Editing Ayr (section)

==Governance==
===Parliamentary representation===
{{Further|Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (UK Parliament constituency)}} {{Further|Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)}}

{{multiple image
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 | image1 = Official portrait of Elaine Stewart MP crop 2.jpg
 | alt1 = Elaine Stewart 
 | caption1 = [[Elaine Stewart (politician)|Elaine Stewart]] has been the MP for Ayr since 2024

 | image2 = Siobhian Brown MSP.jpg
 | alt2 = Siobhian Brown 
 | caption2 = [[Siobhian Brown]] has been the MSP for Ayr since 2021 
}}

Ayr was represented by a Conservative MP continuously for a period of 91 years – from [[1906 United Kingdom general election|1906]] (as part of the [[Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Ayr Burghs]] constituency) until [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]], followed by Labour from 1997 to 2015, and the Scottish National Party from 2015 to 2017. The town forms part of the [[Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Ayr]] constituency in the [[Scottish Parliament]], which was the first Conservative constituency seat in the Parliament, but has been represented by [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) MSP [[Siobhian Brown]] since the [[2021 Scottish Parliament election]]. In the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]], Ayr is situated within the [[Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (UK Parliament constituency)|Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock]] constituency which was represented by Conservative MP [[Bill Grant (politician)|Bill Grant]] from the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]], until he was unseated in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]] by [[Allan Dorans]] of the Scottish National Party.

Ayr forms part of the UK parliamentary [[constituency]] of [[Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (UK Parliament constituency)|Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock]]. This constituency includes [[Carrick, Scotland|Carrick]] and [[Coylton]] in South Ayrshire in addition to Doon Valley, [[Cumnock]] and [[New Cumnock]] in southern [[East Ayrshire]].<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130403024100/http%3A//www.bcomm%2Dscotland.independent.gov.uk/includes/downloadfile.asp?file%3D/maps/westminster/2005/ayr_carrick_and_cumnock.pdf 'Boundary Commission for Scotland UK Parliament 2005 onwards Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock county constituency']</ref> The seat was held by [[Scottish Conservative Party|Conservative]] [[Bill Grant (politician)|Bill Grant]] from 2017 until [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019]] when [[Allan Dorans]] gained the seat for the Scottish National Party. The [[Central Ayrshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Central Ayrshire]] constituency runs north of the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock constituency. It takes in the towns of Irvine, Kilwinning, Prestwick, Troon and rural Kyle, running into Annbank. It also incorporates the Woodfield area of Newton-on-Ayr and is represented by [[Scottish National Party|SNP]] MP [[Philippa Whitford]].<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121003180143/http%3A//bcomm%2Dscotland.independent.gov.uk/includes/downloadfile.asp?file%3D/maps/westminster/2005/central_ayrshire.pdf 'Boundary Commission for Scotland UK Parliament 2005 onwards Central Ayrshire county constituency']</ref>

In previous elections Ayr was represented in Westminster as part of the [[Ayr (UK Parliament constituency)|Ayr]] parliamentary constituency, the boundaries of which included elements of Prestwick, [[Troon]] and rural South Ayrshire. The seat was abolished in [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]] to be replaced by the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock and Central Ayrshire constituencies which were subsequently represented by MP's belonging to [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]], and later, the SNP. From the seat's creation in [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]] until the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] Ayr was continually represented by MP's from the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]. [[George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie|George Younger]] served as Member of Parliament for the constituency for most of this period – serving as MP for Ayr from [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964]] to [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jan/27/guardianobituaries.obituaries|title=Lord Younger|newspaper=Guardian|date=27 January 2003 |access-date=8 August 2015 |last1=Roth |first1=Andrew }}</ref> In 1997 the boundaries of the constituency were altered in a move which saw the Conservative areas of Alloway, Doonfoot and Masonhill alongside parts of Kincaidston and Forehill being transferred to the neighbouring [[Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley]] constituency, benefiting the Labour Party.<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130403010443/http://www.bcomm-scotland.independent.gov.uk/includes/downloadfile.asp?file=/maps/westminster/1997/ayr.pdf 'Fourth Review of UK Parliament Constituencies (1997–2005) Ayr county constituency']</ref> Prior to this Ayr formed part of the [[Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Ayr Burghs]] constituency which combined various towns along the Ayrshire coast such as [[Irvine, North Ayrshire|Irvine]], [[Troon]], [[Prestwick]], [[Ardrossan]] and [[Saltcoats]]: this seat was held by the Conservatives from 1906 until the constituency's abolishment in 1950, making Ayr the longest seat to be held by the Conservatives in Scotland at over 100 years.

In the [[Scottish Parliament]], the [[Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Ayr constituency]] was represented from 2000 to 2021 by Conservative MSP [[John Scott (MSP)|John Scott]] until he was defeated at the [[2021 Scottish Parliament election|2021 election]] by the SNP's [[Siobhian Brown]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ayr - Scottish Parliament constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000084 |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=BBC News |date=7 May 2021}}</ref> It was the first constituency in the Scottish Parliament to elect a Conservative MSP. The constituency also includes the towns of Prestwick and Troon.

Ayr is also represented at Holyrood by the seven MSPs for the [[South Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|South Scotland electoral region]].

