Elections to the Zetland County Council were held on 8 May 1973 as part of Scottish local elections. This was the last election for the County Council before its incorporation along with the Lerwick Town Council into the Shetland Islands Council in 1975. Elections were held in every part of Shetland except Lerwick to elect 24 landward members to the County Council, who would be joined by six nominated members from the Lerwick Town Council.
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24 of 30 seats on the Zetland County Council 16 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The election saw an unusually partisan competition between supporters and opponents of the County Council's policy on North Sea oil. The Shetland Democratic Group was formed to oppose the council's attempts to gain private legislation to exert direct control over oil developments in Shetland, objecting to proposals that would allow the council to take equity in industrial development and gain compulsory purchase powers.[1]
The Shetland Democratic Group gained 11 seats and defeated incumbent Convener Edward Thomason but failed to win enough support to gain control of the Zetland County Council. Supporters of the council's policy elected George Blance, a nominated member from the Lerwick Town Council, as the council's final Convener, defeating Shetland Democratic Group member John Jamieson by 18 votes to 12. The council's continued support for private legislation led to the passage of the Zetland County Council Act 1974, providing the council with powers to become a harbour authority, control harbour developments, invest in securities of bodies corporate, implement compulsory purchases in specified areas relating to oil developments and to establish a reserve fund from oil revenues.[2] These powers would be inherited by the Shetland Islands Council in 1975.
13 seats were uncontested, including seven of the Shetland Democratic Group's 11 gains.[3]
Election results
edit| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | 13 | 0 | 11 |  11
|
54.2% | 78.6% | 2,078 | 21.4
| |
| Shetland Democratic Group | 11 | 11 | 0 |  11
|
45.8% | 21.4% | 566 | 21.4
| |
Ward Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Iain Caldwell | 151 | 54.9% | |
| Independent | Robert Garrick (Incumbent) | 124 | 45.1% | |
| Majority | 27 | 9.8% | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | James Irvine (Incumbent) | 122 | 78.2% | |
| Independent | Brenda Scott | 34 | 20.8% | |
| Majority | 88 | 57.4% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | William Cumming (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Joan McLeod (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Fraser Peterson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Clem Robb (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | James Leask (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Raymond Bentley (Incumbent) | 150 | 63.3% | |
| Independent | Arthur M. Irvine | 87 | 36.7% | |
| Majority | 63 | 26.6% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | John Laurenson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Arthur Irvine (Incumbent) | 45 | 51.4% | |
| Shetland Democratic Group | Alistair Leask | 43 | 48.6% | |
| Majority | 2 | 2.8% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Andrew Riddell | 149 | 68.3% | |
| Independent | William Hamilton (Incumbent) | 69 | 31.7% | |
| Majority | 80 | 36.6% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Robert Balfour | 46 | 55.4% | |
| Independent | Andrew Cromarty (Incumbent) | 37 | 44.6% | |
| Majority | 9 | 10.8% | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | John Jamieson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Peter Garriock | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | A.I. Tulloch (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Thomas Stove (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Andrew Irvine (Incumbent) | 327 | 55.7% | |
| Independent | Martin Williamson | 260 | 44.3% | |
| Majority | 67 | 11.4% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | William Thomson | 249 | 70.5% | |
| Independent | Edward Thomason (Incumbent) | 104 | 29.5% | |
| Majority | 145 | 41.0% | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | Alan Fraser (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Williamina Tait (Incumbent) | 195 | 79.9% | |
| Independent | Peter Hick | 49 | 20.1% | |
| Majority | 146 | 59.8% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Frederick Dainty | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland Democratic Group | John Johnson | 77 | 37.0% | |
| Independent | John Rae (Incumbent) | 67 | 32.2% | |
| Independent | George Morrison | 64 | 30.8% | |
| Majority | 10 | 4.8% | ||
| Shetland Democratic Group gain from Independent | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Sandy Cluness | 156 | 80.0% | |
| Independent | Robert Manson | 39 | 20.0% | |
| Majority | 117 | 60.0% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Robert Gray | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
By-elections since 1973
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | David Johnson | unopposed | unopposed | |
| Majority | unopposed | unopposed | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Pro-Bill Members Retain Control". The Shetland Times. 24 May 1973.
- ^ Nevis Institute (1978). The Shetland Report: A constitutional study prepared for the Shetland Islands Council by The Nevis Institute under the Chairmanship of Lord Kilbrandon. Edinburgh. p. 63.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Landslide for "Democrats"". The Shetland Times. 11 May 1973.
- ^ Stewart, James. "County Council Election May 1973". Shetland History Online. Retrieved 25 January 2022.