1969 Edinburgh Corporation election

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1969 Edinburgh Corporation election

← 1968 6 May 1969 (1969-05-06) 1970 →

22 of the 69 seats to the Edinburgh Corporation
35 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Progressives Labour SNP
Last election 34 21 8
Seats before 31 22 9
Seats won 10 6 1
Seats after 29 17 10
Seat change Decrease2 Decrease5 Increase1
Popular vote 29,625 22,548 31,967
Percentage 25.9% 19.7% 27.9%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Conservative Liberal Independent
Last election 3 1 1
Seats before 3 1 2
Seats won 1 1 1
Seats after 7 2 2
Seat change Increase4 Increase1 Steady
Popular vote 17,086 4.35 3,124
Percentage 14.9% 8.2% 2.7%

Results by ward.

Council control before election


No overall control

Council control after election


No overall control

An Election to the Edinburgh Corporation was held on 6 May 1969, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the councils 69 seats, 23 were up for election.[1]

Following the election, with two by-elections pending, Edinburgh Corporation was composed of 29 Progressives, 17 Labour councillors, 10 SNP councillors, 7 Conservatives, 2 Liberals, and 2 independents. The Conservatives in particular did well, gaining 4 councillors. Two of these gains were at the expense of Labour, in mainly working class wards. The SNP, in contrast, who had done so well at the previous election, only gained Sighthill.[1]

Following the election, the Progressives and Conservative coalition retained control of the council with a majority of 2. There was some friction between the two sides however, with the Conservatives unseating Mr Robert McLaughlin, the former leader of the Progressive group and the deputy chairman of the council for 7 years, in the St. Andrews ward. The Conservatives also gained Colinton, the seat of the retiring Lord Provost Brechin. The seat was not contested by the Progressives.[1] Most Progressive losses, with the exception of St. Andrews ward, were caused by incumbent Progressives stepping down and being replaced with new Conservative councillors. In Merchiston however the Conservative candidate was defeated, with the Liberals instead gaining the seat, meaning that the Liberals controlled 2 out of the 3 Merchiston ward seats.[1]

Turnout was 114,582.

Aggregate results[edit]

Edinburgh Corporation election, 1969[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Progressives 10 1 3 Decrease2 43.48 25.85 29,625
  Labour 6 0 5 Decrease5 26.09 19.68 22,548
  Conservative 4 4 0 Increase4 17.39 14.91 17,086
  SNP 1 1 0 Increase1 4.35 27.90 31,967
  Liberal 1 1 0 Increase1 4.35 8.22 9,418
  Independent 1 0 0 Steady 4.35 2.73 3,124
  Communist 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.71 814

Ward Results[edit]

