Local government of Scotland
Encyclopedia
Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities
designated as Councils which consist of councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas.
Councils receive the majority of their funding from the Scottish Government, through Aggregate External Finance (AEF). AEF consists of three parts: Revenue Support Grants, Non-Domestic Rates, and Income and Specific Grants. The level of central government support for each authority is determined by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
, currently John Swinney
MSP, and is distributed by the Finance and Central Services Department
of the Scottish Government. Councils obtain additional income through the Council Tax
, that the council itself sets.
Scottish councils co-operate through, and are represented collectively by, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
(COSLA).
. The counties have their origins in the sheriffdoms or shires over which a sheriff
(a contraction of shire reeve
) exercised jurisdiction.
Malcolm III
appears to have introduced sheriffs as part of a policy of replacing native "Celt
ic" forms of government with Anglo Saxon and Norman feudal
structures. This was continued by his sons Edgar
, Alexander I
and in particular David I
. David completed the division of the country into sheriffdoms by the conversion of existing thanedom
s.
From the seventeenth century the shires started to be used for local administration apart from judicial functions. In 1667 Commissioners of Supply
were appointed in each sheriffdom to collect the land tax. The commissioners eventually assumed other duties in the county. In 1858 police forces were established in each county under the Police (Scotland) Act 1857
.
As a result of the dual system of local government, burgh
s (of which there were various types) often had a high degree of autonomy.
(including four counties of cities) and various lower-level units. Between 1890 and 1929, there were parish councils and town councils, but with the passing of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929
, the functions of parish councils were passed to larger district councils and a distinction was made between large burghs (i.e. those with a population of 20,000 or more) and small burghs. This system was further refined by the passing of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947.
In 1975, legislation passed by the Conservative
government of Edward Heath
(1970–1974) introduced a system of two-tier local government in Scotland (see Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996), divided between large Regional Councils and smaller District Councils. The only exceptions to this were the three Island Councils, Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney which had the combined powers of Regions and Districts. The Conservative government of John Major
(1990–1997) decided to abolish this system and merge their powers into new unitary authorities. The new councils vary widely in size — some are the same as counties, such as Clackmannanshire
, some are the same as former districts, such as Inverclyde
and some are the same as the former regions, such as Highland
. The changes took effect in 1996 with shadow councillors elected in 1995 to oversee the smooth transition of control.
Councillor
s are subject to a Code of Conduct
instituted by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
and enforced by the Standards Commission for Scotland
. If a person believes that a councillor has broken the code of conduct they make a complaint to the Office of the Chief Investigating Officer (CIO)
. The CIO makes a determination on whether there is a need for an investigation, and then whether or not to refer the matter to the Standards Commission.
, Edinburgh
, Aberdeen
and Dundee
- the Convenor is called a Lord Provost
, whilst in other councils the council may choose the title given to the Convenor. Most councils use the term 'Provost
'.
The office of Provost or Convenor is roughly equivalent to that of a Mayor in other parts of the United Kingdom
. Traditionally these roles are ceremonial and have no significant administrative functions. Lord Provosts in the four city councils have the additional duty of acting as Lord Lieutenant
for their respective city.
Each political group within the council typically appoints a leader, with the largest grouping's leader becoming 'Leader of the Council', and being the central figure of de facto political authority.
The most significant of these officers is the Head of Paid Service, usually titled the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is similar in function to a city manager
, though certain councillors have executive authority and there is no clear division of powers.
There is also a statutory Monitoring Officer, who usually heads the Legal Services division of the council, as well as a Chief Financial Officer.
local elections are held using the single transferable vote
, with this taking place for the first time in 2007. This change in voting system saw all but five councils end up with no one party in control. Labour retained control of the City of Glasgow and North Lanarkshire
, while Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan Siar continue to be controlled by Independent councillors.
The results are summarised below. Further analysis can be found on the page Scottish council elections, 2007
>
>
s represent the interests of local people. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consult community councils on planning, development and other issues directly affecting that local community. However, the community council has no direct say in the delivery of services. In many areas they do not function at all, but some work very effectively at improving their local area. Elections for community councils are determined by the local authority but the law does state that candidates cannot stand on a party-political ticket.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
designated as Councils which consist of councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas.
Councils receive the majority of their funding from the Scottish Government, through Aggregate External Finance (AEF). AEF consists of three parts: Revenue Support Grants, Non-Domestic Rates, and Income and Specific Grants. The level of central government support for each authority is determined by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, commonly referred to as the Finance Secretary, is a member of the Cabinet in the Scottish Government...
