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.

Larkhall
South Lanarkshire
Outline map
Boundary of Larkhall in South Lanarkshire from 2007–2017.
Population18,524 (2020)[1]
Electorate15,010 (2022)
Major settlementsLarkhall
Scottish Parliament constituencyHamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse
Scottish Parliament regionCentral Scotland
UK Parliament constituencyLanark and Hamilton East
Current ward
Created2007 (2007)
Number of councillors4
CouncillorAndy Carmichael (Labour)
CouncillorRichard Nelson (Conservative)
CouncillorRoss Clark (SNP)
CouncillorLesley McDonald (Labour)
Created fromCadzow
Dalserf
Hamilton Centre/Ferniegair
Larkhall East
Larkhall South
Larkhall West
Stonehouse

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
Year Councillors
2007 Jackie Burns
(Labour/Independent)		 Andy Carmichael
(Labour)		 Peter Craig
(SNP)		 Lesley McDonald
(SNP/Labour)
2012
2014
2017 Richard Nelson
(Conservative)
2022 Lesley McDonald
(Labour)		 Ross Clark
(SNP)

Election results

2022 election
Main article: 2022 South Lanarkshire Council election
Larkhall - 4 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456789
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      
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
    Main article: 2017 South Lanarkshire Council election
    Larkhall - 4 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    123456789
    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
      Main article: 2012 South Lanarkshire Council election
      Larkhall - 4 seats
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      123
      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
        Main article: 2007 South Lanarkshire Council election
        Larkhall - 4 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        1234567
        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
          1. 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]
          2. Larkhall councillor Lesley McDonald defected from the SNP and joined Labour on 2 May 2014.[9]
          3. Returning councillor for Larkhall South single-member ward.

          References
          1. "Larkhall". Scottish Government. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
          2. "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
          3. "Fifth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
          4. "Ward 20 Larkhall Declaration of Results Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
          5. "Ward 20 Larkhall Candidate Votes Per Stage Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
          6. Findlay, Nicola (25 May 2017). "Long-standing councillors quit SNP ahead of first meeting of new council". Daily Record.
          7. "Ward 20 Larkhall Declaration of Results Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
          8. "Ward 20 Larkhall Candidate Votes Per Stage Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
          9. Fanning, Gary (5 May 2014). "Larkhall SNP councillor Lesley McDonald defects to join Labour group on South Lanarkshire Council". Daily Record.
          10. "Local Government election results 2012". South Lanarkshire Council. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
          11. Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2007 - South Lanarkshire". Retrieved 19 February 2023.
          12. Bochel, H. M.; Denver, D. T. (2007). Scottish Council Elections 2007 Results and Statistics (PDF). Lincoln: Policy Studies Research Centre, University of Lincoln. ISBN 978-1-874474-36-4. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
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