1978 Shetland Islands Council election
May 2, 1978 (1978-05-02)
All 25 seats to Shetland Islands Council
13 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader A.I. Tulloch
Party Independent Labour
Leader's seat Aithsting and Sandsting
Last election 18 4
Seats won 21 4
Seat change Increase3 0
Popular vote 4,039 941
Percentage 81.1% 18.9%
Swing Decrease8.7% Increase8.7%
Council Convener before election

A.I. Tulloch
Independent

 Council Convener after election

A.I. Tulloch
Independent

Results by electoral district.

Elections to the Shetland Islands Council were held on 2 May 1978 as part of Scottish regional elections, with 11 seats uncontested. The election saw 14 new councillors enter the Shetland Islands Council, an unusually large number, in part attributable to the charged political context surrounding the devolution debate of the late 1970s.[1] Several of these incomers consisted of members of the pro-autonomy Shetland Group, later to become the Shetland Movement, and local Scottish National Party branch, registered as independents.[2]

Aggregate results

Shetland Islands Council election, 1990
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 21 3 0 Increase3 88.0 81.1 4,039 Decrease8.7
  Labour 4 0 0 Steady0 12.0 18.9 941 Increase8.7

Ward Results

Aithsting and Sandsting
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent A.I. Tulloch (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Bressay
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Irvine (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Burra and Trondra
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Arthur Williamson 174 51.8%
Independent William Cumming (Incumbent) 162 48.2%
Majority 12 3.6%
Independent hold
Delting North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Fraser Peterson (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Delting South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Albert Hunter unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Dunrossness North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Tait 166 64.1%
Independent Prophet Smith (Incumbent) 93 35.9%
Majority 73 28.2%
Independent hold
Dunrossness South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Raymond Bentley unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Joan McLeod (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Lerwick Breiwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour John Butler (Incumbent) 194 53.4%
Independent Harry Gray 169 46.6%
Majority 25 7.8%
Labour hold
Lerwick Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Bill Smith (Incumbent) 273 78.9%
Independent James Wiseman 73 21.1%
Majority 200 57.8%
Labour gain from Independent
Lerwick Clickimin
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Ian Byrne (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Lerwick Harbour
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Edward Thomason (Incumbent) 241 81.4%
Independent William Christie 55 18.6%
Majority 186 62.8%
Independent hold
Lerwick North
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Alex Morrison (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Labour hold
Lerwick Sound
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Lindsay Smith 141 38.0%
Independent Robert Brandie 98 26.4%
Independent James Gair 61 16.4%
Independent Donald Briers 38 10.2%
Independent Donald Sutherland 33 8.9%
Majority 43 11.6%
Independent hold
Lerwick Twageos
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Sandy Cluness 289 64.8%
Labour James Paton (Incumbent) 157 35.2%
Majority 132 29.6%
Independent gain from Labour
Nesting and Lunnasting
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Peter Hunter unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Northmavine
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Chris Dowle 317 80.3%
Independent John Jamieson (Incumbent) 78 19.7%
Majority 239 50.7%
Labour gain from Independent
Sandness and Walls
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Gordon Walterson 228 57.4%
Independent Williamina Tait (Incumbent) 169 42.6%
Majority 59 14.8%
Independent hold
Sandwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Peter Watts 163 56.6%
Independent T.M.Y. Manson 125 43.4%
Majority 59 13.2%
Independent hold
Scalloway
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Jemima Walterson 263 63.4%
Independent Andrew Irvine (Incumbent) 123 29.6%
Independent James Watt 29 7.0%
Majority 140 33.8%
Independent hold
Unst
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Playfair 181 50.7%
Independent Alan Fraser (Incumbent) 176 49.3%
Majority 5 1.4%
Independent hold
Whalsay and Skerries
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Henry Stewart unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Whiteness, Weisdale and Tingwall
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Florence Grains 169 40.2%
Independent Alexander Arthur 154 36.7%
Independent John Rae 97 23.1%
Majority 15 3.5%
Independent hold
Yell North and Fetlar
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent David Johnson (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Yell South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Stewart Gray (Incumbent) 146 50.2%
Independent Frank Odie 145 49.8%
Majority 1 0.4%
Independent hold

By-elections since 1978

1980 Lerwick North by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Ratepayers Robert Tulloch 261 71.9%
Independent John Groat 75 20.7%
Independent James Wiseman 27 7.4%
Majority 186 51.2%
Ratepayers gain from Independent

The 1981 Burra and Trondra by-election was triggered by the resignation of Arthur Williamson. It was won by former councillor William Cumming, a member of the pro-autonomy Shetland Movement, as an independent candidate.[3]

1981 Burra and Trondra by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Cumming 306 68.3%
Ratepayers Tom Stove 133 29.7%
Independent James Wiseman 9 2.0%
Majority 178 38.6%
Independent hold

References

  1. ↑ Manson, T.M.Y. (1978). Grønneberg, Roy (ed.). Island Futures: Scottish Devolution and Shetland's Constitutional Alternatives. Sandwick. p. 17.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Grønneberg, Roy (1978). Island Futures: Scottish Devolution and Shetland's Constitutional Alternatives. Sandwick. p. 68.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ↑ "Willie is returned!". The Shetland Times. 20 March 1981.


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