1999 South Lanarkshire Council election explained

Election Name:1999 South Lanarkshire Council election
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1995 South Lanarkshire Council election
Previous Year:1995
Next Election:2003 South Lanarkshire Council election
Next Year:2003
Seats For Election:All 67 seats to South Lanarkshire Council
Majority Seats:34
Registered:235,695
Turnout:59.7%
Image1: Lab
Leader1:Edward McAvoy
Party1:Scottish Labour Party
Leaders Seat1:Bankhead
Seats1:51
Seat Change1: 10
Popular Vote1:69,877
Percentage1:50.1%
Swing1: 7.0
Party2:Scottish National Party
Seats2:10
Seat Change2: 2
Popular Vote2:46,160
Percentage2:33.1%
Swing2: 6.3
Image4: Con
Party4:Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Seats4:2
Popular Vote4:14,316
Percentage4:10.3%
Swing4: 3.3%
Image5: LD
Party5:Scottish Liberal Democrats
Seats5:1
Seat Change5: 1
Popular Vote5:7,900
Percentage5:5.7%
Swing5: 1.4%
Council Leader
Before Election:Tom McCabe
Before Party:Scottish Labour Party
Posttitle:Council Leader after election
After Election:Edward McAvoy
After Party:Scottish Labour Party

Elections to South Lanarkshire Council were held on 6 May 1999, alongside elections to the Scottish Parliament. This was the second election following the local government reforms in 1994 and the first following the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements which resulted in six fewer seats from the previous election.[1]

The council remained under Labour control following the election - they won seven fewer seats and collected 7% less of the overall vote share than in 1995, but with less seats available their percentage loss was only 3%, and the number of votes they collected increased substantially due to the higher voter turnout, which went up from 107,833 (46.4% turnout) in 1995 to 139,564 (59.2% turnout), an increase of 29%; this was at least partly attributable to the interest in the new Scottish Parliament - the 1995 election had not been held in conjunction with votes for any other body.

The SNP and Conservative vote numbers also each nearly doubled, but with far less dramatic gains in terms of their vote share and seats. In those circumstances, the Liberal Democrats polling almost the same numbers as four years earlier could be seen as the most disappointing outcome for a major party in South Lanarkshire, in contrast to their positive overall results across Scotland on the night.

Results

Source:[2] [3]

Ward results

Lanark North

Lanark South

Lesmahagow

Blackwood

Clyde Valley

Biggar/Symington and Black Mount

Duneaton/Carmichael

Carstairs/Carnwath

Douglas

Carluke/Whitehill

Carluke/Crawforddyke

Forth

Law/Carluke

Long Calderwood

Calderglen

Blacklaw

Morrishall

Maxwellton

East Mains

West Mains

Duncanrig

Westwoodhill

Headhouse

Heatheryknowe

Greenhills

Whitehills

Hairmyres/Crosshouse

Mossneuk/Kittoch

Stewartfield

Lindsay

Avondale North

Avondale South

Blantyre West

Coatshill/Low Blantyre

Burnbank/Blantyre

High Blantyre

Hamilton Centre North

Whitehill

Bothwell South

Uddingston South/Bothwell

Uddingston

Uddingston North was renamed as Uddingston following the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements. There were minor changes to the boundaries.[1]

Hillhouse

Udston

Wellhall/Earnock

Earnock

Woodhead/Meikle Earnock

Laighstonehall/Woodhead was renamed as Woodhead/Meikle Earnock following the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements. There were small changes to the boundaries.[1]

Hamilton Centre/Ferniegair

Low Waters

Silvertonhill

Cadzow

Dalserf

Larkhall East

Larkhall West

Larkhall South

Stonehouse

Rutherglen West

Stonelaw

Bankhead

Spittal/Blairbeth

Burgh

Cairns

Hallside

Cambuslang Central

Cathkin/Springhall

Fernhill

Kirkhill/Whitlawburn

Eastfield

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Third Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area . Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland . September 1998 . 23 March 2023.
  2. Book: Local Elections Handbook 1999 . Plymouth . Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth . Colin . Rallings . Michael . Thrasher . 0-948858-25-7 . 1999 . 8 April 2023.
  3. Book: Local Elections Handbook 1995 . Plymouth . Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth . Colin . Rallings . Michael . Thrasher . 0-948858-19-2 . 1995 . 22 March 2023.