1974 Shetland Islands Council election

Elections to the Shetland Islands Council were held on 7 May 1974 as part of Scottish local elections. This was the first election for the all-purpose Shetland Islands Council, as established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, combining the Lerwick Town Council and the Zetland County Council. The Council operated as a shadow authority until May 1975, when it assumed full responsibilities for local government in Shetland. 11 seats were uncontested.

1974 Shetland Islands Council election

← 1973 May 7, 1974 (1974-05-07) 1978 →
All 22 seats to Shetland Islands Council 12 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader A.I. Tulloch Party Independent Labour Leader's seat Aithsting and Sandsting Seats won 18 4 Popular vote 3,781 430 Percentage 89.8% 10.2%
Council Convener after election A.I. Tulloch Independent

Aggregate results

Shetland Islands Council election, 1974^[1]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	18	N/A	N/A	N/A	84.0	89.8	3,781	N/A
	Labour	4	N/A	N/A	N/A	6.0	10.2	430	N/A

Ward results

Aithsting and Sandsting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	A.I. Tulloch	291	55.3%
	Independent	Robert Garrick	235	44.7%
Majority			56	10.6%

Bressay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Irvine	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Burra and Trondra

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Cumming	225	78.1%
	Independent	Victor Church	63	21.9%
Majority			162	56.2%

Delting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Fraser Peterson	232	66.7%
	Independent	Clem Robb	116	33.3%
Majority			116	33.4%

Dunrossness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Leask	258	55.4%
	Independent	Raymond Bentley	208	44.6%
Majority			50	10.8%

Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Joan McLeod	248	69.7%
	Independent	Angus Smith	108	30.3%
Majority			130	39.4%

Lerwick Breiwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	John Butler	141	39.1%
	Independent	Harry Gray	125	34.6%
	Independent	Ronald Cumming	95	26.6%
Majority			16	4.5%

Lerwick Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Eric Gray	219	59.5%
	Independent	Robert Wishart	149	40.5%
Majority			70	19.0%

Lerwick North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Alex Morrison	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Lerwick Sound

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Peterson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Lerwick Twageos

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	James Paton	289	58.7%
	Independent	George Blance	203	41.3%
Majority			86	17.4%

Lerwick West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Bill Smith	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Nesting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Edward Thomason	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Northmavine

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Jamieson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Sandness and Walls

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Williamina Tait	206	65.4%
	Independent	Peter Garrick	109	34.6%
Majority			97	30.8%

Sandwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Thomas Stove	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Scalloway

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Andrew Irvine	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Unst

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alan Fraser	225	56.7%
	Independent	William Thomson	172	43.3%
Majority			53	13.4%

Whalsay and Skerries

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Frederick Dainty	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Whiteness, Weisdale and Tingwall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Johnson	164	55.8%
	Independent	John Rae	81	27.6%
	Independent	George Morrison	49	16.7%
Majority			83	28.2%

Yell North and Fetlar

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	David Johnson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

Yell South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Stewart Gray	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed

By-elections since 1974

1976 Lerwick Sound by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Ian Byrne	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

1977 Dunrossness by-election^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Prophet Smith	143	34.5%
	Independent	Ray Bentley	123	29.7%
	Independent	Alan Whitfield	93	22.5%
	Independent	Williamina Flaws	55	13.3%
Majority			20	4.8%
	Independent hold

References

1. Stewart, James. "Shetland Islands Council Election May 1974". Shetland History Online. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
2. BBC Radio Shetland (13 July 1977). "Good Evening Shetland". Shetland Archives, BBCRS/5/1977/15/1.