, currently John Swinney
John Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
MSP, and is distributed by the Finance and Central Services Department
Finance and Central Services Department
From 1999 until 2007, the Finance and Central Services Department was a civil service department of the Scottish Executive. SEFCSD was responsible for the financial administration of the Executive, including the annual budget and the issue of payments and recording of receipts...
of the Scottish Government. Councils obtain additional income through the Council Tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
, that the council itself sets.
Scottish councils co-operate through, and are represented collectively by, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities is the representative association of Scottish local government and is the employers’ association on behalf of all Scottish councils...
(COSLA).
Origins
The history of Scottish local government mainly surrounds involves the counties of ScotlandCounties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
. The counties have their origins in the sheriffdoms or shires over which a sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
(a contraction of shire reeve
Reeve (England)
Originally in Anglo-Saxon England the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown e.g. as the chief magistrate of a town or district...
) exercised jurisdiction.
Malcolm III
Malcolm III of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Donnchada , was King of Scots...
appears to have introduced sheriffs as part of a policy of replacing native "Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic" forms of government with Anglo Saxon and Norman feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
structures. This was continued by his sons Edgar
Edgar of Scotland
Edgar or Étgar mac Maíl Choluim , nicknamed Probus, "the Valiant" , was king of Alba from 1097 to 1107...
, Alexander I
Alexander I of Scotland
Alexander I , also called Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim and nicknamed "The Fierce", was King of the Scots from 1107 to his death.-Life:...
and in particular David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
. David completed the division of the country into sheriffdoms by the conversion of existing thanedom
Thanage
A thanage was an area of land held by a thegn in Anglo-Saxon England.Thanage can also denote the rank held by such a thegn....
s.
From the seventeenth century the shires started to be used for local administration apart from judicial functions. In 1667 Commissioners of Supply
Commissioners of Supply
Commissioners of Supply were local administrative bodies in Scotland from 1667 to 1930. Originally established in each sheriffdom to collect tax, they later took on much of the responsibility for the local government of the counties of Scotland. In 1890 they ceded most of their duties to the county...
were appointed in each sheriffdom to collect the land tax. The commissioners eventually assumed other duties in the county. In 1858 police forces were established in each county under the Police (Scotland) Act 1857
Police (Scotland) Act 1857
The Police Act 1857 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The legislation made the establishment of a police force mandatory in the counties of Scotland, and also allowed existing burgh police forces to be consolidated with a county force.-Establishment of County Police Forces:The...
.
As a result of the dual system of local government, burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
s (of which there were various types) often had a high degree of autonomy.
Modern history
Between 1890 and 1975 local government in Scotland was organised with county councilsCounties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
(including four counties of cities) and various lower-level units. Between 1890 and 1929, there were parish councils and town councils, but with the passing of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burghs and district councils...
, the functions of parish councils were passed to larger district councils and a distinction was made between large burghs (i.e. those with a population of 20,000 or more) and small burghs. This system was further refined by the passing of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947.
In 1975, legislation passed by the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government of Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
(1970–1974) introduced a system of two-tier local government in Scotland (see Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996), divided between large Regional Councils and smaller District Councils. The only exceptions to this were the three Island Councils, Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney which had the combined powers of Regions and Districts. The Conservative government of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
(1990–1997) decided to abolish this system and merge their powers into new unitary authorities. The new councils vary widely in size — some are the same as counties, such as Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, some are the same as former districts, such as Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
and some are the same as the former regions, such as Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
. The changes took effect in 1996 with shadow councillors elected in 1995 to oversee the smooth transition of control.
Map
|
Governance and administration
The power vested in local authorities is administered by elected councillors. There are currently 1,222, each paid a part-time salary for the undertaking of their duties. In total, there are 32 unitary authorities, the largest being the City of Glasgow with more than 600,000 inhabitants, the smallest, Orkney, with fewer than 20,000 people living there.Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s are subject to a Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical codes and honor codes....
instituted by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. Act 2000 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which established that the Scottish Ministers had to issue a code of conduct for councillors, and put in place mechanisms for dealing with councillors in contravention of the code...
and enforced by the Standards Commission for Scotland
Standards Commission for Scotland
The Standards Commission for Scotland was established under the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. Act 2000. The Commission's purpose is to advance high ethical standards in public life...
