1955 Midlothian County Council election

1955 Scottish local government election April 2022 1955 05 10 Scotland Coat of arms of Midlothian District Council.svg parliamentary 1954 1956 no 16 of 39 landward seats 32 Scottish Labour Progressives (Scotland) Communist Party of Great Britain Independent 44 15 2 1The independent grouped with the Progressives 5 8 2 1 2 1 2 1 3,566 3,586 591 527 43.12% 43.36% 7.15% 6.37% Elections to Midlothian County Council were held on 10 May 1955. Midlothian was one of the four divisions that made up the historic region of Lothian in Scotland. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 established Midlothian as an administrative county, governed by a County Council. The county was divided into 39 landward divisions, each of which returned one member. In 1955 there were contests in 16 of these. The other 23 members were elected from the burghs.12 May 1955 Midlothian Contests https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19550512&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Glasgow Herald 13 The election marked the first time Communists had been elected to the council, with both Communists defeating Labour. However, following the election, Labour still commanded a large majority on the council. Results by division Addiewell Scottish Labour Frank West 336 72.10 Progressives (Scotland) A. C. Halliday 130 27.90 206 466 48 Scottish Labour Bilston Progressives (Scotland) Agnes B. R. Stanley 318 69.74 Scottish Labour William Newbigging 138 30.26 180 456 51 Progressives (Scotland) Borthwick and Temple Progressives (Scotland) Thomas C. Garden 328 59.96 Scottish Labour Daniel Cochrane (incumbent) 219 40.04 109 547 51 Progressives (Scotland) Scottish Labour Briech Communist Party of Great Britain Alexander Grierson 334 62.90 Scottish Labour A. Colleary 164 30.89 Independent Rose Moore 33 6.21 170 531 66 Communist Party of Great Britain Scottish Labour Glencourse Progressives (Scotland) M. I. H. Mackenzie-Inglis (incumbent) 414 90.00 Scottish Labour John J. Hamilton 46 10.00 368 460 52 Progressives (Scotland) Kirkhill Progressives (Scotland) John Jardine (incumbent) 505 86.62 Scottish Labour Robert McLachlan 78 13.38 427 583 58 Progressives (Scotland) Kirknewton North Scottish Labour James White 287 58.33 Progressives (Scotland) William S. How 205 41.67 82 492 46 Scottish Labour Progressives (Scotland) Limefield and Parkhead Scottish Labour William G. Rankine 309 52.64 Progressives (Scotland) T. Fairley 278 47.36 31 587 51 Scottish Labour Progressives (Scotland) Melville Progressives (Scotland) Edward M. P. Collett 255 53.68 Scottish Labour Bernard Mackay 220 43.32 35 475 50 Progressives (Scotland) Mid-Calder Scottish Labour John Stoddard 245 56.45 Independent John Mitchell 189 43.55 56 434 Scottish Labour Newbattle (2nd Division) Independent Stuart B. Syme 283 51.93 Scottish Labour Robert B. Pilmer 207 37.89 Independent John McFarlane 55 10.09 76 545 Independent Scottish Labour Newbridge Progressives (Scotland) Richard R. Killick 301 54.14 Scottish Labour William Cannon 255 45.86 46 556 70 Progressives (Scotland) Polbeth Communist Party of Great Britain James McArthur 257 53.54 Scottish Labour Bernard Hampson (incumbent) 223 46.46 34 480 49 Communist Party of Great Britain Scottish Labour Polton and Rosslynlee Scottish Labour Robert Anderson (incumbent) 391 71.35 Progressives (Scotland) Frederick L. Johnston 157 28.65 234 548 61 Scottish Labour Roslin Progressives (Scotland) Alexander F. Noble (incumbent) 350 54.43 Scottish Labour Patrick Tague 293 45.57 57 643 68 Progressives (Scotland) West Calder Progressives (Scotland) John Wardrop 345 69.00 Scottish Labour A. McCallum 155 31.00 190 500 53 Progressives (Scotland) 12 May 1955 Two Communists Win Midlothian Seats: County Election Results https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19550512/147/0007 subscription 24 January 2026 The Scotsman 7 British Newspaper Archive References Notes Category:1955 Scottish local elections 1955 Category:Elections in Edinburgh