1974 Dunfermline District Council election

Dunfermline District Council election April 2025 April 2025 1974 05 07 yes 1977 Dunfermline District Council election 1977 parliamentary 16 All 30 seats to Dunfermline District Council Labour Party (UK) 19 42.7% 18,339 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 6 16.9% 7,262 Scottish National Party 2 6,502 15.2% Independent (politician) 2 8.0% 3,428 Scottish Liberal Party 1 1,173 2.7% Elections to Dunfermline 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 30 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 19 of the 30 seats and more than 40% of the popular vote. The Conservatives won six seats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) took two. Background Prior to 1974, the area that was to become Dunfermline included five of the 25 burghs of the County of Fife. The four small burghs (Cowdenbeath, Culross, Inverkeithing and Lochgelly) had limited powers which included some control over planning as well as local taxation, building control, housing, lighting and drainage. The large burgh of Dunfermline had further powers over the police, public health, social services, registration of births, marriages and deaths and electoral registration. 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 5 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 five burghs as well as the surrounding areas were placed in Dunfermline district within the Fife 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 Dunfermline District Council election result Labour Party (UK) 19 N/A 63.3 42.7 18,339 N/A Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 6 N/A 20.0 16.9 7,262 N/A Scottish National Party 2 N/A 6.7 15.2 6,502 N/A Independent (politician) 2 N/A 6.7 8.0 3,428 N/A Scottish Liberal Party 1 N/A 3.3 2.7 1,173 N/A Communist Party of Great Britain 0 N/A 0.0 9.1 3,890 N/A Independent Labour Party 0 N/A 0.0 2.9 1,257 N/A Residents Association 0 N/A 0.0 2.4 1,048 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 Aftermath Dunfermline was one of two districts in the newly created Fife region that was won by Labour after the party took 19 of the 30 seats. The Conservatives won six seats while the Scottish National Party (SNP) took two. The Scottish Liberal Party won one seat and one independent candidate was elected. Labour also won control of the regional council which held its first election on the same day. Across Scotland, Labour won the most votes, the most seats and the most councils of any party. References Category:Dunfermline District Council elections Dunfermline District Council election