1977 City of Edinburgh District Council election

1977 City of Edinburgh Council election
All 64 seats to Edinburgh City Council; 33 seats needed for a majority
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.

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.

Aggregate results

City of Edinburgh District Council election, 1977
	Seats	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Conservative	34	4	53.1	44.8	73,159	3.8
Labour	23	6	35.9	26.6	43,459	9.4
SNP	5	4	7.8	19.3	31,525	12.6
Liberal	1	2	1.6	7.9	12,873	5.6
Independent	1	0	1.6	1.0	1,703	0.7
Communist	0	0	0.0	0.1	238	0.1
Independent Labour	0	0	0.0	0.1	228	New
Scottish Socialist	0	0	0.0	0.1	170	New

Ward results

Ward 1: Holyrood
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	B Rutherford (Incumbent)	965
	SNP	A. Dear	531
	Conservative	T. Davies	518
Majority			454
Turnout

Ward 2: Meadows
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
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	W. K. Macfarlane (Incumbent)	1,253
	Labour	G. I. Greene	674
Majority			579
Turnout

Ward 4: Tron
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	J. A. Mitchell	675
	SNP	C. A. McAdam	462
	Conservative	P. McCormack	419
Majority			213
Turnout

Ward 5: Dalry
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Margaret E. S. Houston (Incumbent)	1,849
	Labour	R. A. P. Worral	574
Majority			1,275
Turnout

Ward 15: Inch
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Gerturde Batton (Incumbent)	1,002
	Conservative	T. Fontaine	863
	SNP	C. D. Bisset	529
Majority			139
Turnout

Ward 23: Slighthill
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
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
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
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
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
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Eleanor T. McLaughlin (Incumbent)	1,029
	SNP	H. C. Kidd	836
Majority			193
Turnout

Ward 29: Craigsbank
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
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
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
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
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
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	R. M. Knox (Incumbent)	1,953
	Labour	A. Foggie	177
Majority			1,776
Turnout

References

^ Thomson, Claude (4 May 1977). "Labour take a beating. SNP gain 15 seats in Glasgow". The Glasgow Herald. p. 1. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
^ McConnell, Tom (4 May 1977). "Conservatives snatch control of Edinburgh". The Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
^ "District Election Special". The Glasgow Herald. No. 84. 5 May 1977. p. 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.
^ ^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.

[GHfrontpage4thMay1977-1] Thomson, Claude (4 May 1977). "Labour take a beating. SNP gain 15 seats in Glasgow". The Glasgow Herald. p. 1. Retrieved 16 November 2022.

[GHEdinburghreport4thMay1977-2] 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.

[Results-4] 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.

[GHresults-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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