The ward was a Labour stronghold as the party successfully won the seat at eight of the 10 elections and held the seat for 23 years consecutively after gaining it from the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1980.
The Hillhouse ward was created in 1974 by the Formation Electoral Arrangements from an area in the west of the former Hamilton Burgh. The ward centered around the Hillhouse area in Hamilton.[1] The ward was expanded slightly following the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1980[2] before being reduced in size by the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994 as an area in the north of the ward was transferred to the newly created Burnbank/Springwells ward.[3] After the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, the boundaries proposed by the second review became the Formation Electoral Arrangements for the newly created South Lanarkshire Council – an amalgamation of Clydesdale District Council, East Kilbride District Council and Hamilton District Council as well as part of the City of Glasgow District Council. In 1998, the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements saw the ward's eastern boundary amended to run along Hillhouse Road and the southern boundary amended to take in streets around the south of Townhill Road.[4] In 2007, the ward was abolished as the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 saw proportional representation and new multi-member wards introduced. The area covered by the Hillhouse ward was placed into the new Hamilton West and Earnock ward.[5]
^ abRallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (2003). Local Elections Handbook 2003(PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN0-948858-35-4. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
^ abRallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (1999). Local Elections Handbook 1999(PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN0-948858-25-7. Retrieved 8 April 2023.