An Election to the Edinburgh Corporation was held on 2 November 1897, alongside municipal elections across Scotland, and the wider British local elections. Contests took place in 5 of the cities’ 13 wards, with candidates in the remaining 8 being returned unopposed. Three Portobello wards also held elections. The election was relatively quiet, with no particularly important issues being raised. As a result, the main focus of the election was on the Lord Provost and the personalities of the individual candidates.[1]
The Liberal Sir Mitchell Mitchell-Thomson, 1st Baronet took over as Provost following the election, replacing the Unionist Sir Andrew McDonald.
Aggregate results
edit| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | 5 | ||||||||
| Liberal | 2 | ||||||||
| Radical | 1 | ||||||||
Ward Results
edit.svg)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | John Harrison | 2,431 | |||
| Liberal | Mr Macpherson | 2,254 | |||
| Majority | 177 | ||||
| Turnout | 4,685 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Robert Menzies | 1,776 | |||
| Socialist | William Gall | 467 | |||
| Majority | 1,309 | ||||
| Turnout | 2,243 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radical | Hugh M. Michael | 1,108 | |||
| Unionist | James M. Anderson | 664 | |||
| Majority | 444 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,772 | ||||
| Radical hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Councillor Gubie | 1,116 | |||
| Social Democratic Federation | George Doull | 636 | |||
| Majority | 480 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,752 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | David Purves | 1,800 | |||
| Liberal | Councillor Scott | 1,519 | |||
| Majority | 281 | N/A | |||
| Turnout | 3,319 | ||||
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | W. Gray | 306 | |||
| Liberal | Alexander Tod | 133 | |||
| Majority | 173 | ||||
| Turnout | 439 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Bailie Brand | 274 | |||
| Unionist | J. L. B. Higgin | 179 | |||
| Majority | 95 | ||||
| Turnout | 453 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Robert Innes | 209 | |||
| Unionist | James Watson | 151 | |||
| Majority | 58 | ||||
| Turnout | 360 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||