. If a person believes that a councillor has broken the code of conduct they make a complaint to the Office of the Chief Investigating Officer (CIO)
Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. Act 2000 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which established that the Scottish Ministers had to issue a code of conduct for councillors, and put in place mechanisms for dealing with councillors in contravention of the code...
. The CIO makes a determination on whether there is a need for an investigation, and then whether or not to refer the matter to the Standards Commission.
Convenor (Provost)
Each council elects a Convenor and Depute Convenor to chair meetings of the Council and to act as a figurehead for the area. In the four city councils in Scotland - GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
- the Convenor is called a Lord Provost
Lord Provost
A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
, whilst in other councils the council may choose the title given to the Convenor. Most councils use the term 'Provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
'.
The office of Provost or Convenor is roughly equivalent to that of a Mayor in other parts of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Traditionally these roles are ceremonial and have no significant administrative functions. Lord Provosts in the four city councils have the additional duty of acting as Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
for their respective city.
Leader of the Council
The Leader of the Council is elected as the leader of the largest political grouping of councillors. The Leader of the Council has no executive or administrative powers designated by statute, but the position is salaried. There is also a Depute Leader of the Council appointed.Each political group within the council typically appoints a leader, with the largest grouping's leader becoming 'Leader of the Council', and being the central figure of de facto political authority.
Officers
Officers of a council are administrative, non-political staff of the council. Generally the composition of the council's officers are a matter for the council, but there are a number of statutory officers whose roles are defined by central government.The most significant of these officers is the Head of Paid Service, usually titled the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is similar in function to a city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
, though certain councillors have executive authority and there is no clear division of powers.
There is also a statutory Monitoring Officer, who usually heads the Legal Services division of the council, as well as a Chief Financial Officer.
Election results, 2007
Follow the introduction of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004
The Local Governance Act 2004 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which provided, inter alia, for the election of Councillors to the local authorities in Scotland by the Single Transferable Vote system....
local elections are held using the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
, with this taking place for the first time in 2007. This change in voting system saw all but five councils end up with no one party in control. Labour retained control of the City of Glasgow and North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, while Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan Siar continue to be controlled by Independent councillors.
The results are summarised below. Further analysis can be found on the page Scottish council elections, 2007
Council control
The 32 unitary authorities are controlled as follows. The figures incorporate the results from the 2007 local government election, plus gains and losses from subsequent local by-elections, and party defections.| Council area Council Area A Council Area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act.-Legislation :1889... | Political control | Lab Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | SNP Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.... | LD | Con Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Grn Scottish Green Party The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:... | Oth | Total |
| City of Aberdeen | LD-SNP | 10 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 43 |
| Aberdeenshire | LD-Con | 0 | 22 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 68 |
| Angus Angus Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City... | Con-LD-Lab-Oth | 2 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 29 |
| Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council... | Oth-LD-Con | 0 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 36 |
| Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'.... | Lab (minority) | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973... | Con-LD (minority) | 14 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 47 |
| City of Dundee | SNP (minority) | 10 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| East Ayrshire East Ayrshire East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway... | SNP (minority) | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 32 |
| East Dunbartonshire East Dunbartonshire This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of... | Con-Lab (minority) | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| East Lothian East Lothian East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh.... | SNP-LD | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde... | Lab-SNP-Oth-LD | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 20 |
| City of Edinburgh | LD-SNP | 15 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 58 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the local government council for Na h-Eileanan Siar council area of Scotland.It is the only local council in Scotland to have a Gaelic-only name... (Outer Hebrides Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland... ) | Ind Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 31 |
| Falkirk Falkirk (council area) Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire... | Lab-Oth-Con | 14 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 32 |
| Fife Fife Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire... | SNP-LD | 24 | 23 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 78 |
| City of Glasgow | Lab | 46 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 79 |
| Highland Highland (council area) Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and... | Oth-LD-Lab | 7 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 80 |
| Inverclyde Inverclyde Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west... | Lab-Con-Oth | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| Midlothian Midlothian Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas.... | Lab (minority) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Moray Moray Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :... | Oth-Con | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 26 |
| North Ayrshire North Ayrshire North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South... | Lab (minority) | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 30 |
| North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire... | Lab | 40 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 70 |
| Orkney | Oth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre... | SNP-LD | 3 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east... | SNP-LD | 17 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Scottish Borders Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland... | Oth-Con-LD | 0 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 34 |