===South Ayrshire Council===
[[File:County Buildings, South Ayrshire HQ, Ayr.jpg|thumb|right|Ayr is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, with [[County Buildings, Ayr|County Buildings]] serving as the headquarters for the council]]
{{Further|2022 South Ayrshire Council election}}
Ayr is represented by 11 elected [[councillors]] on [[South Ayrshire|South Ayrshire Council]], of which five belong to the [[Scottish Conservatives]], four belong to the [[Scottish National Party]] and two belong to [[Scottish Labour]]. Below are a list of councillors elected to serve Ayr, sorted by ward:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9; border-bottom: 2px solid gray;"
!width="180"|Ward
!width="180"|Councillors
!colspan=2 width="120"|Party
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Ayr North (ward)|Ayr North]]
|Laura Brennan-Whitefield
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|-
|Douglas Campbell
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|-
|Ian Davis
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish Conservative Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish Conservative Party]]
|-
|Ian Cavana
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Ayr East (ward)|Ayr East]]
|Mary Kilpatrick
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish Conservative Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish Conservative Party]]
|-
|Chris Cullen
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|-
|-
|Brian McGinley
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Ayr West (ward)|Ayr West]]
|Martin Dowey
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish Conservative Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish Conservative Party]]
|-
|Lee Lyons
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish Conservative Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish Conservative Party]]
|-
|Bob Shields
|bgcolor="{{party color|Independent}}" width="5"|
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
|George Weir
|bgcolor="{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" width="5"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|-
|}

=== Provost of the Royal Burgh of Ayr ===

As a former [[Royal Burgh]], Ayr had a [[Lord Provost|Provost]] as chief magistrate of the burgh council and the earliest recorded Provost is Nicholas de Fynvyk. The title of provost was retained by [[Kyle and Carrick|Kyle and Carrick District Council]] and South Ayrshire Council for their civic heads.<ref name=provost>{{cite web|title=Provosts of Ayr|url=http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/councillors/provost/provosts-of-ayr.aspx|publisher=South Ayrshire Council|access-date=10 January 2013}}</ref> The role of provost is now [[apolitical]] and carries a number of duties including chairing meetings of the council, acting as civic head representing South Ayrshire Council, promotion of South Ayrshire Council and networking with various organisations such as local businesses.<ref name=provost2>{{cite web|title=Provost|url=http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/councillors/provost/|publisher=South Ayrshire Council|access-date=10 January 2013}}</ref>

A chain and robes are worn by the provost while undertaking their ceremonial duties. The Provost's chain was donated in June 1897 by James McLennan who was a Glasgow wine and spirit merchant who was born in Coylton and lived in Ayr. The official provost's robes have been provided by the council since 11 June 1923. In addition, South Ayrshire Council erects lamp posts with the Royal Burgh [[coat of arms]] emblazoned on the diffusers outside the official resident of the provost – this has been undertaken since 1854.<ref name="provost"/>

Each newly elected provost enters their name into a [[Bible]] at the "Kirkin 'O The Council" service at Ayr Auld Kirk after each council election. The Bible in which the names are entered was acquired by the Kirk during the Provostship of Hugh Miller (1841–1855).<ref name="provost"/> The names of the provosts entered into the Bible are as follows:

{{collapse top|title=Lists of Provosts of Ayr and South Ayrshire Council}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ '''List of Ayr provosts'''<ref name="provost"/>
|-
! Term !! Provost
|-
| 1841–1855 || Hugh Miller
|-
| 1855–1861 || Primrose William Kennedy
|-
| 1861–1864 || Andrew Paterson
|-
| 1864–1873 || John MacNeillie
|-
| 1873–1876 || Robert Goudie
|-
| 1876–1882 || Thomas Steele
|-
| 1882–1888 || William Kilpatrick
|-
| 1888–1891 || James Murray Ferguson
|-
| 1891–1894 || Robert Shankland
|-
| 1894–1897 || Hugh Douglas Willock
|-
| 1897–1903 || Thomas Templeton
|-
| 1903–1909 || William Allan
|-
| 1909–1912 || James Shaw Hunter
|-
| 1912–1918 || John Mitchell
|-
| 1918–1922 || I M Mathie-Morton
|-
| 1922–1924 || Donald McDonald
|-
| 1924–1927 || James Robertson Gould
|-
| 1927–1930 || John S Stewart
|-
| 1930–1933 || Thomas Wilson
|-
| 1933–1936 || Thomas Galloway
|-
| 1936–1940 || James Wills
|-
| 1940–1943 || Robert Bowman
|-
| 1943–1949 || Thomas Murray
|-
| 1949–1952 || James Smith
|-
| 1952–1955 || Adam Hart
|-
| 1955–1958 || William Anderson
|-
| 1958–1961 || William Sidney Lanham
|-
| 1961–1964 || William Cowan
|-
| 1964–1967 || Charles O'Halloran
|-
| 1967–1970 || Alexander S Handyside
|-
| 1970–1973 || Donald McLean
|-
| 1973–1975 || Campbell Howie
|-
| 1975–1978 || Alexander Paton
|-
| 1978–1980 || Charles O'Halloran
|-
| 1980–1984 || James Boyle
|-
| 1984–1988 || Gibson T Macdonald
|-
| 1988–1992 || Daniel MacNeill
|-
| 1992–1996 || Gibson T Macdonald
|-
| 1996–1998 || Robert Campbell
|-
| 1998–2003 || Elizabeth A Foulkes
|-
| 2003–2006 || Gordon S McKenzie
|-
| 2006–2012 || Winifred D Sloan
|-
| 2012–present || Helen Moonie
|}
{{collapse bottom}}

The current provost is Labour councillor Helen Moonie.<ref name="provost"/>
List of Provosts of Ayr from 1560 to 1692, See Annals of Ayr in the olden time, 1560–1692, By John Pagan. Ayr: Alex Fergusson, 18 High Street, 1897.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/annalsofayrinold00pagauoft#page/n7/mode/2up|title=Annals of Ayr in the olden time, 1560–1692|first= John |last=Pagan|location=Ayr|publisher= Alex Fergusson|year=1897}}</ref>