New Cumnock was one of 32 electoral wards of East Ayrshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

New Cumnock
East Ayrshire
Electorate2,836 (2003)
Major settlementsNew Cumnock
Scottish Parliament constituencyCarrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
Scottish Parliament regionSouth Scotland
UK Parliament constituencyAyr, Carrick and Cumnock
1974 (1974)–2007 (2007)
Number of councillors1
Replaced byCumnock and New Cumnock

The ward was a Labour stronghold as the party successfully held the seat at every election from its creation in 1974 until it was abolished.

In 2007, the ward was abolished and replaced by the multi-member Cumnock and New Cumnock ward as council elections moved to a proportional voting system – the single transferable vote – following the implementation of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.

Boundaries

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The New Cumnock ward was created in 1974 by the Formation Electoral Arrangements from the previous New Cumnock North and New Cumnock South electoral divisions of Ayr County Council. The ward centered around the town of New Cumnock and took in the southeastern part of Cumnock and Doon Valley next to its borders with Nithsdale District Council and Stewartry District Council.[1] The boundaries remained largely unchanged following the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1981[2] and the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994.[3] After the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, the boundaries proposed by the second review became the Formation Electoral Arrangements for the newly created East Ayrshire Council – an amalgamation of Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council and Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council. In 1998, the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements made minor alterations to the ward's western boundary ahead of the 1999 election.[4] In 2007, the ward was abolished as the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 saw proportional representation and new multi-member wards introduced. The area covered by the New Cumnock ward was placed into the new Cumnock and New Cumnock ward.[5]

Councillors

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Election Councillor
1974 J. Paterson
1988 G. Alexander
1995 J. Carmichael

Election results

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2003 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Carmichael 1,004 67.7   6.2
SNP Michael Lopez 314 21.2   4.3
Conservative Walter Young 165 11.1 New
Majority 690 46.5   25.4
Turnout 1,483 52.3   8.8
Registered electors 2,836
Labour hold Swing   0.9

Source:[6][7]

1999 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Carmichael 1,102 61.5   23.7
SNP J. Kelso 456 25.4   14.4
Conservative W. Young 235 13.1   9.3
Majority 646 36.1   38.2
Turnout 1,793 58.6   13.7
Registered electors 3,105
Labour hold Swing   19.0

Source:[7][8]

1995 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Carmicheal 1,282 85.2   8.2
SNP W. Buntain 165 11.0   6.9
Conservative A. McAdam 57 3.8   15.0
Majority 1,117 74.2   16.0
Turnout 1,504 44.9   11.3
Registered electors 3,351
Labour hold Swing   11.6

Source:[8][9]

1992 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Alexander 884 77.0   12.6
Conservative J. Boswell 216 18.8 New
SNP A. Montgomery 47 4.1   6.2
Majority 668 59.2   20.1
Turnout 1,147 33.6   13.0
Registered electors 3,420
Labour hold Swing   3.2

Source:[9][10]

1988 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour G. Alexander 1,517 89.6
SNP I. Hamilton 175 10.3
Majority 1,342 79.3
Turnout 1,692 46.6
Registered electors 3,633
Labour hold

Source:[10][11]

1984 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Paterson Unopposed
Registered electors 3,829
Labour hold

Source:[11][12]

1980 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Paterson Unopposed
Registered electors 3,916
Labour hold

Source:[12][13]

1977 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Paterson Unopposed
Registered electors 3,970
Labour hold

Source:[13][14]

1974 election

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New Cumnock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J. Paterson Unopposed
Registered electors 4,088
Labour win (new seat)

Source:[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Third Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; East Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. September 1998. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; East Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  6. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (2003). Local Elections Handbook 2003 (PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN 0-948858-35-4. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  7. ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (1999). Local Elections Handbook 1999 (PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN 0-948858-25-7. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b Botchel, H. M.; Denver, D. T. (1995). The Scottish Council Elections 1995: Results and Statistics (PDF). Newport on Tay: Election Studies. ISBN 1-869820-35-5. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ^ a b Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1992). The Scottish Council Elections 1992: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. ISBN 1-869820-04-5. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  10. ^ a b Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1989). The Scottish District Elections 1988: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. ISBN 1-869820-02-9. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  11. ^ a b Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1984). The Scottish District Elections 1984: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  12. ^ a b Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1980). The Scottish District Elections 1980: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  13. ^ a b Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1977). The Scottish District Elections 1977: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  14. ^ a b Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 3 January 2023.