Location of Broughton ward
Broughton[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives H. G. P. Fraser 2,136
SNP J. C. MacDougall 1,427
Liberal J. J. Rickard 731
Majority 709
Turnout 36.06
Progressives hold
Location of Calton ward
Calton[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives Josephine Dickson 1,901
Labour J. S. Cook 970
SNP R. J. W. Swanson 666
Majority 931
Turnout 35.12
Progressives hold
Location of Central Leith ward
Central Leith[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour A. Crichton 1,745
SNP A. Stoddart 938
Conservative M. Doyle 718
Communist T. C. Taylor 46
Majority 807
Turnout 31.77
Labour hold
Location of Colinton ward
Colinton[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative B. A. Meek 4,526 53.33
SNP A. Westwood 1,938 22.83
Liberal Geraldine R. Johnston 1,015 11.96
Labour Mary Hutchison 1,008 11.88
Majority 2588 30.50
Turnout 8,487 42.43
Conservative gain from Progressives
Location of Corstorphine ward
Corstorphine[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives Mary Robertson Murray 4,050 55.18
SNP R. J. D. Scott 1,860 25.34
Liberal Vera P. Heggie 1,430 19.48
Majority 2190 29.84
Turnout 7,340 44.76
Progressives hold
Location of Craigentinny ward
Craigintinny[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour W. S. Dalgleish 1,967
Conservative W. R. V. Percy 1,819
SNP J. Deans 1,328
Majority 148
Turnout 35.79
Labour hold
Location of Craigmillar ward
Craigmillar[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour R. A. Fox 2,179
SNP T. Flemming 1,897
Communist M. D'Arcy 150
Majority 282
Turnout 28.98
Labour hold
Location of George Square ward
George Square[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives C. F. Murray 1,545 53.55
SNP T. C. Bogle 934 32.37
Liberal Joan M. Gallacher 406 14.07
Majority 611 21.18
Turnout 2,885 30.09
Progressives hold
Location of Gorgie-Dalry ward
Gorgie-Dalry[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative M. Pirie 1,769
Labour T. McGregor 1,401
SNP A. B. Moore 1,096
Majority 368
Turnout 31.97
Conservative gain from Labour
Location of Holyrood ward
Holyrood[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour O. Hand 960
SNP J. G. B. Henderson 818
Communist C. B. Swan 173
Majority 142
Turnout 27.08
Labour hold
Location of Liberton ward
Liberton[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative A. H. Lester 3,218
Labour F. M. Lawson 3,025
SNP A. G. Symington 2,295
Majority 193
Turnout 37.50
Conservative gain from Labour
Location of Merchiston ward
Merchiston[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal J. G. Gray 2,613
Conservative C. H. Richards 1,855
SNP N. B. Harris 644
Majority 758
Turnout 45.77
Liberal gain from Progressives
Location of Morningside ward
Morningside[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives J. Bateman 3,316
Liberal G. Duke 1,192
SNP Bethia L. Howden 896
Majority 2124
Turnout 41.99
Progressives hold
Location of Murrayfield-Cramond ward
Murrayfield-Cramond[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives H. Macpherson 5,078
SNP W. R. Platt 2,000
Labour I. M. Christie 914
Majority 3078
Turnout 40.14
Progressives hold
Location of Newington ward
Newington[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent J. D. Kidd 3,124
SNP G. Telford 1,819
Liberal W. McLeod 1,088
Labour G. C. Campbell 778
Majority 1305
Turnout 44.17
Independent hold
Location of Pilton ward
Pilton[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour R. W. Irvine 1,639
SNP W. Thomson 1,542
Conservative R. Beattie 1,012
Communist C. McManus 163
Majority 97
Turnout 22.58
Labour hold
Location of Portobello ward
Portobello[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives K. W. Borthwick 3,143
SNP R. G. Kelly 2,044
Labour J. E. Boyack 792
Majority 1099
Turnout 43.83
Progressives hold
Location of Sighthill ward
Sighthill[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP K. D. A. Johnston 2,481 52.17
Labour G. Foulkes 1,993 41.90
Communist W. Millar 282 5.93
Majority 488 10.27
Turnout 4,756 30.05
SNP gain from Labour
Location of South Leith
South Leith[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives C. Waugh 1,798
SNP J. S. Marshall 1,681
Labour Sheila King Murray 1,557
Majority 117
Turnout 39.79
Progressives gain from Labour
Location of St Andrews ward
St. Andrews[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative I. A. Crammond 1,467 57.78
SNP D. M. Miller 625 24.62
Progressives R. McLaughlin 447 17.61
Majority 842 33.16
Turnout 2,539 33.5
Conservative gain from Progressives
Location of St Bernards ward
St. Bernard's[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives D. A. Adamson 3,037
SNP W. K. Archibald 968
Liberal W. Murray 943
Labour T. H. Greig 584
Majority 2069
Turnout 32.85
Progressives hold
Location of St Giles ward
St. Giles[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. McInally 1,036
SNP A. A. Edmonds 842
Conservative A. J. A. Bell 702
Majority 194
Turnout 27.67
Labour hold
Location of West Leith ward
West Leith[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressives B. W. Lyle 3,174 72.10
SNP T. J. D. MacDonald 1,228 27.90
Majority 1946 44.20
Turnout 4,402 40.15
Progressives hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab "Results in the Municipal Elections". The Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1969. p. 8.