Lothian Regional Council election, 1974

The first election to Lothian Regional Council was held on 7 May 1974 and saw Labour emerging as the largest party on the council, although falling just shy of a majority.

Aggregate results

Lothian Regional election, 1974
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	24				49.0	39.9	103,622
	Conservative	19				38.8	34.3	89,194
	SNP	3				6.1	11.6	30,149
	Liberal	1				2.0	9.0	23,495
	Independent	1				2.0	3.5	9,065
	Residents Association	1				2.0	1.1	2,940
	Independent Labour	0				0.0	0.3	900
	Communist	0				0.0	0.2	473

Ward results

Armadale

Armadale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	J. Hamilton	2,441	40.3
	Labour	C. Morgan	2,322	38.3
	Independent Labour	W. Ferrier	900	14.9
	Independent	M. King	393	6.5
Majority			119	2
	SNP hold		Swing

Bathgate

Bathgate

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Residents	W. Stewart	2,349	43.1
	Labour	J. Burns	1,683	30.9
	SNP	S. MacQuarrie	1,324	24.3
	Communist	C. Bett	94	1.7
Majority			666	12.2
	Residents hold		Swing

Whitburn

Whitburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	A. Bell	3,409	54.6
	SNP	W. McBride	2,180	34.9
	Independent	W. M. Kenny	560	9
	Communist	J. King	94	1.5
Majority			1,229	19.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Calders

Calders

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. G. Rankine	3,153	48.3
	SNP	W. L. Stevenson	2,594	39.8
	Liberal	W. M. Kenny	776	11.9
Majority			559	8.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Linlithgow/Uphall

Linlithgow/Uphall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	J. McGinley	3,761	62.4
	Labour	J. Christie	2,264	37.6
Majority			1,497	24.8
	SNP hold		Swing

Broxburn

Broxburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	M. Coyne	2,311	36.6
	SNP	R. Taylor	2,153	34.1
	Independent	Jane Paris	1,852	29.3
Majority			158	2.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Livingston

Livingston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Hanlon	3,000	50.5
	SNP	B. B. Pitt	2,945	49.5
Majority			55	1
	Labour hold		Swing

Holyrood/Meadows

Holyrood/Meadows

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Foulkes	2,400	53.6
	Conservative	L. Taylor	1,489	33.2
	Residents	H. C. Gray	591	13.2
Majority			911	20.4
	Labour hold		Swing

Lochrin/Tron

Lochrin/Tron

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. J. Taylor	1,824	45.5
	Conservative	D. F. E. Hall	1,632	40.7
	Liberal	I. C. Simpson	551	13.8
Majority			192	4.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Dalry/Tynecastle

Dalry/Tynecastle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. G. W. Buchanan	1,745	41.7
	Conservative	Fiona M. Cameron	970	23.2
	SNP	R. K. Strathan	945	22.6
	Liberal	Jenny M. M. Blain	525	12.5
Majority			775	18.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Moat/Polwarth

Moat/Polwarth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Catherine B. M. Filsell	2,127	40.4
	Liberal	J. F. Lawrie	1,943	36.9
	Conservative	K. N. McLeod	1,196	22.7
Majority			184	3.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Church Hill/Braid

Church Hill/Braid

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. H. Lester	3,381	52.2
	Liberal	N. L. Gordon	2,651	40.9
	Labour	Isabella M. Williamson	444	6.9
Majority			730	11.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Sciennes/Marchmont

Sciennes/Marchmont

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. W. Reid	3,359	57
	Liberal	J. Gilmour	1,721	29.2
	Labour	I. M. Christie	811	13.8
Majority			1,638	27.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Prestonfield/Mayfield

Prestonfield/Mayfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Alves	3,141	51.1
	Labour	Jessie Rogan	1,864	30.3
	Liberal	R. P. Wassell	1,143	18.6
Majority			1,277	20.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Inch/Gilmerton

Inch/Gilmerton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Wilson	4,345	76.4
	Conservative	Muriel Lester	1,346	23.6
Majority			2,999	52.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Alnwickhill/Kaimes

Alnwickhill/Kaimes

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. J. Davies	2,717	55.4
	Conservative	Rosemary Macarthur	2,190	44.6
Majority			527	10.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Merchiston/Colinton

Merchiston/Colinton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. D. Maclennan	3,936	53.5
	Liberal	S. P. Ross-Smith	2,189	29.8
	SNP	R. E. Young	637	8.7
	Labour	J. A. Mitchell	593	8.1
Majority			1,747	23.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Fairmilehead/Firrhill

