1974 Western Isles Islands Council election
7 May 1974 (1974-05-07)
All 30 seats to Western Isles Council
16 seats needed for a majority
  First party
 
Leader Donald Macauley
Party Independent
Leader's seat Uig West
Seats won 30
Popular vote 6,430
Percentage 100.0%
Council Convener after election

Donald Macauley
Independent

The 1974 Western Isles Area Council election, the first election to the Western Isles Islands Council, was held on 7 May 1974 as part of the wider 1974 Scottish regional elections. All candidates stood as Independents, and 16 candidates were elected unopposed.[1]

Several members of political parties ran as independent candidates. This included Roderick MacLeod in Shawbost, who had contested the Western Isles constituency for the Conservatives in 1970, and Mary McCormack, election agent for Labour candidate Andrew Wilson in February 1974, both of whom were unsuccessful.[2]

After the election, Reverend Donald Macaulay and Stornoway Provost Sandy Matheson were tied in a 15-15 vote among councillors to become the council's first convener. Macaulay was elected upon the drawing of a lot.[3]

Aggregate results

Western Isles Council election, 1974[1][4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 30 100.00 100.00 6,430

Ward results

Stornoway Newton
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Sandy Matheson 369 71.9%
Independent Alasdair MacLeod 144 28.1%
Majority 225 43.8%
Independent hold
Stornoway Goathill
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Albert Nicoll unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Stornoway Bayhead
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Alasdair Rae MacKenzie 341 73.2%
Independent Marie MacMillan 125 26.8%
Majority 216 46.4%
Independent hold
Stornoway Manor
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Macrae unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Aignish
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Crichton unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Tiumpan
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Donald Mackay unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Gress
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Peter MacLeod 310 59.3%
Independent George Mackay 213 40.7%
Majority 97 18.6%
Independent hold
Coll
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Kenneth MacDonald 284 52.1%
Independent James MacLennan 261 47.9%
Majority 23 4.2%
Independent hold
Port of Ness
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Donald Morrison 277 60.0%
Independent Roderick Morrison 185 40.0%
Majority 92 20.0%
Independent hold
Dell
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Kathleen MacAskill unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Barvas
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Paterson unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Shawbost
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Malcolm MacLeod 238 41.0%
Independent Roderick MacLeod 147 25.3%
Independent William MacLeod 145 25.0%
Independent Angus MacLeod 51 8.8%
Majority 91 15.7%
Independent hold
Laxdale
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Donald MacLeod unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Coulregrein
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Kenneth MacDonald unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Sandwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William MacDonald 228 57.9%
Independent Mary McCormack 166 42.1%
Majority 92 15.8%
Independent hold
Uig East
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Jack Macarthur 371 81.4%
Independent Norman Maciver 49 10.7%
Independent Malcolm Macarthur 36 7.9%
Majority 332 70.7%
Independent hold
Uig West
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Donald Macaulay unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
North Lochs
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Donald Martin 282 53.5%
Independent Angus MacLeod 217 43.5%
Majority 65 10.0%
Independent hold
Kinloch
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Ian Maclennan unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Lochs Park
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Malcolm Macinnes 189 77.7%
Independent Joyce MacKay 54 22.2%
Majority 135 55.5%
Independent hold
Harris North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Donald Mackinnon 318 72.8%
Independent John Halford-MacLeod 119 27.2%
Majority 119 45.6%
Independent hold
Harris Middle
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Andrew Mundy unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Harris South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Wilfred Leonard unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
North Uist North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Roderick MacLeod 338 73.6%
Independent Montague Ford 121 26.4%
Majority 217 47.2%
Independent hold
North Uist South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Robertson 193 50.8%
Independent John Macdonald 156 41.1%
Independent James Macarthur 31 8.2%
Majority 37 9.7%
Independent hold
Benbecula
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Calum Maclennan unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
South Uist
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Dugald Morrison unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Lochboisdale
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Roderick Mackinnon 272 57.6%
Independent John Macinnes 200 42.4%
Majority 72 15.2%
Independent hold
Barra North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Reginald Allan unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Barra South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Hugh Morrison unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold

References

  1. 1 2 Western Isles Council, 1974
  2. ↑ "Lively Election Scene". West Highland Free Press. 19 April 1974.
  3. ↑ Western Isles Islands Council Minutes. 16 May 1974.
  4. ↑ "Western Isles Islands Council Election Results". Stornoway Gazette. 11 May 1974.


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