| Shetland | Oth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| South Ayrshire South Ayrshire South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.... | Con (minority) | 9 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 30 |
| South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages.... | Lab (minority) | 30 | 24 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 67 |
| Stirling Stirling (council area) Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 87,000 . It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former... | SNP (minority) | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East... | SNP-Oth | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 |
| West Lothian West Lothian West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire.... | SNP-Oth | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 32 |
| TOTAL | - | 348 | 363 | 166 | 143 | 8 | 194 | 1222 |
Council control
The 32 unitary authorities were controlled as follows, before the 2007 elections. The figures incorporate the results from the 2003 local government election, plus gains and losses from subsequent local by-elections, and party defections.| Council area Council Area A Council Area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act.-Legislation :1889... | Political control | Labour Party (Lab) Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Scottish National Party (SNP) | Liberal Democrats (LD) | Conservative Party (Con) Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Others (Oth) |
| City of Aberdeen | LD-Con | 14 | 6 | 20 | 3 | 0 |
| Aberdeenshire | LD-Oth | 0 | 18 | 28 | 11 | 11 |
| Angus Angus Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City... | SNP | 1 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council... | Oth | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 22 |
| Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'.... | Lab | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973... | Lab (minority) | 15 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 11 |
| City of Dundee | Lab-LD (minority) | 10 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| East Ayrshire East Ayrshire East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway... | Lab | 23 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| East Dunbartonshire East Dunbartonshire This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of... | LD | 9 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| East Lothian East Lothian East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh.... | Lab | 17 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde... | Lab-LD | 8 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| City of Edinburgh | Lab | 30 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 0 |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | Oth | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Falkirk Falkirk (council area) Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire... | SNP-Oth | 12 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Fife Fife Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire... | Lab (minority) | 35 | 13 | 23 | 2 | 5 |
| City of Glasgow | Lab | 69 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Highland Highland (council area) Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and... | Oth | 8 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 53 |
| Inverclyde Inverclyde Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west... | LD | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Midlothian Midlothian Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas.... | Lab | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Moray Moray Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :... | Oth | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| North Ayrshire North Ayrshire North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South... | Lab | 20 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire... | Lab | 54 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Orkney | Oth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre... | SNP-LD-oth | 5 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 2 |
| Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east... | Lab | 21 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Scottish Borders Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland... | Oth-Con | 0 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 13 |
| Shetland | Oth | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 |
| South Ayrshire South Ayrshire South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.... | Con (control dependent on casting vote of the Provost Provost (civil) A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:... ) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages.... | Lab | 49 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Stirling Stirling (council area) Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 87,000 . It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former... | Lab | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East... | Lab | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| West Lothian West Lothian West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire.... | Lab | 18 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | - | 495 (15 councils, plus 2 shared control) | 190 (1 council, plus 2 shared control) | 179 (2 councils, plus 5 shared control) | 126 (1 council, plus 2 shared control) | 232(6 councils, plus 4 shared control) |
Community councils
Community councilCommunity council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
s represent the interests of local people. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consult community councils on planning, development and other issues directly affecting that local community. However, the community council has no direct say in the delivery of services. In many areas they do not function at all, but some work very effectively at improving their local area. Elections for community councils are determined by the local authority but the law does state that candidates cannot stand on a party-political ticket.
See also
- Subdivisions of ScotlandSubdivisions of ScotlandFor local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
- Local government in England
- Local government in Northern IrelandLocal government in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. In Northern Ireland local councils do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom, for example they have no responsibility for education, for road building or for housing...
- Local government in Wales
- Business rates in ScotlandBusiness rates in ScotlandBusiness rates is the commonly used name of Non-Domestic Rates in Scotland, a tax on occupation of non-domestic property. Rates are a property tax used to fund local services that dates back to the Poor Law.- History :...
- Local income taxLocal income taxThe Scottish Government planned to bring forward legislation to replace the council tax with a local income tax , as part of the funding for Scottish local authorities....
- Convention of Scottish Local AuthoritiesConvention of Scottish Local AuthoritiesThe Convention of Scottish Local Authorities is the representative association of Scottish local government and is the employers’ association on behalf of all Scottish councils...
- Fire and Rescue Authority (Scotland)Fire and Rescue Authority (Scotland)A Fire and Rescue Authority is a body constituted under the Fire Act 2005 for the purposes of providing and managing fire-fighting and rescue services within a Council Area or group of such areas in Scotland.-Constitution:...