The first leader of South Lanarkshire Council, selected from among the sitting councillors, was Tom McCabe who previously held the same office at Hamilton District.

[15] Office holders include: The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:[24] The results of the last local elections on 5 May 2022 were:[25] Following the defection of East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow MP Lisa Cameron from the SNP to the Conservatives in October 2023, her husband – Cllr Mark Horsham – stood back from his role as business manager within the SNP group[26] before resigning from the party to sit as an Independent 10 days later.

[27] In May 2023, East Kilbride West councillor Ali Salamati resigned his seat for work reasons triggering a by-election[28] which Labour won.

[29] Therefore, as of 11th July 2023, the composition of the Council is: Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.

[33][34][35][36][37] The 17 storey, 200 feet (61 m) tower is the tallest building in the council area, is Category A-listed, and is a highly visible landmark across this part of the Clyde Valley.