1974 West Lothian District Council election

West Lothian District Council election 1974 05 07 yes 1977 West Lothian District Council election 1977 parliamentary 11 All 21 seats to West Lothian District Council Labour Party (UK) Scottish National Party 12 6 41.4% 16,827 40.5% 16,434 Independent (politician) 2 3,035 7.5% Ratepayers' Association 1 2,201 5.4% #708090 SNP Lab   Ind   Ra File:WestLothianCouncil 1974.svg Council composition following the election Labour West Lothian District Council Arms.svg April 2025 April 2025 Elections to West Lothian District Council were held on 7 May 1974, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the first election to the district council following the implementation of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The election used the 21 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20190111180051/http://www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk/reports/ea_formation_1974.asp Formation Electoral Arrangements Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland 5 April 2025 Labour took control of the council after winning a majority. The party took 12 of the 21 seats and more than 40% of the popular vote. The Scottish National Party (SNP) won six seats and two independent candidates were elected. Background Prior to 1974, the area that was to become West Lothian was split between two counties – Midlothian and West Lothian. Within that were four of the six burghs of West Lothian (Armadale, Bathgate, Linlithgow and Whitburn). These were all small burghs so had limited powers which included some control over planning as well as local taxation, building control, housing, lighting and drainage. The rest of the local government responsibility fell to the county council which had full control over the areas which were not within a burgh. https://boundaries.scot/sites/default/files/Local_government_Scotland_before_1975.pdf Information Paper Local government in Scotland: before 1975 Boundaries Scotland 10 April 2025 Following the recommendations in the Wheatly Report, the old system of counties and burghs – which had resulted in a mishmash of local government areas in which some small burghs had larger populations but far fewer responsibilities than some large burghs and even counties – was to be replaced by a new system of regional and district councils. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 implemented most of the recommendations in the Wheatly Report. The western part of West Lothian which included the four burghs was combined with the western part of Midlothian and was placed into the West Lothian district within the Lothian region.Turnock David 1970 The Wheatley Report: Local Government in Scotland Area 2 2 10–12 Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers 20000437 Results 1974 West Lothian District Council election result Labour Party (UK) 12 N/A 57.1 41.4 16,827 N/A Scottish National Party 6 N/A 28.6 40.5 16,434 N/A Independent (politician) 2 N/A 9.5 7.5 3,035 N/A Ratepayers' Association 1 N/A 4.8 5.4 2,201 N/A Tenants Association 0 N/A 0.0 1.5 598 N/A lightgrey Independent Labour 0 N/A 0.0 1.5 594 N/A Communist Party of Great Britain 0 N/A 0.0 1.4 574 N/A Scottish Liberal Party 0 N/A 0.0 0.9 353 N/A Source:https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-Regional-and-District-Elections-1974.pdf The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics Edinburgh Scottish Academic Press J. M. Botchel D. T. Denver 1975 5 April 2025 Ward results Bathville Labour Party (UK) C. King 936 55.7 Scottish National Party F. Peace 744 44.3 192 11.41,680 56.9Labour Party (UK) Barbauchlaw Labour Party (UK) J. McNeil 1,305 59.5 Scottish National Party J. Sibbald 890 40.6 415 18.92,195 58.0Labour Party (UK) Blackridge Scottish National Party R. Sim 1,110 51.3 Labour Party (UK) F. Peace 743 34.4 Independent (politician) Jessie Dawson 310 14.3 367 16.92,164 66.7Scottish National Party Bathgate West Labour Party (UK) A. Mackie 725 39.6 