1982 Shetland Islands Area Council election

An election to Shetland Islands Council was held on 6 May 1982 as part of the 1982 Scottish regional elections and yielded a swing to candidates supportive of Home Rule for the islands. Whilst no candidates appeared on the ballot as members of the Shetland Movement (all Shetland candidates were independents), the Shetland Movement did publish a list of candidates supportive of Shetland Home Rule. Ultimately of the 25 members of the Shetland council, 14 were supporters of the movement.[1]

1982 Shetland Islands Council election

← 1978 May 4, 1982 (1982-05-04) 1986 →

All 25 seats to Shetland Islands Council
13 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader A.I. Tulloch
Party Independent Labour
Leader's seat Aithsting and Sandsting
Last election 22 3
Seats won 23 2
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1
Popular vote 2,991 222
Percentage 87.8% 6.5%
Swing Increase6.7% Decrease12.4%

Council Convener before election

A.I. Tulloch
Independent

Council Convener after election

A.I. Tulloch
Independent

Results by electoral district.

Supporters of island autonomy similarly contested council elections in neighboring Orkney.[2]

The councils for the Shetland Islands, Orkney, and the Western Isles operated as combined authorities, meaning that instead of having both regional and district governance, the Islands had a single level combined of governance. These councils were elected at the same time as Scottish regional councils.

Aggregate results

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Shetland Islands Council election, 1982
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 23 1 0  1 92.0 87.8 2,991  6.7
  Labour 2 0 1  1 8.0 6.5 222  12.4
  Ratepayers 0 0 0 0 0.0 5.7 194 New

Ward results

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1st, Lerwick Sound
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Graham Unopposed
2nd, Lerwick–Clickimin
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Thomas M. Y. Manson 121 35.4%
Independent Cecil B. Eunson 112 32.7%
Independent Ian Byrne (Incumbent) 109 31.9%
Majority 9 2.7%
Turnout
Independent hold
3rd, Lerwick–North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Leonard G. Groat 221 52.0%
Ratepayers Robert Tulloch (Incumbent) 194 48.0%
Majority 17 4.0%
Turnout
Independent gain from Ratepayers
4th, Lerwick Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Bill Smith (Incumbent) Unopposed
5th, Lerwick Harbour
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Edward Thomason (Incumbent) Unopposed
6th, Lerwick Twageos
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Sandy Clunes (Incumbent) Unopposed
7th, Lerwick Breiwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Leslie Eunson Unopposed
8th, Unst
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Alan B. Fraser 157 41.1%
Independent Karl M. Gray 148 38.7%
Independent William Playfair (Incumbent) 77 20.2%
Majority 9 2.4%
Turnout
Independent hold
9th, Yell North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent David Johnson (Incumbent) Unopposed
10th, Yell South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Stewart Gray (Incumbent) Unopposed
11th, Northmavine
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Christopher D. Dowle (Incumbent) 222 55.8%
Independent Gilbert J. Mowat 127 31.9%
Independent William J. Beattie 49 12.3%
Majority 95 23.9%
Turnout
Labour gain from Independent
12th, Delting North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Fraser Paterson Unopposed
13th, Delting South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Albert Hunter (Incumbent) Unopposed
14th, Nesting and Lunnasting
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Benji Hunter (Incumbent) Unopposed
15th, Bressay
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Irvine (Incumbent) Unopposed
16th, Scalloway
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Anderson Unopposed
17th, Whiteness, Weisdale and Tingwall
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Cecil R. H. Eunson 258 55.7%
Independent Florence B. Grains (Incumbent) 205 44.3%
Majority 53 11.4%
Turnout
18th, Whalsay and Skerries
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Henry Stewart (Incumbent) Unopposed
19th, Sandsting and Aithsting
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Alexander Tulloch (Incumbent) 247 57.6%
Independent William Tait 182 42.4%
Majority 65 15.2%
Turnout
20th, Sandness and Walls
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Gordon Walterson (Incumbent) Unopposed
21st, Cunningsburgh
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Joan Macleod Unopposed
22nd, Burra and Trondra
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William A. Cumming 316 75.2%
Independent Susan G. Morrow-Irvine 104 24.8%
Majority 212 50.4%
Turnout
23rd, Sandwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Malcolm S. Bray 198 57.9%
Independent Peter Watts 144 42.1%
Majority 54 15.8%
Turnout
24th, Dunrossness North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Tait (Incumbent) Unopposed
25th, Dunrossness South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Raymond R. Bentley (Incumbent) 142 65.7%
Independent John F. D. MacKenzie 74 34.3%
Majority 68 31.4%
Turnout

[3][4]

By-elections since 1982

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1982 Delting North by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Roberta Clubb Unopposed
Labour gain from Independent
1983 Delting North by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Andrea Manson 337 76.8%
Labour Paul Thorn 102 23.2%
Majority 235 53.6%
Turnout
Independent gain from Labour

References

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  1. ^ "Shetland home rulers returned". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1982. p. 12.
  2. ^ Lynch, Peter (2001). Scottish Government and Politics: An Introduction. ISBN 9780748612871.
  3. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  4. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search".