1977 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election
3 May 1977 (1977-05-03)
All 10 seats to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council
6 seats needed for a majority
Registered33,600
Turnout51.7%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
SLP
Con
Party Labour SLP Conservative
Last election 8 seats, 35.5% N/A 1 seat, 20.7%
Seats won 6 2 1
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 2 Steady
Popular vote 4,613 2,845 954
Percentage 40.1% 24.7% 8.3%
Swing Increase 4.6 Increase 24.7 Decrease 12.4
Council Leader before election


Labour

 Council Leader after election


Labour

Elections to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council were held on 3 May 1977, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the second election to the district council following the local government reforms in 1974.

The election used the original 10 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.[1]

Despite losing two seats, Labour maintained control of the district council, winning six of the 10 seats. The 1977 local elections were the first test for the nationalist Scottish Labour Party (SLP) which had been formed as a breakaway from Labour by South Ayrshire MP Jim Sillars alongside John Robertson and Alex Neil. The SLP achieved its best results in Cumnock and Doon Valley by winning two seats from Labour and taking more than 25% of the popular vote but the party ultimately fared poorly across the country. The Conservatives remained on one seat after losing their seat in Mauchline and gaining Catrine and Sorn. This was the last time the Conservatives would win a seat in the area until the 2017 local elections, 40 years later. The remaining seat was won by an independent candidate.

Results

1977 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election result
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 6 2 4 Decrease 2 60.0 40.1 4,613 Increase 4.6
  SLP 2 2 0 Increase 2 20.0 24.7 2,845 New
  Conservative 1 1 1 Steady 10.0 8.3 954 Decrease 12.4
  Independent 1 1 0 Increase 1 10.0 6.4 732 New
  SNP 0 0 0 Steady 0.00 17.3 1,984 New
  Independent Labour 0 0 1 Decrease 1 0.00 3.2 373 Decrease 40.6
Total 10 11,501

Source:[2][3]

Ward results

Cumnock Burgh

Cumnock Burgh
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. King 912 40.3
SLP W. Dick 843 37.3
SNP J. McHardy 506 22.4
Majority 69 3.0
Turnout 2,261 48.3
Registered electors 4,695
Labour hold

Source:[2][3]

Lugar, Logan and Muirkirk

Lugar, Logan and Muirkirk
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour M. Lochhead 948 66.7
SNP I. Cole 473 33.3
Majority 475 33.4
Turnout 1,421 42.0
Registered electors 3,389
Labour hold

Source:[2][3]

Old Cumnock Parish

Old Cumnock Parish
Party Candidate Votes %
SLP W. Pender 543 51.8
Labour J. Smith 506 48.2
Majority 37 3.6
Turnout 1,049 44.0
Registered electors 2,399
SLP gain from Labour

Source:[2][3]

Auchinleck

Auchinleck
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Allan Unopposed
Registered electors 3,495
Labour hold

Source:[2][3]

Catrine and Sorn

Catrine and Sorn
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative J. McInnes 496 36.9
Independent Labour H. Nisbet 373 27.8
Labour G. Smith 334 24.9
SLP E. Standring 140 10.4
Majority 123 9.1
Turnout 1,343 58.5
Registered electors 2,305
Conservative gain from Labour

Source:[2][3]

New Cumnock

New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Paterson Unopposed
Registered electors 3,970
Labour hold

Source:[2][3]

Dalmellington

Dalmellington
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent A. Johnstone 682 40.9
SLP J. Stewart 585 35.1
Labour P. Conway 350 21.0
Independent R. Hill 50 3.0
Majority 97 5.8
Turnout 1,667 50.4
Registered electors 3,309
Independent gain from Labour

Source:[2][3]

Patna and Dalrymple

Patna and Dalrymple
Party Candidate Votes %
SLP T. Hainey 734 39.4
Labour M. Rooney 636 34.1
SNP G. Guthrie 495 26.5
Majority 98 5.3
Turnout 1,865 59.0
Registered electors 3,178
SLP gain from Labour

Source:[2][3]

Drongan, Ochiltree, Rankinston and Stair

Drongan, Ochiltree, Rankinston and Stair
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Hodge Unopposed
Registered electors 3,797
Labour gain from Independent Labour

Source:[2][3]

Mauchline

Mauchline
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Shankland 927 48.9 Increase 0.9
SNP J. Strawthorn 510 26.9 New
Conservative J. Downes 458 24.2 Decrease 27.8
Majority 417 22.0 N/A
Turnout 1,895 61.9 Increase 12.3
Registered electors 3,063
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase 14.3

Source:[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1977). The Scottish District Elections 1977: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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