1988 Hamilton District Council election

1988 Hamilton District Council election
← 1984 5 May 1988 (1988-05-05) 1992 →
All 20 seats to Hamilton District Council
11 seats needed for a majority
Registered80,029
Turnout48.8%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
SSLD
SNP
Party Labour SSLD SNP
Last election 17 seats, 64.9% 2 seats, 16.4%[Note 1] 0 seats, 8.0%
Seats won 15 2 1
Seat change Decrease 2 Steady Increase 1
Popular vote 21,235 3,031 7,700
Percentage 54.7% 7.8% 19.9%
Swing Decrease 10.2 Decrease 8.6 Increase 11.9
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Con
ILab
Party Conservative Independent Labour
Last election 1 seats, 10.7% N/A
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1
Popular vote 3,861 2,592
Percentage 10.0% 6.6%
Swing Decrease 0.7 New
Council Leader before election


Labour

Council Leader after election


Labour

Elections to Hamilton District Council were held on 5 May 1988, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the fifth election to the district council following the local government reforms in the 1970s.

The election used the 20 wards created by the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1980. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.[1]

Despite losing two seats and their vote share falling by 10.2%, Labour maintained control of the district council as they won 15 of the 20 seats – taking 54.7% of the popular vote. In March 1988, the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party merged and the newly formed Scottish Social and Liberal Democrats (SSLD) matched the result of the SDP–Liberal Alliance at the previous election as they returned two councillors. The remaining seats were won by the Scottish National Party (SNP) – who gained one seat and had come second in the popular vote – and the Conservatives.

Results

1988 Hamilton District Council election result
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 15 1 3 Decrease 2 75.0 54.7 21,235 Decrease 10.2
  SSLD 2 1 1 Steady 10.0 7.8 3,031 Decrease 8.6[Note 1]
  SNP 1 1 0 Increase 1 10.0 19.9 7,700 Increase 11.9
  Conservative 1 0 0 Steady 10.0 10.0 3,861 Decrease 0.7
  Independent Labour 1 1 0 Increase 1 10.0 6.6 2,592 New
  Tenants' Association 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 1.1 448 New
Total 20 38,867

Source:[2][3]

Ward results

Hillhouse

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Newberry 1,200 78.5 Decrease 4.2
SNP J. Randalls 276 18.1 Increase 11.8
Conservative H. MacKie 50 3.3 Increase 0.3
Majority 924 60.4 Decrease 14.4
Turnout 1,526 43.4 Increase 1.5
Registered electors 3,525
Labour hold Swing Decrease 4.2

Source:[2][3]

Udston

Udston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Scott 1,499 74.2 Decrease 3.2
SNP J. Pollock 512 25.4 Increase 12.5
Majority 987 48.8 Decrease 15.7
Turnout 2,011 49.4 Increase 3.7
Registered electors 4,084
Labour hold Swing Decrease 3.2

Source:[2][3]

Wellhall North

Wellhall North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SSLD I. Blackstock 720 36.3 Increase 28.4
Labour S. Dallas 418 21.1 Decrease 22.0
Independent Labour B. McKinnon 372 18.7 New
SNP W. Stevenson 277 14.0 Increase 7.3
Conservative D. Thomas 195 9.8 Decrease 3.0
Majority 302 15.2 N/A
Turnout 1,982 44.5 Increase 3.5
Registered electors 4,464
SSLD gain from Labour Swing Increase 25.2

Source:[2][3]

Central

Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Murphy 981 51.7 Increase 0.6
Conservative W. Irving 527 27.8 Decrease 1.5
SSLD J. Clarke 378 19.9 Increase 7.0
Majority 454 23.9 Increase 2.1
Turnout 1,886 43.6 Decrease 3.8
Registered electors 4,353
Labour hold Swing Increase 0.6

Source:[2][3]

Burnbank

Burnbank
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour I. McKillop 1,140 57.7 Decrease 29.2
Tenants' Association E. Kerr 448 22.7 New
SNP G. Gebbie 302 15.3 New
Conservative R. Wilkie 83 4.2 Decrease 8.3
Majority 692 35.0 Decrease 39.4
Turnout 1,973 47.3 Increase 7.8
Registered electors 4,176
Labour hold Swing Decrease 29.2

Source:[2][3]

Ferniegair

Ferniegair
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Mitchell 759 41.1 Decrease 1.4
Labour I. Donnelly 632 34.2 Decrease 0.4
SNP E. Hamilton 449 24.3 Increase 17.9
Majority 127 6.9 Decrease 1.0
Turnout 1,840 47.4 Decrease 0.5
Registered electors 3,896
Conservative hold Swing Decrease 0.5

Source:[2][3]

Fairhill

Fairhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour N. Cochrane 1,176 62.8 Decrease 21.1
SNP Y. Dear 595 31.8 New
Conservative M. Murray 98 5.2 Decrease 10.4
Majority 581 31.0 Decrease 37.3
Turnout 1,863 48.5 Increase 4.2
Registered electors 3,863
Labour hold Swing Decrease 21.1

Source:[2][3]