Ratepayers' Association W. Farquhar 721 39.4 Scottish National Party T. Forrest 345 18.9 Communist Party of Great Britain A. Hendry 38 2.1 4 0.21,829 53.9Labour Party (UK) Bathgate Central Ratepayers' Association J. Walker 1,027 51.4 Labour Party (UK) Elizabeth Haluch 491 24.6 Scottish National Party A. Beveridge 462 23.1 Communist Party of Great Britain A. Hendry 20 1.0 536 26.82,000 62.5Ratepayers' Association Bathgate East Scottish National Party J. Clark 639 39.5 Labour Party (UK) R. McLaughlin 487 30.1 Ratepayers' Association T. Slater 453 28.0 Communist Party of Great Britain E. Atkinson 40 2.5 152 9.41,619 48.3Scottish National Party Whitburn West Labour Party (UK) R. Gamble 895 46.1 Scottish National Party Georgina McBride 556 28.6 Independent Labour J. Brown 491 25.3 339 17.51,942 54.0Labour Party (UK) Whitburn East Labour Party (UK) J. Clark 1,017 50.3 Scottish National Party R. Duncan 1,003 49.7 14 0.31,020 53.1Labour Party (UK) Fauldhouse Labour Party (UK) A. Russell 1,134 49.5 Tenants Association W. Russell 598 26.1 Scottish National Party R. Forsyth 525 22.9 Communist Party of Great Britain W. McKay 35 1.5 536 23.42,292 59.5Labour Party (UK) Stoneyburn Labour Party (UK) Christina Haggarty 767 42.4 Scottish National Party J. McLaren 737 40.8 Communist Party of Great Britain W. McMahon 303 16.8 30 1.61,807 56.7Labour Party (UK) West Calder Labour Party (UK) D. McCauley 1,162 42.5 Scottish National Party D. Gallacher 1,002 36.6 Scottish Liberal Party W.J. Boyd 353 12.9 Communist Party of Great Britain W. O'Byrne 114 4.2 Independent Labour J. Thomas 103 3.8 160 5.92,737 61.5Labour Party (UK) Mid Calder Independent (politician) W.S.C. Renwick 808 40.5 Labour Party (UK) W.S. Auldjo 659 33.0 Scottish National Party R. Penreigh 527 26.4 149 7.51,994 51.0Independent (politician) Linlithgow Independent (politician) J. Clark 1,153 58.5 Scottish National Party Elizabeth MacPherson 803 40.8 350 17.71,956 44.2Independent (politician) Northern Labour Party (UK) W. AlexanderLabour Party (UK) Uphall Scottish National Party W. McCabe 913 42.6 Labour Party (UK) J. Cumming 769 35.9 Independent (politician) Christina Grieve 461 21.5 144 6.72,143 50.2Scottish National Party Strathbrok Scottish National Party R. Sutherland 1,066 60.0 Labour Party (UK) Elizabeth MacPherson 710 40.0 356 10.01,776 50.2Scottish National Party Cawburn Labour Party (UK) Agnes Hamilton 1,223 49.7 Scottish National Party D. Duke 936 38.0 Independent (politician) J McCann 303 12.3 387 11.72,462 62.0Labour Party (UK) Craigshill Scottish National Party E.G. Knight 1,331 65.6 Labour Party (UK) Violet W. Cunningham 698 34.4 633 31.22,029 39.3Scottish National Party Almond Labour Party (UK) W. Connolly 1,038 54.8 Scottish National Party M. McGregor 855 45.2 183 9.61,893 63.0Labour Party (UK) Blackburn Labour Party (UK) W. Russell 857 55.9 Scottish National Party J. Lambie 653 42.6 Communist Party of Great Britain F. McGivern 24 1.6 204 13.31,534 57.3Labour Party (UK) Carmondean Scottish National Party T. Wood 1,337 52.5 Labour Party (UK) P. Easton 1,211 47.5 126 5.02,548 41.8Scottish National Party Source:https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-Regional-and-District-Elections-1974.pdf The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics Edinburgh Scottish Academic Press J. M. Botchel D. T. Denver 1975 5 April 2025 Aftermath West Lothian was one of three districts in the newly created Lothian region that was won by Labour. The Scottish National Party (SNP) were the second-largest party after winning six seats. Two independent candidates were elected and one ratepayers' candidate was elected. Labour were the largest party on the regional council which held its first election on the same day but no party claimed a majority. Across Scotland, Labour won the most votes, the most seats and the most councils of any party. References Category:West Lothian Council elections West Lothian District Council election Category:20th century in Scotland Category:Lothian