Larkhall (South Lanarkshire ward)
Larkhall is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council . Created in 2007, the ward elects four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 18,524 people.
The ward is a Labour stronghold with the party winning half the seats at every election since the ward's creation. Between 2014 and 2017, the party held three of the four seats following a defection.
Boundaries
The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections . As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Larkhall was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained all of the former Dalserf , Larkhall East and Larkhall West wards as well as part of the former Cadzow ward and a small part of the former Hamilton Centre/Ferniegair and Stonehouse wards. As the name suggests, Larkhall centres on the town of Larkhall and the surrounding rural area including the villages of Ashgill , Netherburn and Quarter . The ward's eastern boundary is formed by the River Clyde which coincides with the council's border with North Lanarkshire Council .[ 2] Following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections , the ward's boundaries were unchanged.[ 3]
Councillors
Election results
2022 election
Larkhall - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Labour
Andy Carmichael (incumbent )
25.5
1,580
Conservative
Richard Nelson (incumbent )
24.5
1,518
SNP
Ross Clark
22.4
1,389
Independent
Jackie Burns (incumbent )
10.3
639
679
725
732
742
753
796
886
Labour
Lesley McDonald
7.5
463
678
745
752
759
769
831
975
1,379
SNP
George Sutherland
6.4
399
408
410
532
532
533
549
Liberal Democrats
Jake Stevenson
2.4
148
157
199
202
211
223
Scottish Libertarian
David Laird
0.6
36
41
44
45
UKIP
Donald Murdo Mackay
0.3
21
25
56
56
63
Electorate: 15,010 Valid: 6,193 Spoilt: 140 Quota: 1,239 Turnout: 42.2%
Source:[ 4] [ 5]
2017 election
Larkhall - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Conservative
Richard Nelson
26.34
1,645
Labour
Andy Carmichael (incumbent )
17.71
1,106
1,150
1,161
1,179
1,202
1,483
SNP
Peter Craig (incumbent )
16.83
1,051
1,056
1,060
1,067
1,120
1,153
1,175
1,176
1,880
Labour
Jackie Burns (incumbent )[ note 1]
15.8
987
1,027
1,040
1,054
1,083
1,175
1,255
SNP
Donald MacLeod
11.27
704
709
714
720
761
790
801
802
Labour
Lesley McDonald (incumbent )
6.56
410
447
457
488
512
Scottish Green
Bobby Bulloch
2.58
161
177
192
232
Liberal Democrats
Lindsay Watt
1.63
102
160
180
UKIP
Donald Murdo MacKay
1.28
80
143
Electorate: 14,478 Valid: 6,246 Spoilt: 168 Quota: 1,250 Turnout: 44.3%
Source:[ 7] [ 8]
2012 election
Larkhall - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
Labour
Jackie Burns (incumbent)
37.4
1,965
SNP
Peter Craig (incumbent)
21.4
1,124
SNP
Lesley McDonald (incumbent)[ note 2]
18.2
958
1,010
1,102
Labour
Andy Carmichael (incumbent)
14.3
752
1,507
Conservative
David Murray
6.11
321
334
363
UKIP
Donald Murdo MacKay
2.5
131
141
177
Electorate: 14,510 Valid: 5,251 Spoilt: 106 Quota: 1,051 Turnout: 36.2%
Source:[ 10]
2007 election
Larkhall - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Labour
Jackie Burns [ note 3]
38.0
2,699
SNP
Peter Craig
17.8
1,264
1,335
1,387
1,437
SNP
Lesley McDonald
12.5
890
931
981
1,059
1,071
1,212
???
Conservative
Gregor Cameron
7.9
563
591
640
795
796
Labour
Robin Cunningham
7.1
502
727
757
828
829
888
Scottish Unionist
Mary Duckett
6.6
466
507
545
Labour
Andy Carmichael
5.2
366
1,025
1,066
1,109
1,110
1,189
???
Liberal Democrats
Callan Dick
4.9
349
376
Electorate: 14,934 Valid: 7,099 Quota: 1,420 Turnout: 48.7%
Source:[ 11] [ 12]
Notes
^ Larkhall Labour councillor Jackie Burns was expelled from the party and became an independent following a conviction for breach of the peace in May 2017.[ 6]
^ Larkhall councillor Lesley McDonald defected from the SNP and joined Labour on 2 May 2014.[ 9]
^ Returning councillor for Larkhall South single-member ward.
References