Fairmilehead/Firrhill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	B. A. Meek	3,003	43.7
	Labour	M. C. B. McGregor	1,794	26.1
	SNP	J. McKernan	1,282	18.7
	Liberal	J. S. O. Moffat	793	11.5
Majority			1,209	17.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Sighthill/Stenhouse

Sighthill/Stenhouse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Wallace	4,594	68.3
	Conservative	W. G. Samuel	2,030	30.2
	Communist	M. Currie	107	1.6
Majority			2,564	38.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Slateford/Hailes

Slateford/Hailes

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. D. Bisset	2,498	42.4
	Conservative	Elizabeth Alves	1,739	29.5
	SNP	I. H. Macdonald	1,655	28.1
Majority			759	12.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Pilton/Muirhouse

Pilton/Muirhouse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	N. Lindsay	2,501	70
	Liberal	W. H. Bailey	532	14.9
	Conservative	J. Johnston	455	12.7
	Independent	C. McManus	85	2.4
Majority			1,969	55.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Craigsbank/Carrickknowe

Craigsbank/Carrickknowe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D. C. E. Gorrie	2,728	48.8
	Conservative	Lynn F. Scott	2,084	37.2
	Labour	A. Howden	784	14
Majority			644	11.6
	Liberal hold		Swing

Corstorphine/Drumbrae

Corstorphine/Drumbrae

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. A. Theurer	2,235	41.5
	Liberal	Joyce Shein	1,753	32.6
	Labour	J. E. Boyack	1,397	25.9
Majority			482	8.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

Murrayfield/Blackhall

Murrayfield/Blackhall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. M. Knox	4,127	71.9
	Liberal	T. Glen	998	17.4
	Labour	R. J. E. Marks	618	10.8
Majority			3,129	54.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

Cramond/Barnton

Cramond/Barnton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. G. Norval	3,662	57.4
	Labour	R. H. Macintosh	1,415	22.2
	Liberal	E. S. Loveday	1,304	20.4
Majority			2,247	35.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Drylaw/Comely Bank

Drylaw/Comely Bank

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Winifred E. Donaldson	2,749	56.4
	Labour	R. D. Anderson	2,129	43.6
Majority			620	12.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Dean/St. Andrews

Dean/St. Andrews

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	I. A. Cramond	3,068	59.9
	Liberal	C. S. Waterman	1,234	23.3
	Labour	H. R. Wagstaff	998	18.8
Majority			1,834	36.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Pilrig/Calton

Pilrig/Calton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Cook	2,965	54.2
	Conservative	J. L. Walls	2,503	45.8
Majority			462	8.4
	Labour hold		Swing

Broughton/Inverlieth

Broughton/Inverlieth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. R. V. Percy	3,246	48.7
	Labour	J. Godfrey	1,738	26.1
	Liberal	R. Guild	1,684	25.3
Majority			1,508	22.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Royston/Granton

Royston/Granton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Brown	1,834	49
	SNP	G. W. Telford	1,143	30.5
	Conservative	W. Alexander	770	20.5
Majority			691	18.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Trinity/Newhaven

Trinity/Newhaven

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. A. Nicholson	3,974	64.7
	Labour	A. Findlay	2,172	35.3
Majority			1,802	29.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harbour/Bonnington

Harbour/Bonnington

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. A. Crichton	2,778	70.8
	Conservative	Elizabeth M. Brodie	1,145	29.2
Majority			1,633	41.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Links/Lorne

Links/Lorne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C. Waugh	3,122	55.5
	Labour	J. Anderson	2,506	44.5
Majority			616	11
	Conservative hold		Swing

Willowbrae/Craigentinny

Willowbrae/Craigentinny

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Phyllis Herriot	3,334	62.2
	Conservative	J. A. H. Clark	1,941	36.2
	Communist	C. B. Swan	85	1.6
Majority			1,393	26
	Labour hold		Swing

Jocks' Lodge/Portobello

Jocks' Lodge/Portobello

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	K. W. Borthwick	4,143	62.6
	Labour	G. Alexander	2,481	37.5
Majority			1,662	25.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Duddingston/Milton

Duddingston/Milton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. S. Cavaye	2,675	53
	Labour	Mary Hutcheson	2,377	47.1
Majority			298	5.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

Niddrie/Craigmillar

Niddrie/Craigmillar

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Kane	3,312	75.6
	SNP	W. K. Archibald	974	22.2
	Communist	Irene Swan	93	2.1
Majority			2,338	53.4
	Labour hold		Swing