1982 Strathclyde Regional Council election

The third election to Strathclyde Regional Council was held on 6 May 1982 and yielded a significant Labour majority. The election saw the Labour majority increase its majority from 45 to 55.

Map showing results in Strathclyde Regional Council.

The leader of the Conservative group, Leonard Turpie, lost his seat to the SDP-Liberal Alliance. The Conservatives also lost the adjoining seat to Labour. Both seats were contained within the Glasgow Hillhead constituency won in March by SDP figure Roy Jenkins.[1]

The election saw the Conservatives reduced to their lowest ever result of 15 seats, whilst Labour emerged with 79 members, the SDP-Liberal Alliance with 4, SNP with 3, and 2 Independents.[2]

Following the election there was an attempt to unseat the incumbent Leader of Strathclyde Regional Council Dick Stewart, who had held the position since the councils creation. He was challenged for the leadership by his longtime friend and colleague Charles Gray at the first meeting of the Labour group, on 6 May, following the election. The attempt however failed, with Stewart retaining the leadership with 40 votes to Gray's 38.[2]

Aggregate results
Strathclyde Regional election, 1982
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 79 6 1 5 76.7 45.8 340,118 2.8
  Conservative 15 9 14.6 22.5 169,910 7.5
  Alliance 4 3.9 17.8 126,708 16.1
  SNP 3 1 0 1 2.9 12.5 92,927 10.0
  Independent 2 1.9 1.6 12,204 0.9

Ward results

Argyll and Bute
Kintyre
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative J McCorkindale 2,444 65.6
Labour D McMillan 1,274 34.2
Majority 1,170 31.4
Turnout 3,718 43.4
Conservative hold
Mid-Argyll/Islay
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP N MacNeil 2,635 60.0
Conservative J Mackie 1,396 28.2
Ecology C Gladstone 352 8.0
Majority 1,240 31.4
Turnout 4,383 42.3
SNP hold
Lorn and Mull
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative D Webster Unopposed
Conservative hold
Bute/West Cowal
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative J McMillan 2,292 55.1
SNP R Strong 1,232 29.6
Labour M McGrorarty 624 15.0
Majority 1,060 25.6
Turnout 4,148 49.8
Conservative hold
Dunoon/East Cowal
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent J Walsh 1,318 29.8
Conservative J.A. Douglas 1,121 25.3
Independent J MacKinnon 603 13.6
Independent M Murton 469 10.6
Liberal A Lyall 456 10.3
Labour J Cullen 456 10.3
Majority 197 4.5
Turnout 4,423 49.4
Independent gain from Liberal

Dumbarton
Dumbarton
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour I MacDonald 3,751 44.5
Liberal J Murricane 2,178 25.9
Conservative R Graham 1,632 19.4
SNP G Clarkson 851 10.1
Majority 1,573 18.6
Turnout 8,412 45.2
Helensburgh
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent W Petrie 6,735 73.5
SDP R Sawyer 1,337 14.6
Labour J Carleton 609 6.6
SNP J.B. Cowey 465 5.1
Majority 5,398 58.9
Turnout 9,146 50.4
Independent hold
Vale of Leven
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour D Mills 6,181 62.0
SNP N McEwan 1,609 16.1
Conservative P Grant 1,250 12.5
Communist Jim Bollan 496 5.0
Independent Labour G Muir 402 4.0
Majority 4,572 45.9
Turnout 9,938 48.9
Labour hold
Drumry/Summerhill
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour A McLean 3,460 63.5
SNP T Humble 1,445 26.5
Conservative D Gibson 436 8.0
Communist A Jackson 96 1.8
Majority 2,015 37.0
Turnout 5,437 35.0
Labour hold

Glasgow
Blairdarrie/Knightscliffe
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour J.W. MacKechnie 3,253 46.2
SDP G Beattie 1,521 21.6
Conservative C.A. Lawson 1,340 19.1
SNP J Ruddy 912 13.0
Majority 1,732 24.6
Turnout 7,026 40.0
Labour hold
Yoker/Knightswood
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour W Perry 4,175 62.1
Conservative E Ledgewood 1,211 18.0
SNP J Lang 1,203 17.9
Communist J Moffat 117 1.7
Majority 2,964 44.1
Turnout 6,706 37.2
Labour hold
Scotstoun/Broomhill
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour K Murray 2,835 32.5
SDP C Ainsworth 2,385 27.4
Conservative L.M. Rosin 2,227 25.6
SNP W Lindsay Jnr. 1,141 13.1
Communist L.D. Bain 124 1.4
Majority 450 5.1
Turnout 8,712 45.7
Kelvinside/Kelvindale
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal C.M. Mason 3,833 40.7
Conservative L MacK Turpie 3,809 40.5
Labour C.F. Rushton 1,223 13.0
SNP P.D. Johnson 435 4.6
Ecology A Whitelaw 104 1.1
Majority 24 0.2
Turnout 9,404 47.7
Liberal gain from Conservative

References
  1. "Crushing Blow to Tories". The Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1982. p. 1.
  2. "Challenge to Strathclyde Leader Fails". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1982. p. 13.
  • Scottish Regional Elections 1982: Results and Statistics; J.M. Bochel and D.T. Denver
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