1984 Cunninghame District Council election
{{Short description|Cunninghame District Council election}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox election
|election_name=1984 Cunninghame District Council election
|flag_image=
|type=parliamentary
|ongoing=no
|previous_election=1980 Cunninghame District Council election
|previous_year=1980
|election_date={{Start date|1984|05|03|df=y}}
|next_election=1988 Cunninghame District Council election
|next_year=1988
|seats_for_election=All 30 seats to Cunninghame District Council
|majority_seats=16
|registered=104,682
|turnout=45.0%
|image1=
|leader1=
|party1=Labour Party (UK)
|leaders_seat1=
|last_election1={{nowrap|21 seats, 46.4%}}
|seats_before1=
|seats1=23
|seat_change1={{increase}} 2
|popular_vote1=26,482
|percentage1=56.4%
|swing1={{increase}} 10.0
|image2=
|leader2=
|party2=Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
|leaders_seat2=
|last_election2={{nowrap|5 seats, 21.5%}}
|seats_before2=
|seats2=5
|seat_change2={{nochange}}
|popular_vote2=10,260
|percentage2=21.9%
|swing2={{increase}} 0.4
|title=Council Leader
|before_election=
|before_party=Labour Party (UK)
|posttitle=Council Leader after election
|after_election=
|after_party=Labour Party (UK)
|map_image=
|map_size=
|map_caption=
}}
Elections to Cunninghame District Council were held on 3 May 1984, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the fourth election to the district council following the local government reforms in 1974.
The election used the 30 wards created by the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1979. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.
Labour retained control of the council after taking more than half the popular vote and winning 23 of the 30 seats – an increase of two from 1980. The Conservatives retained all five of their seats to remain as the second largest party while the Scottish National Party (SNP) lost all their representation on the council just seven years after winning a plurality of seats.
Background
Following the implementation of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, a two-tier system of local government comprising nine regions, 53 districts and three island areas was introduced the following year. The 1984 elections would be the fourth district elections since their establishment.{{Cite web |url=https://boundaries.scot/sites/default/files/Local_government_Scotland_before_1975.pdf |title=Information Paper Local government in Scotland: before 1975 |publisher=Boundaries Scotland |access-date=1 April 2025}}
Labour had regained control of the council following the previous election in 1980. The party's vote rebounded after the 1977 election and they won a majority – 21 – of the 30 seats. The Conservatives leapfrogged the Scottish National Party (SNP) into second place by increasing their representation on the council to five members despite a drop in vote share. The SNP fell from the largest party in 1977 to third in 1980, winning just two seats – down from 11. One Moderate and one independent candidate were elected.{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1977.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1977: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1977 |access-date=1 April 2025}}
Boundary changes had occurred prior to the previous election following the completion of the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements for Cunninghame in 1979. This was the second election contested on the new boundaries which saw an increase of six seats from 24 to 30.{{Cite web |url=https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20190111180218/http://www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk/reports/eareports1st.asp |title=Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements |publisher=Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland |access-date=1 April 2025}}
In 1981, an electoral alliance was formed between the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. This would last until the parties merged in 1988 to form the Scottish Social and Liberal Democrats (SSLD), later renamed the Liberal Democrats.{{cite book |first1=Matt |last1=Cole |first2=Helen |last2=Deighan |title=Political Parties in Britain |year=2012 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-6903-5}} Both parties contested the 1984 district elections but only one party would contest any given seat.
Results
{{Election summary begin|title=1984 Cunninghame District Council election result}}
{{Election summary party|party=Labour Party (UK)|seats=23|gain=2|loss=0|net={{increase}} 2|seats %=76.7|votes %=56.4|votes=26,482|plus/minus={{increase}} 10.0}}
{{Election summary party|party=Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party|seats=5|gain=0|loss=0|net={{nochange}}|seats %=20.8|votes %=21.9|votes=10,260|plus/minus={{increase}} 0.4}}
{{Election summary party|party=Independent (politician)|seats=1|gain=0|loss=0|net={{nochange}}|seats %=3.3|votes %=4.1|votes=1,930|plus/minus={{increase}} 0.4}}
{{Election summary party|party=Moderates (Scotland)|seats=1|gain=0|loss=0|net={{nochange}}|seats %=3.3|votes %=2.1|votes=1,027|plus/minus={{decrease}} 0.2}}
{{Election summary party|party=Scottish National Party|seats=0|gain=0|loss=2|net={{decrease}} 2|seats %=0.0|votes %=11.4|votes=5,360|plus/minus={{decrease}} 14.4}}
{{Election summary party|party=Scottish Liberal Party|seats=0|gain=0|loss=0|net={{nochange}}|seats %=0.0|votes %=2.5|votes=1,188|plus/minus={{increase}} 2.4}}
{{Election summary party|party=Social Democratic Party (UK)|seats=0|gain=0|loss=0|net={{nochange}}|seats %=0.0|votes %=0.8|votes=407|plus/minus=New}}
{{Election summary party|party=Independent Labour|seats=0|gain=0|loss=0|net={{nochange}}|seats %=0.0|votes %=0.5|votes=261|plus/minus=New}}
{{Election summary net total|seats=30|votes=46,918}}
Source:{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1984.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1984: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1984 |access-date=9 March 2025}}{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1980.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1980: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1980 |access-date=9 March 2025}}
Ward results
=Irvine West=
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=D. O'Neill|votes=916|percentage=57.1|change={{decrease}} 3.5}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Scottish National Party|candidate=M. Brown|votes=424|percentage=26.5|change=New}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent (politician)|candidate=J. Smith|votes=263|percentage=16.4|change=New}}
{{Election box majority|votes=338|percentage=20.6|change={{decrease}} 0.7}}
{{Election box turnout|votes=1,603|percentage=53.7|change={{decrease}} 0.9}}
{{Election box registered electors|reg. electors=2,986}}
{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Labour Party (UK)|swing={{decrease}} 1.7}}
{{Election box end}}
Source:{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1984.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1984: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1984 |access-date=9 March 2025}}{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1980.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1980: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1980 |access-date=9 March 2025}}}}
=Arran=
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Independent (politician)|candidate=E. Sillars|votes=1,100|percentage=74.1|change={{decrease}} 0.7}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=J. Sillars|votes=363|percentage=24.5|change={{increase}} 0.9}}
{{Election box majority|votes=737|percentage=49.6|change={{decrease}} 0.6}}
{{Election box turnout|votes=1,463|percentage=44.9|change={{decrease}} 0.9}}
{{Election box registered electors|reg. electors=3,306}}
{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Independent (politician)|swing={{decrease}} 0.3}}
{{Election box end}}
Source:{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1984.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1984: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1984 |access-date=9 March 2025}}{{cite book |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-District-Elections-1980.pdf |title=The Scottish District Elections 1980: Results and Statistics |location=Dundee |publisher=Election Studies, University of Dundee |first1=J. M. |last1=Botchel |first2=D. T. |last2=Denver |date=1980 |access-date=9 March 2025}}}}
Aftermath
Labour strengthened their grip on the council by winning more than half the popular vote – 56.4% – and increasing their representation on the council by two to 23. The Conservatives retained their five seats with a slightly increased vote share while one Moderate and one independent candidate were elected. The SNP – who had won the election in 1977 – saw their vote share drop by 14 percentage points as they lost all their representation on the council.
References
{{reflist}}
{{North Ayrshire elections}}
{{1984 United Kingdom local elections}}