910 | 7.5 |
| Liberal | 4 | | | 2 | 3.9 | 17.8 | 70,238 | 16.1 |
| SNP | 3 | | | 1 | 2.9 | 12.5 | 92,927 | 10.0 |
| Independent | 2 | | | 1 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 12,204 | 0.9 |
| SDP | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | 7.6 | 56,470 | New |
| Communist | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2,165 | 0.0 |
| Ecology | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | | 569 | New |
| Protest Campaign Against the Papal Visit | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | | 534 | New |
| Independent Labour | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | | 402 | |
| Workers Revolutionary | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | | 205 | |
| Twentieth Century Reformation Movement | 0 | | | 0 | 0.0 | | 136 | New |
Total | 103 | | | | | | 742,878 | |
Source:[5][6]
Electoral division results
Argyll and Bute
Kintyre Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 |
Mid-Argyll/Islay Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 |
Bute/West Cowal Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 |
Dunoon/East Cowal Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 |
Dumbarton
Dumbarton Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | W. Petrie | 6,735 | 73.5 |
| SDP | 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 |
Drumry/Summerhill Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 |
Glasgow
Blairdarrie/Knightscliffe Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | J. W. MacKechnie | 3,253 | 46.2 |
| SDP | 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 |
Yoker/Knightswood Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| 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 |
Scotstoun/Broomhill Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | K. Murray | 2,835 | 32.5 |
| SDP | 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 |
Kilmarnock North
Kilmarnock North Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | J. Hunter | 4,707 | 62.0 | 9.6 |
| Liberal | W. George | 1,697 | 22.4 | New |
| SNP | G. Gibson | 984 | 13.0 | 14.5 |
| Twentieth Century Reformation Movement | J. Sloan | 136 | 1.8 | New |
Majority | 3,010 | 39.6 | 14.7 |
Turnout | 7,524 | 39.7 | 8.4 |
Registered electors | 19,125 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 12.0 | |
Source:[5][6]
Kilmarnock South
Kilmarnock South Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | R. Carson | 3,894 | 45.4 | 6.4 |
| Conservative | A. McCluskey | 1,904 | 22.2 | 9.5 |
| SDP | G. Gunn | 1,804 | 21.0 | New |
| SNP | T. Kennaugh | 956 | 11.2 | 17.9 |
Majority | 1,990 | 23.2 | 16.9 |
Turnout | 8,558 | 41.5 | 4.6 |
Registered electors | 20,634 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 7.9 | |
Source:[5][6]
Stewarton and Irvine Valley
Stewarton and Irvine Valley Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | D. Fulton | 4,321 | 46.3 | 3.5 |
| Conservative | A. MacDougall | 2,345 | 25.1 | 4.2 |
| Liberal | A. Dick | 1,638 | 17.5 | New |
| SNP | A. Young | 1,022 | 10.9 | 16.9 |
Majority | 1,976 | 21.2 | 7.7 |
Turnout | 9,326 | 44.3 | 6.9 |
Registered electors | 21,054 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 3.8 | |
Source:[5][6]
Cumnock
Cumnock Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | J. Boyd | 4,430 | 68.0 | 16.1 |
| SNP | R. Esquierdo | 812 | 12.5 | 2.1 |
| Conservative | N. Martin | 706 | 10.8 | 1.8 |
| SDP | M. Dwan | 551 | 8.5 | New |
Majority | 3,618 | 55.5 | 28.5 |
Turnout | 6,499 | 39.8 | 6.3 |
Registered electors | 16,347 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 20.5 | |
Source:[5][6]
New Cumnock and Doon Valley
New Cumnock and Doon Valley Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | W. Goudie | 4,147 | 59.2 | 10.9 |
| SDP | M. Ali | 1,975 | 28.2 | New |
| Conservative | P. Richards | 871 | 12.4 | 2.0 |
Majority | 2,172 | 31.0 | 19.8 |
Turnout | 6,993 | 41.1 | 6.0 |
Registered electors | 17,034 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 24.0 | |
Source:[5][6]
References
- ^ "Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ Cook, Chris (2010). A Short History of the Liberal Party: The Road Back to Power (seventh ed.). Houndmills and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-21044-8.
- ^ "Crushing Blow to Tories". The Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1982. p. 1.
- ^ "Challenge to Strathclyde Leader Fails". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1982. p. 13.
- ^ a b c d e f Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1982). The Scottish Regional Elections 1982: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Botchel, 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 6 December 2022.
Links to elections for successor councils |
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