Larkhall (South Lanarkshire ward) explained

Larkhall
Year:2007
Council:South Lanarkshire
Region:Scotland
Map1:Larkhall.svg
Map Entity:South Lanarkshire
Map Year:2007–2017
Previous:Cadzow
Dalserf
Hamilton Centre/Ferniegair
Larkhall East
Larkhall South
Larkhall West
Stonehouse
Electorate:15,010 (2022)
Population:18,524 (2020)[1]
Elects Howmany:4
Councillor1:Andy Carmichael
Party1:Scottish Labour Party
Councillor2:Richard Nelson
Party2:Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Councillor3:Ross Clark
Party3:Scottish National Party
Councillor4:Lesley McDonald
Party4:Scottish Labour Party
Towns:Larkhall
Scot Parl:Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse
Scot Region:Central Scotland
Westminster:Hamilton and Clyde Valley

Larkhall is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 18,524 people.

The ward is a Labour stronghold with the party winning half the seats at every election since the ward's creation. Between 2014 and 2017, the party held three of the four seats following a defection.

Boundaries

The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Larkhall was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained all of the former Dalserf, Larkhall East and Larkhall West wards as well as part of the former Cadzow ward and a small part of the former Hamilton Centre/Ferniegair and Stonehouse wards. As the name suggests, Larkhall centres on the town of Larkhall and the surrounding rural area including the villages of Ashgill, Netherburn and Quarter. The ward's eastern boundary is formed by the River Clyde which coincides with the council's border with North Lanarkshire Council.[2] Following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections, the ward's boundaries were unchanged.[3]

Councillors

YearCouncillors
2007Jackie Burns
(Labour/Independent)
Andy Carmichael
(Labour)
Peter Craig
(SNP)
Lesley McDonald
(SNP/Labour)
2012
2014
2017Richard Nelson
(Conservative)
2022Lesley McDonald
(Labour)
Ross Clark
(SNP)

Election results

2022 election

See main article: 2022 South Lanarkshire Council election.

2017 election

See main article: 2017 South Lanarkshire Council election.

2012 election

See main article: 2012 South Lanarkshire Council election.

2007 election

See main article: 2007 South Lanarkshire Council election.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Larkhall . Scottish Government . 17 March 2023.
  2. Web site: Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area . Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland . May 2006 . 17 March 2023.
  3. Web site: Fifth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area . Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland . May 2016 . 17 March 2023.