Woodhead

Woodhead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Lowe 1,457 73.3 Decrease 10.1
SNP S. Buchanan 523 26.3 Increase 16.3
Majority 934 47.0 Decrease 26.4
Turnout 1,526 45.0 Increase 0.2
Registered electors 4,424
Labour hold Swing Decrease 10.1

Source:[2][3]

Low Waters

Low Waters
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Grenfell 836 41.6 Increase 3.5
Conservative A. Kegg 592 29.5 Decrease 1.8
SNP N. Dear 576 28.7 Increase 20.2
Majority 244 12.1 Increase 5.3
Turnout 2,004 49.6 Decrease 0.1
Registered electors 4,051
Labour hold Swing Increase 2.6

Source:[2][3]

Cadzow

Cadzow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP J. Smith 915 47.8 Increase 30.9
Labour G. Smith 878 45.8 Decrease 36.8
Conservative A. Aitchison 122 6.4 New
Majority 37 2.0 N/A
Turnout 1,915 51.4 Increase 4.8
Registered electors 3,728
SNP gain from Labour Swing Increase 33.8

Source:[2][3]

Dalserf

Dalserf
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Ahmed 913 52.1 Decrease 16.2
Independent Labour J. Millward 365 20.8 New
SNP R. Wilson 252 14.4 Decrease 1.7
Conservative A. Aitchison 221 12.6 New
Majority 548 31.3 Decrease 20.9
Turnout 1,751 52.7 Increase 16.4
Registered electors 3,321
Labour hold Swing Decrease 16.2

Source:[2][3]

Larkhall East

Larkhall East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Ferguson 973 58.3 Decrease 9.2
SNP M. Miller 686 41.1 Increase 9.2
Majority 287 17.2 Decrease 18.3
Turnout 1,659 46.6 Increase 5.9
Registered electors 3,582
Labour hold Swing Decrease 9.2

Source:[2][3]

Larkhall North

Larkhall North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. McCabe 1,163 66.2 Decrease 11.5
SNP R. Forbes 576 32.8 Increase 11.4
Majority 587 33.4 Decrease 22.9
Turnout 1,739 46.2 Increase 8.0
Registered electors 3,800
Labour hold Swing Decrease 11.4

Source:[2][3]

Larkhall South

Larkhall South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Casserly 1,204 72.6 Decrease 9.5
SNP M. Miller 453 27.3 Increase 9.7
Majority 751 45.3 Decrease 19.2
Turnout 1,657 50.7 Increase 4.7
Registered electors 3,275
Labour hold Swing Decrease 9.6

Source:[2][3]

Stonehouse

Stonehouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Gibb 1,305 66.0 Increase 5.8
Conservative A. Haston 407 20.6 New
SNP R. Clark 265 13.4 Increase 7.5
Majority 898 45.4 Increase 19.0
Turnout 1,977 50.0 Decrease 5.3
Registered electors 3,953
Labour hold Swing Increase 5.8

Source:[2][3]

Uddingston

Uddingston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SSLD T. Maxwell 1,060 49.5 Decrease 7.1
Labour C. Begley 801 37.4 Increase 8.9
Conservative G. Prince 277 12.9 Decrease 1.7
Majority 259 12.1 Decrease 16.0
Turnout 2,138 53.9 Increase 1.7
Registered electors 3,974
SSLD hold Swing Decrease 7.1

Source:[2][3]

Bothwell

Bothwell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Rooney 1,060 41.2 Increase 3.8
SSLD M. Radcliffe 873 34.0 Decrease 20.1
Conservative E. Bath 393 15.3 Increase 7.0
SNP C. Sutherland 242 9.4 New
Majority 187 7.2 N/A
Turnout 2,568 55.1 Increase 0.8
Registered electors 4,664
Labour gain from Liberal Swing Increase 11.9

Source:[2][3]

High Blantyre

High Blantyre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Swinburne 1,199 58.0 Decrease 34.0
Independent Labour M. Martin 524 25.4 New
SNP I. Campbell 339 16.4 New
Majority 675 32.6 Decrease 51.7
Turnout 2,062 53.5 Increase 11.1
Registered electors 3,867
Labour hold Swing Decrease 34.0

Source:[2][3]

Blantyre

Blantyre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Labour M. Tremble 1,331 57.4 New
Labour J. Handibode 837 36.1 Decrease 42.1
Conservative L. McIntosh 137 5.9 Decrease 2.7
Majority 494 21.3 N/A
Turnout 2,305 50.6 Increase 7.4
Registered electors 4,575
Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing Increase 49.7

Source:[2][3]

Stonefield

Stonefield
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour H. Dunsmuir 1,563 77.0
SNP T. Muir 462 22.7
Majority 1,101 54.3
Turnout 2,025 45.6
Registered electors 4,454
Labour hold

Source:[2][3]

Notes

  1. ^ a b At the 1984 election, the SDP–Liberal Alliance won 16.4% of the vote with candidates from both the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Liberal Party. These parties subsequently merged in March 1988 to form the Scottish Social and Liberal Democrats (SSLD).

References

  1. ^ "Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1989). The Scottish District Elections 1988: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. ISBN 1-869820-02-9. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1984). The Scottish District Elections 1984: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 29 December 2023.