1970 Zetland County Council election

1970 Zetland County Council election

May 12, 1970 (1970-05-12)
24 of 33 seats on the Zetland County Council 17 seats needed for a majority
First party   Leader Robert Johnson Party Independent Leader's seat Gulberwick and Quarff Seats won 24 Seat change - Popular vote 1,043 Percentage 100.0% Swing -
Council Convener before election Robert Johnson Independent Council Convener after election Robert Johnson Independent

Elections to the Zetland County Council were held on 12 May 1970 as part of Scottish local elections. Elections were held in every part of Shetland except Lerwick to elect 24 landward members to the County Council, who would be joined by nine nominated members from the Lerwick Town Council. Only five of 24 seats were contested.

Incumbent Council Convener Robert Johnson was unanimously re-elected for a second term after the election but would only serve a further two months until his death in July, after which Edward Thomason was elected to the position.[1]

Election results

Zetland County Council Election Result 1970[2]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	24	0	0	-	100.0%	100.0%	1,042	-

Ward Results

Aithsting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Robert Garrick (Incumbent)	161	56.5%
	Independent	Iain Caldwell	124	43.5%
Majority			37	13.0%
	Independent hold

Bressay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Irvine	79	47.0%
	Independent	John Scott (Incumbent)	56	33.3%
	Independent	Tom Black	33	19.6%
Majority			23	13.7%
	Independent hold

Burra

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		No nominations

Cunningsburgh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John McLeod (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Delting North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Fraser Peterson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Delting South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Robb	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Dunrossness North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Iain Campbell (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Dunrossness South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Raymond Bentley (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Fetlar

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Laurenson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Gulberwick and Quarff

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Robert Johnson (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Nesting and Lunnasting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Hamilton (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Northmavine North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Andrew Cromarty (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Northmavine South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Hugh Sutherland (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Sandness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	George Morrison	68	82.9%
	Independent	Magnus Cheyne	14	17.1%
Majority			37	13.0%
	Independent hold

Sandsting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	A.I. Tulloch (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Sandwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Thomas Stove	199	70.1%
	Independent	George Jamieson	52	18.3%
	Independent	Peter Duncan	33	11.6%
Majority			147	51.8%
	Independent hold

Tingwall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Andrew Irvine (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Unst North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Edward Thomason (Incumbent)	141	62.9%
	Independent	Alexander Lamb	83	37.1%
Majority			58	23.8%
	Independent hold

Unst South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alan Fraser	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Walls

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Williamina Tait	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Whalsay and Skerries

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Pottinger	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Whiteness and Weisdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		No nominations

Yell North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Hugh Williamson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Yell South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Robert Gray	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

By-elections since 1970

1970 Burra by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Barbara Anderson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

1970 Whiteness and Weisdale by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Rae	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

1970 Gulberwick and Quarff by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Arthur Irvine	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

1971 Dunrossness North by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Leask	55	78.6%
	Independent	Mary Fisher	15	21.4%
Majority			40	57.2%
	Independent hold

1972 Northmavine South by-election

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

1972 Burra by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Cumming	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

References

1. "Minutes of a Special Meeting of the County Council of the County of Zetland". Zetland County Council with Convener's Committee (1970). 11 August 1970.
2. Stewart, James. "County Council Election May 1970". Shetland History Online. Retrieved 2 February 2022.