# 1972 Edinburgh Corporation election

An Election to the Edinburgh Corporation was held on 2 May 1972, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the councils 69 seats, 23 were up for election.
Following the election, with two by-elections pending, Edinburgh Corporation was composed of 33 Labour councillors, 21 Progressives, 9 Conservatives, and 5 Liberals. Labour did particularly well in the 1972 municipal elections across Scotland, and this was also the case in Edinburgh, where the party came close to gaining control of the council for the first time, controlling 33 of the councils 68 seats. The Liberals, with 5 seats, held the balance of power in the new council. Following the election Edinburgh corporation would elect its first Labour Lord Provost; Jack Kane.
The election also witnessed the continuation of the decline of the Progressives, who lost 5 seats.
Turnout was 42.1%.

## Aggregate results

Edinburgh Corporation election, 1972 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Labour | 11 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 43.5 | 42.0 | 59,456 |
| Progressives | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 30.4 | 22.2 | 31,479 |
| Conservative | 4 | 2 | 2 | | 13.0 | 18.2 | 25,808 |
| Liberal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.7 | 10.3 | 14,554 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 4,286 |
| SNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.9 | 4,142 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1,382 |

## Ward Results

Broughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressives | G. Fraser | 2,446 | |
| | Labour | R. Cairns | 1,784 | |
| | SNP | J. Maxwell | 431 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 662 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.62% |
| | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold |
Calton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | M. Moules | 2,087 | |
| | Progressives | Josephine Dickson | 1,921 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 166 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.00% |
| | Labour gain from Progressives | Labour gain from Progressives | Labour gain from Progressives | Labour gain from Progressives |
Central Leith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | J. Hastle | 2,496 | |
| | Conservative | Margaret Houston | 791 | |
| | SNP | J. Geddes | 354 | |
| | Communist | L. Farquhar | 33 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1705 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.04% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Colinton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | A. Meek | 5,286 | |
| | Labour | J. H. McKay | 4,908 | |
| | Progressives | D. Mackenzie | 1,162 | |
| | SNP | J. McKernan | 752 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 378 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.03% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Corstorphine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Joyce Sheln | 3,465 | |
| | Progressives | Mrs Robertson Murray | 2,405 | |
| | Conservative | W. Percy | 1,847 | |
| | Labour | B. R. MacKenzie | 1,226 | |
| | SNP | A. S. Weir | 246 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,060 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.88% |
| | Liberal gain from Progressives | Liberal gain from Progressives | Liberal gain from Progressives | Liberal gain from Progressives |
Craigentinny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | W. S. Dalgleish | 4,181 | |
| | Conservative | G. V. McAra | 2,159 | |
| | Communist | T. Burns | 111 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,022 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.37% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Craigmillar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | R. Fox | 4,393 | |
| | Conservative | Norma-Ann Clayton | 622 | |
| | Communist | J. O'Donnell | 140 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3731 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.01% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
George Square :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressives | C. Murphy | 1,525 | |
| | Labour | J. F. Stephen | 1,515 | |
| | Liberal | M. G. Falchikov | 402 | |
| | Independent Nationalist | R. M. S. Tuck | 150 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.17% |
| | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold |
Gorgie-Dalry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | M. McGregor | 2,785 | |
| | Conservative | J. McConnell | 1,188 | |
| | SNP | E. Milne | 651 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1597 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.55% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
Holyrood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | O. Hand | 1,546 | |
| | Conservative | P. Jones | 688 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.37% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Liberton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | J. C. Campbell | 7,705 | |
| | Conservative | A. H. Lester | 4,025 | |
| | Communist | W. Cowan | 133 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3680 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.06% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
Merchiston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | J. G. Gray | 3,444 | |
| | Progressives | J. Dalgleish | 1,573 | |
| | Labour | R. N. F. Halliday | 756 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1871 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.23% |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Morningside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressives | J. Bateman | 3,252 | |
| | Liberal | N. L. Gordon | 2,718 | |
| | SNP | R. J. Shirley | 427 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 534 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.76% |
| | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold |
Murrayfield-Cramond :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | G. G. Norval | 5,648 | |
| | Labour | W. J. Taylor | 3,247 | |
| | Liberal | E. Sutherland-Loveday | 1,111 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2401 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.98% |
| | Conservative gain from Progressives | Conservative gain from Progressives | Conservative gain from Progressives | Conservative gain from Progressives |
Newington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | J. D. Kidd | 4,286 | |
| | Labour | B. Rutherford | 1,798 | |
| | Liberal | J. Grahamslaw | 1,298 | |
| | SNP | Christina MacWhirter | 413 | |
| | Communist | Michele Gunn | 78 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2488 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.39% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Pilton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | R. W. Irvine | 5,244 | |
| | Conservative | Sarah Pringle | 1,149 | |
| | Communist | C McManus | 131 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4095 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.79% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Portobello :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressives | K. W. Borthwick | 3,860 | |
| | Labour | Mary Hutchison | 2,215 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1645 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.14% |
| | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold |
St. Andrews :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | I. A. Cramond | 1,496 | |
| | Labour | P. McGhee | 855 | |
| | Liberal | C. S. Waterman | 474 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6358 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.99% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
St. Bernard's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | J. Sanderson | 4,000 | |
| | Labour | R. D. Anderson | 2,581 | |
| | Liberal | R. H. Guild | 1,227 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1419 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.87% |
| | Conservative gain from Progressives | Conservative gain from Progressives | Conservative gain from Progressives | Conservative gain from Progressives |
St. Giles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | J. McInally | 1,542 | |
| | Conservative | D. J. Walker | 525 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1017 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 24.13% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
Sighthill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | D. Renton | 4,920 | |
| | Conservative | W. Scott | 1,175 | |
| | Communist | W. Miller | 889 | |
| | SNP | R. MacKenna | 542 | |
| | Liberal | A. A. Mackay | 415 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3745 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.90% |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent |
South Leith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | I. R. Hoy | 2,614 | |
| | Progressives | C. Waugh | 2,362 | |
| | SNP | J. Sinclair | 326 | |
| | Protestant Action | J. Maclean | 151 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 252 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.16% |
| | Labour gain from Progressives | Labour gain from Progressives | Labour gain from Progressives | Labour gain from Progressives |
West Leith :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressives | W. S. Lyle | 3,397 | |
| | Labour | N. Lindsay | 1,843 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1554 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.18% |
| | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold | Progressives hold |