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Elections to Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council were held on 7 May 1974, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the first election to the district council following the implementation of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

The election used 10 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.

Labour took control of the council after winning a large majority despite none of their candidates winning a contested seat. Labour were the only party to stand candidates in every seat with eight elected unopposed. The two seats which were contested were won by the Conservatives and an independent Labour candidate. As a result of the large number of uncontested seats, independent Labour won the popular vote.

Background

Prior to 1974, Cumnock (known as Cumnock and Holmhead until 1960) was one of 17 burghs within the County of Ayr. The area was made a burgh of barony by Royal Charter in 1509 before becoming a police burgh with an elected burgh council in 1866. As a small burgh, the burgh council had limited powers which included some control over planning as well as local taxation, building control, housing, lighting and drainage with the rest of the local government responsibility falling to the county council.

Following the recommendations in the Wheatly Report, the old system of counties and burghs – which had resulted in a mishmash of local government areas in which some small burghs had larger populations but far fewer responsibilities than some large burghs and even counties – was to be replaced by a new system of regional and district councils. Cumnock Burgh and the surrounding areas including New Cumnock, Mauchline and Dalmellington was to be placed in Cumnock and Doon Valley district within the Strathclyde region.

Results

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Ward results

Cumnock Burgh

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Lugar, Logan and Muirkirk

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Old Cumnock Parish

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Auchinleck

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Catrine and Sorn

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New Cumnock

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Dalmellington

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Patna and Dalrymple

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Drongan, Ochiltree, Rankinston and Stair

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Mauchline

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References

1. "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
2. ^ "Information Paper Local government in Scotland: before 1975" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
3. Historic Environment Scotland. "Old Cumnock Old Church (Category B Listed Building) (LB24092)". Retrieved 3 January 2023.
4. Bark, Stephen (3 July 2017). "Cumnock Community Council mark 150th anniversary of police burgh status". Cumnock Chronicle. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
5. Turnock, David (1970). "The Wheatley Report: Local Government in Scotland". Area. 2 (2). Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers: 10–12. JSTOR 20000437.
6. ^ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 3 January 2023.

v t e (1973 ←) 1974 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1975)
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See also: UK General election (Feb) UK General election (Oct)

• 1974 Scottish local elections
• Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council elections