An election to Edinburgh Corporation was held on 4 May 1971, alongside municipal elections across Scotland. Of the council's 68 seats, 23 were up for election.[ 1]
Following the election, Edinburgh Corporation was composed of 28 Labour councillors, 27 Progressives, 9 Conservatives, 3 Liberals, and 2 independents. The SNP was wiped off the council after lost all five of the seats it was defending.[ 1]
Following the election, the Progressives and Conservative coalition retained control of the council with a majority of three seats.
A total of 125,045 residents voted.
Aggregate results Edinburgh Corporation election, 1971[ 1] Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/− Labour 10 7 0 7 43.5 42.7 53,439 Progressives 8 0 5 5 34.8 27.1 33,906 Conservative 4 2 0 2 17.4 17.7 22,147 Liberal 1 1 0 1 4.3 7.5 9,409 SNP 0 0 5 5 0.0 4.4 5,481 Communist 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 273 Protestant Action 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 217 Local Community 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 173
Ward Results Location of Broughton ward Broughton[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives G. A. Theurer 2,407 Labour R. Cairns 1,784 Majority Turnout 34.08% Progressives hold
Location of Calton ward Calton[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Labour J. Anderson 1,874 Conservative Margaret E. S. Houston 1,774 Majority Turnout 35.32% Labour gain from SNP
Location of Central Leith ward Location of Colinton ward Colinton[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Conservative J. D. MacLennan 3,568 Labour R. B. Graham 3,475 Progressives J. Dalgleish 2,221 SNP Joan B. Crawford 955 Majority Turnout 41.86% Conservative gain from Progressives
Location of Corstorphine ward Location of Craigentinny ward Location of Craigmillar ward Craigmillar[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Labour D. H. Brown 3,831 SNP J. Wallace 932 Majority Turnout 30.51% Labour hold
Location of George Square ward Location of Gorgie-Dalry ward Location of Holyrood ward Location of Liberton ward Location of Merchiston ward Merchiston[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Liberal J. F. Lawrie 3,473 Progressives T. Morgan 2,461 Majority Turnout 50.42% Liberal gain from Progressives
Location of Morningside ward Morningside[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives R. Lorimer 3,263 Liberal N. L. Gordon 2,057 Majority Turnout 34.47% Progressives hold
Location of Murrayfield-Cramond ward Murrayfield-Cramond[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives H. Macpherson 4,975 Labour D. M. Henderson 2,475 Majority Turnout 34.08% Progressives hold
Location of Newington ward Newington[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives E. M. Kean 3,463 Labour D. F. Renton 1,913 Liberal J. Grahamslaw 1,144 SNP Christina MacWhirter 518 Majority Turnout 40.01% Progressives hold
Location of Pilton ward Location of Portobello ward Portobello[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives G. Lerette 3,305 Labour Mary Hutchinson 1,985 Majority Turnout 36.85% Progressives hold
Location of St Andrews ward Location of St Bernards ward St. Bernard's[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives Winifred E. Donaldson 3,326 Labour R. D. Anderson 2,029 Liberal C. S. Waterman 722 Local Community J. A. Stevenson 173 Majority Turnout 34.47% Progressives hold
Location of St Giles ward Location of Sighthill ward Sighthill[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Labour J. T. Davies 4,444 Conservative W. R. Scott 840 SNP R. Mackenna 632 Progressives G. D. M. Galbraith 605 Liberal Pamela W. King 335 Communist W. M. Millar 81 Majority Turnout 38.84% Labour gain from Progressives
Location of South Leith South Leith[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Labour A. Ross 2,514 Progressives A. L. Mackintosh 1,943 SNP Mary G. Thompson 739 Protestant Action J. R. Maclean 217 Majority Turnout 42.32% Labour gain from Progressives
Location of West Leith ward West Leith[ 1] Party Candidate Votes % Progressives A. D. Wilson 3,064 Labour R. Jeffreys-Jones 1,629 Majority Turnout 41.94% Progressives hold
References ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "SNP lose all their seats in Edinburgh". The Glasgow Herald . 5 May 1971. p. 10. Retrieved 18 January 2020 .