Auchinleck (ward)

Auchinleck
East Ayrshire
Electorate2,836 (2003)
Major settlementsAuchinleck
Scottish Parliament constituencyCarrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
Scottish Parliament regionSouth Scotland
UK Parliament constituencyKilmarnock and Loudoun
1974 (1974)–1984 (1984)
Number of councillors1
Replaced byCatrine, Sorn and North Auchinleck
Cumnock West and Auchinleck
1999 (1999)–2007 (2007)
Number of councillors1
Replaced byBallochmyle
Cumnock and New Cumnock
Created fromCatrine, Sorn and North Auchinleck
Cumnock West and Auchinleck

Auchinleck was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before it was abolished in 1984. Following the local government reforms in the 1990s, the ward was reestablished in 1999 as part of East Ayrshire. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

The ward was a Labour stronghold as the party successfully held the seat at every election.

In 2007, the ward was abolished and replaced by the multi-member Ballochmyle ward as council elections moved to a proportional voting system – the single transferable vote – following the implementation of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.

Boundaries

The Auchinleck ward was initially created in 1974 by the Formation Electoral Arrangements from the previous Auchinleck North and Auchinleck South electoral divisions excluding the Lugar and Logan polling districts of Ayr County Council. The ward centered around the town of Auchinleck and took in an area in the middle of Cumnock and Doon Valley.[1] Following the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1981, the ward was abolished and replaced by the Cumnock West and Auchinleck and Catrine, Sorn and North Auchinleck wards.[2] In 1998, the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements reestablished the ward ahead of the 1999 local elections. By this time, local government reforms had taken place and Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council had been merged with Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council to create East Ayrshire Council.[3] In 2007, the ward was abolished as the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 saw proportional representation and new multi-member wards introduced. The majority of the area covered by the Auchinleck ward was placed into the new Ballochmyle ward and an area south of the town was placed into the Cumnock and New Cumnock ward.[4]

Councillors

Election Councillor
1974 J. Allan
1984 Abolished
1999 W. Menzies
2003 N. McGhee

Election results

2003 election

Main article: 2003 East Ayrshire Council election
Auchinleck
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil McGhee 924 62.9 Increase 8.5
SNP Iain Robb 343 23.4 Decrease 22.2
Scottish Socialist Gareth Jenkins 89 6.1 New
BNP Stephen Burns 73 5.0 New
Conservative Primpton Sword 39 2.7 New
Majority 581 39.6 Increase 30.8
Turnout 1,468 52.6 Decrease 9.7
Registered electors 2,790
Labour hold Swing Increase 15.3

Source:[5][6]

1999 election

Main article: 1999 East Ayrshire Council election
Auchinleck
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour W. Menzies 983 54.4
SNP M. Gordan 824 45.6
Majority 159 8.8
Turnout 1,807 62.3
Registered electors 2,955
Labour win (new seat)

Source:[6]

1980 election

Main article: 1980 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election
Auchinleck
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Allan Unopposed
Registered electors 3,596
Labour hold

Source:[7][8]

1977 election

Main article: 1977 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election
Auchinleck
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Allan Unopposed
Registered electors 3,495
Labour hold

Source:[8][9]

1974 election

Main article: 1974 Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council election
Auchinleck
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Allan Unopposed
Registered electors 3,436
Labour win (new seat)

Source:[9]

References

  1. ^ "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Third Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; East Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. September 1998. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; East Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  5. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (2003). Local Elections Handbook 2003 (PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN 0-948858-35-4. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  6. ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (1999). Local Elections Handbook 1999 (PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN 0-948858-25-7. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  7. ^ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1980). The Scottish District Elections 1980: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  8. ^ a b 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.
  9. ^ a b 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.