Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1974, during the life of the minority Labour government of Harold Wilson. Elections were held in all the boroughs of London.
The number of councillors was increased, enabling all of the three largest parties to make net gains in council seats. Labour gained 544 seats and had 10,325 councillors after the elections. The Conservatives gained 393 seats, leaving them with 8,102 councillors. The Liberals gained 47 seats, giving them a total of 1,474 councillors.
In terms of council control in London, Labour won 18 councils, the Conservatives 13. One borough, Havering, was in no overall control, having been a Labour council after the 1971 local elections. The Conservatives gained Bexley and Merton from Labour and Harrow from no overall control.
In Scotland these were the first elections for the new Regional and District councils, with people voting twice. The Scottish National Party did not do particularly well compared with their performance in the two general elections that year. Labour won a majority in Strathclyde and Fife regions.
Results England
London boroughs
Council Previous control Result Details Barking hold Details Barnet hold Details Bexley gain Details Brent hold Details Bromley hold Details Camden hold Details Croydon hold Details Ealing hold Details Enfield hold Details Greenwich hold Details Hackney hold Details Hammersmith hold Details Haringey hold Details Harrow gain Details Havering gain Details Hillingdon hold Details Hounslow hold Details Islington hold Details Kensington and Chelsea hold Details Kingston upon Thames hold Details Lambeth hold Details Lewisham hold Details Merton gain Details Newham hold Details Redbridge hold Details Richmond upon Thames hold Details Southwark hold Details Sutton hold Details Tower Hamlets hold Details Waltham Forest hold Details Wandsworth hold Details Westminster hold Details
Scotland
District councils
District Previous control Result Details Aberdeen, City of New Council Details Angus New Council Details Annandale and Eskdale New Council Details Argyll† New Council Details Badenoch and Strathspey New Council Details Banff and Buchan New Council Details Bearsden and Milngavie New Council Details Berwickshire New Council Details Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch† New Council Details Caithness New Council Details Clackmannan New Council Details Clydebank New Council Details Cumbernauld† New Council Details Cumnock and Doon Valley New Council Details Cunninghame New Council Details Dumbarton New Council Details Dundee, City of New Council Details Dunfermline New Council Details East Kilbride New Council Details East Lothian New Council Details Eastwood New Council Details Edinburgh, City of New Council Details Ettrick and Lauderdale New Council Details Falkirk New Council Details Glasgow, City of New Council Details Gordon New Council Details Hamilton New Council Details Inverclyde New Council Details Inverness New Council Details Kilmarnock and Loudoun New Council Details Kincardine and Deeside New Council Details Kirkcaldy New Council Details Kyle and Carrick New Council Details Lanark New Council Details Lochaber New Council Details Merrick† New Council Details Midlothian New Council Details Monklands New Council Details Moray New Council Details Motherwell New Council DetailsNairn New Council Details Nithsdale New Council Details North East Fife New Council Details Perth and Kinross New Council Details Renfrew New Council Details Ross and Cromarty New Council Details Roxburgh New Council Details Skye and Lochalsh New Council Details Stewartry New Council Details Stirling New Council Details Sutherland New Council Details Tweeddale New Council Details West Lothian New Council Details
†Four districts were renamed shortly after the elections. Argyll became Argyll and Bute, Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch became Strathkelvin, Cumbernauld became Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and Merrick became Wigtown.
Regional councils
Region or islands area Previous control Result Details Borders New Council Details Central New Council Details Dumfries and Galloway New Council Details Fife New Council Details Grampian New Council Details Highland New Council Details Lothian New Council Details Orkney New Council Details Shetland New Council Details Strathclyde New Council Details Tayside New Council Details Western Isles New Council Details
References Notes
Bibliography Local elections 2006. House of Commons Library Research Paper 06/26.