1980 Scottish local elections

1980 Scottish local elections

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First party Second party   Leader James Callaghan Margaret Thatcher Party Labour Conservative Leader since 5 April 1976 11 February 1975 Seats won 469 232 Seat change 187 27 Popular vote 45.4% 24.1% Swing 13.8 3.1   Third party Fourth party   Leader Gordon Wilson David Steel Party SNP Liberal Leader since 1979 7 July 1976 Seats won 52 33 Seat change 118 29 Popular vote 15.5% 6.2% Swing 8.7 2.2

Colours denote the winning party with outright control

Elections for the Scottish district councils were held in 1980.

These were the third elections held to the 53 district councils established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The previous elections had been held in 1977. The elections took place a year after the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher had come to power. The local elections, which also took place in England and Wales, were seen as the first electoral test of the Thatcher ministry.^[1]