Hillhouse was one of 67 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Originally created in 1974, the ward was initially within Hamilton District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s. The ward elected one councillor using the first-past-the-post voting electoral system.

Hillhouse
South Lanarkshire
Electorate2,802 (2003)
Major settlementsHamilton (part of)
Scottish Parliament constituencyHamilton South
Scottish Parliament regionCentral Scotland
UK Parliament constituencyRutherglen and Hamilton West
1974 (1974)–2007 (2007)
Number of councillors1
Replaced byHamilton West and Earnock

The ward was a Labour stronghold as the party successfully won the seat at eight of the 10 elections and held the seat for 23 years consecutively after gaining it from the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1980.

In 2007, the ward was abolished and replaced by the multi-member Hamilton West and Earnock 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 edit

The Hillhouse ward was created in 1974 by the Formation Electoral Arrangements from an area in the west of the former Hamilton Burgh. The ward centered around the Hillhouse area in Hamilton.[1] The ward was expanded slightly following the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1980[2] before being reduced in size by the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994 as an area in the north of the ward was transferred to the newly created Burnbank/Springwells ward.[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 South Lanarkshire Council – an amalgamation of Clydesdale District Council, East Kilbride District Council and Hamilton District Council as well as part of the City of Glasgow District Council. In 1998, the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements saw the ward's eastern boundary amended to run along Hillhouse Road and the southern boundary amended to take in streets around the south of Townhill Road.[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 Hillhouse ward was placed into the new Hamilton West and Earnock ward.[5]

Councillors edit

Election Councillor
1974 R. Newberry
1977 G. McLachlan
1980 R. Newberry
1995[6] J. McKeown
2003[7] G. Horne

Election results edit

2003 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Graeme Horne 620 48.3 New
Labour Jean McKeown 610 47.5   17.7
Conservative Janet Brown 54 4.2   3.8
Majority 10 0.8 N/A
Turnout 1,284 45.8   3.8
Registered electors 2,802
Independent gain from Labour Swing   33.0

Source:[7][8]

1999 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. McKeown 1,021 65.2   1.5
SNP D. Bryson 421 26.9   6.4
Conservative D. Murray 125 8.0 New
Majority 600 38.3   5.0
Turnout 1,567 49.4   6.0
Registered electors 3,178
Labour hold Swing   2.4

Source:[8][6]

1995 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. McKeown 802 66.7   1.1
SNP J. McGuigan 401 33.3   1.5
Majority 401 33.3   2.7
Turnout 1,203 43.4   18.7
Registered electors 2,774
Labour win (new seat)

Source:[6]

1992 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Newberry 562 67.8   10.7
SNP T. Muir 264 31.8   13.7
Majority 298 36.0   24.4
Turnout 826 24.7   18.7
Registered electors 3,353
Labour hold Swing   12.2

Source:[9][10]

1988 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Newberry 1,200 78.5   4.2
SNP J. Randalls 276 18.1   11.8
Conservative H. MacKie 50 3.3   0.3
Majority 924 60.4   14.4
Turnout 1,526 43.4   1.5
Registered electors 3,525
Labour hold Swing   4.2

Source:[10][11]

1984 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Newberry 1,284 82.7   1.0
Liberal G. Gloyer 123 7.9 New
SNP M. Miller 98 6.3 New
Conservative H. MacKie 47 3.0   3.2
Majority 1,161 74.8   5.2
Turnout 1,552 41.9   4.4
Registered electors 3,708
Labour hold Swing   1.0

Source:[11][12]

1980 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Newberry 1,206 81.7   34.2
Independent Nationalist M. Sneddon 178 12.1 New
Conservative D. Ogg 91 6.2 New
Majority 1,028 69.6 N/A
Turnout 1,475 46.3   4.1
Registered electors 3,139
Labour gain from SNP Swing   34.2

Source:[12][13]

1977 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP G. McLachlan 855 52.5   12.7
Labour R. Newberry 775 47.5   12.7
Majority 80 5.0 N/A
Turnout 1,630 50.4   1.4
Registered electors 3,239
SNP gain from Labour Swing   12.7

Source:[13][14]

1974 election edit

Hillhouse
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour R. Newberry 888 60.2
SNP J. Boothroyd 588 39.8
Majority 300 20.4
Turnout 1,476 49.0
Registered electors 3,041
Labour win (new seat)

Source:[14]

References edit

  1. ^ "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Third Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. September 1998. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c 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 25 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b 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 21 March 2023.
  8. ^ 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 8 April 2023.
  9. ^ 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 27 December 2023.
  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 29 December 2023.
  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 29 December 2023.
  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 5 January 2024.
  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 6 January 2024.
  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 6 January 2024.