1999 South Lanarkshire Council election

Elections to South Lanarkshire Council were held on 6 May 1999, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections and the inaugural Scottish Parliament election. Following a review, the number of single-member wards reduced from 73 to 67.

1999 South Lanarkshire Council election
6 May 1999 (1999-05-06)
All 67 seats to South Lanarkshire Council
34 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour SNP Conservative
Last election 61 8 2
Seats won 54 10 2
Seat change 7 2
Popular vote 69,777 46,160 14,316
Percentage 50.1% 33.1% 10.3
  Fourth party
 
Party Liberal Democrats
Last election 2
Seats won 1
Seat change 1
Popular vote 7,900
Percentage 5.7%
Council Leader before election

Tom McCabe
Labour

 Elected Council Leader

Eddie McAvoy
Labour

The council remained under Scottish Labour Party 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 he night.[1][2]

Aggregate results
1999 South Lanarkshire Council election
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 54 7 80.6 50.1 69,777 8,325
  SNP 10 2 14.9 33.1 46,160 17,242
  Conservative 2 3.0 10.3 14,316 6,757
  Liberal Democrats 1 1 1.5 5.7 7,900 195
  Independent 0 0 0.6 401 596

Ward results

Rutherglen and Cambuslang
Bankhead
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Eddie McAvoy (incumbent) 1,301 59.1
SNP Alistair Fulton 482 21.9
Liberal Democrats Charles Clark 282 12.8
Conservative I. Raeburn 135 6.1
Majority 819 37.2
Burgh
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Brian McKenna 1,005 48.9
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Jackson 476 23.2
SNP R. Richardson 448 21.8
Conservative R. Gilchrist 127 6.2
Majority 529 25.7
Cairns
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Pam Clearie 1,092 55.6
SNP John Higgins 489 24.9
Liberal Democrats E. Fox 187 9.5
Conservative S. Raeburn 119 6.1
Socialist Labour J. Brown 77 3.9
Majority 603 30.7
Cambuslang Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Bob Rooney (incumbent) 1,231 60.3
SNP Clare McColl 439 21.5
Liberal Democrats Karen MacCallum 188 9.2
Conservative Ronald Muir 184 9.0
Majority 792 38.8
Cathkin/Springhall
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Russell Clearie (incumbent) 1,114 50.5
Liberal Democrats J. Costello 714 32.4
SNP I. McColl 378 17.1
Majority 400 18.1
Eastfield
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour John McGuinness (incumbent) 1,232 54.7
SNP Gordon Clark 480 21.3
Liberal Democrats David Baillie 304 13.5
Conservative J. Fisher 235 10.4
Majority 752 33.4
Fernhill
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour M. Caldwell (incumbent) 834 44.4
Liberal Democrats J. McCutcheon 682 36.3
SNP D. Whyteside 364 19.4
Majority 152 8.1
Hallside
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Davy Keirs (incumbent) 1,174 65.3
SNP Anne Higgins 416 23.1
Liberal Democrats John Rodgers 120 6.7
Conservative Robina Muir 88 4.9
Majority 758 42.2
Kirkhill/Whitlawburn
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Patrick McKenna (incumbent) 842 39.9
Liberal Democrats G. Chapman[lower-alpha 1] 682 32.3
SNP H. Ross 357 16.9
Conservative R. Miller 228 10.8
Majority 160 7.6
Rutherglen West
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Denis McKenna 1,013 55.9
SNP E. Findlay 551 30.4
Liberal Democrats John McLellan 248 13.7
Majority 462 25.5
Spittal/Blairbeth
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour William McCaig (incumbent) 1,152 50.4
Liberal Democrats R. McGregor 656 28.7
SNP D. Hamilton 306 13.4
Conservative A. Kenneth 173 7.6
Majority 496 21.7
Stonelaw
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Gretel Ross (incumbent) 1,334 58.5
Labour M. McCool 416 18.2
SNP Sherwood Shea 333 14.6
Conservative Jean Miller 199 8.7
Majority 918 40.2

Notes
  1. Returning councillor from Burnside ward which was abolished in boundary review.

References
  1. Scottish Council Elections 1999 : Results and Statistics, H.M. Bochel, D.T. Denver, Election Studies, 1999
  2. Local Elections Handbook 1999, Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher, Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth, 1999
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