2012 Scottish local government election
2012 Scottish Borders Council election Scottish Borders Council First party Second party Third party Leader Jim Fullarton John Mitchell David Parker Party Conservative SNP Independent Leader's seat East Berwickshire Galashiels and District Leaderdale and Melrose Last election 11 seats, 32.4% 6 seats, 17.6% 5 seats, 14.7% Seats before 12 6 4 Seats won 10 9 7 Seat change Popular vote 8,644 7,723 8,454 Percentage 23.2% 20.8% 22.7% Swing 3.6% Fourth party Fifth party Leader Graham Garvie Sandy Aitchison Party Liberal Democrats Borders Leader's seat Tweeddale East Galashiels and District Last election 10 seats, 29.4% 2 seats, 5.9% Seats before 10 2 Seats won 6 2 Seat change Popular vote 6,138 3,755 Percentage 16.5% 10.1% Swing
The 11 multi-member wards
2012 Elections toScottish Borders Council were held on 3 May 2012, the same day as the otherScottish local government elections . The election used the 11wards created as a result of theLocal Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , with each ward electing three or four Councillors using thesingle transferable vote system, a form ofproportional representation , with 34 Councillors elected.[ 1]
The election saw theScottish Conservative Party remain the largest party on the Council though they lost 1 seat. TheScottish National Party replaced theScottish Liberal Democrats as the second largest party by gaining 3 seats at the expense of the latter. The Lib Dems were reduced to 6 seats. Independents increased their numbers to 7 seats while the Borders Party retained their 2 seats.
Following the election the Scottish National Party formed a coalition with the support of the Independents and the Liberal Democrats. The Borders Party are also supporting this administration. This replaced the previous Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent coalition which existed from 2007-2012.
Scottish Borders local election result 2012 Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/− Conservative 10 1 2 -1 29.41 23.22 8,644 -3.58 SNP 9 4 1 +3 26.47 20.75 7,723 +1.95 Independent 7 3 1 +2 20.59 22.71 8,454 -1.61 Liberal Democrats 6 0 4 -4 17.65 16.49 6,138 -8.11 Borders 2 0 0 0 5.88 10.09 3,755 +4.79 Labour 0 - - - - 6.31 2,347 +4.41 Green 0 - - - - 0.44 161 -0.46
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.
2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP2012: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP2007-2012 Change: No change
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem2007-2012 Change: No changeTweeddale East Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 SNP Stuart Bell 26.41 990 Conservative Gavin Logan (incumbent )24.78 929 934.4 971.8 Liberal Democrats Graham Garvie (incumbent )16.38 614 622.3 674.5 686.7 811.9 1,087.9 Labour Robin Tatler 15.23 571 579.6 629.9 631.2 731.2 Borders Frances Pringle 9.20 345 352.9 439 448.7 Independent David Cox 8.00 300 307.1 Electorate: 8,106 Valid: 3,749 Spoilt: 32 Quota: 938 Turnout: 3,781 (46.25%)
Galashiels and District [ edit ] 2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xBP2012: 2xSNP; 1xBP; 1xIndependent2007-2012 Change: SNP and Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem and ConGalashiels and District - 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 Borders Sandy Aitchison (incumbent )22.45 822 SNP Bill Herd *20.95 766 Independent Bill White 13.69 501 522.9 524.6 590.6 701 894.8 SNP John Mitchell (incumbent )13.45 492 506 532.5 593.5 639.9 762 Liberal Democrats Rick Kenney 11.40 417 432.9 434.8 490.3 609.4 Conservative Fiona Lackenby (incumbent ) 10.56 386 402.5 403.2 409.6 Labour Robbie Tatler 7.47 273 280.8 281.7 Electorate: 10,813 Valid: 3,657 Spoilt: 69 Quota: 732 Turnout: 3,726 (33.82%)
= Outgoing Councillor from a different Ward. 2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP2012: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from SNP
Leaderdale and Melrose [ edit ] 2007: 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem; 1xBP2012: 1xIndependent; 1xBP; 1xSNP2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem2007-2012 Change: No change
2007: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem2012: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xSNP2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib DemEast Berwickshire - 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Independent Michael Cook (incumbent )35.96 1,236 Conservative Jim Fullarton (incumbent )21.24 730 835.9 875.4 SNP Joan Umpherston Campbell 15.74 541 583.3 600.9 602.2 629.5 699 906.9 Labour Kenryck Lloyd-Jones 12.66 435 472.1 485.9 486.6 521.9 596.9 Liberal Democrats Ken Webb 6.58 226 263.1 285.9 289.5 329 Independent Jack Johnston 3.96 136 192.9 226.9 229.7 Borders Cat MacDonald-Home 3.87 133 161.6 Electorate: 8,383 Valid: 3,437 Spoilt: 37 Quota: 860 Turnout: 3,474 (41%)
2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xIndependent2012: 2xCon; 1xLib Dem2007-2012 Change: Con gain from IndependentKelso and District - 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Conservative Tom Weatherston (incumbent )23.98 777 777 794 824 Liberal Democrats Alec Nicol (incumbent )22.5 729 756 791 832 Conservative Simon Mountford 14.29 463 471 482 518 522.6 529.2 610.1 703.7 SNP Maggie Stanfield 12.75 413 444 462 507 510.5 511.6 590.1 Independent Yvonne Huggins-Haig 10.0 324 331 365 435 438.7 440.2 Borders Diana Miers 7.81 253 269 306 Independent Colin McGrath 5.09 165 176 Green Michael Scott 3.58 116 Electorate: 8,242 Valid: 3,240 Spoilt: 24 Quota: 811 Turnout: 3,264 (39.31%)
Jedburgh and District [ edit ] 2007: 2xCon; 1xSNP2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Con
2007: 1xCon; 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem2012: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xSNP2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Hawick and Hermitage [ edit ] 2007: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem2012: 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon2007-2012 Change: No changeHawick and Hermitage - 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Independent Davie Paterson (incumbent )44.93 1,302 Liberal Democrats Ron Smith (incumbent )18.12 525 676.1 687.7 706.4 785.2 Conservative George Turnbull (incumbent )17.70 513 614 616.5 641.2 657.6 686.3 779.9 SNP Tommy Stevenson 8.25 239 300.2 309.5 323.9 368.9 377.2 Labour Bill Cumming 6.59 191 246.8 258.4 270.3 Borders Frank Little 2.83 82 115.2 124.8 Green Kevin Ferguson 1.59 46 65.5 Electorate: 7,041 Valid: 2,898 Spoilt: 34 Quota: 725 Turnout: 2,932 (41.16%)
Post Election Changes [ edit ] † On 4 February 2012 Leaderdale and Melrose Borders Party Cllr Nicholas Watson resigned his seat on the Council to pursue employment in Cumbria. The by-election was won by Iain Gillespie, also of the Borders Party, on 2 May 2013.Borders Party's Iain Gillespie wins Leaderdale and Melrose by-election †† On 29 July 2013 Tweedale West Conservative and Unionist Party Cllr Nathaniel Buckingham resigned his seat on the Council due to work pressures and family commitments. The by-election was held on 10 October 2013 and was held by the Conservatives Keith Cockburn.Tweeddale West by-election result 2013 - Scottish Borders Council ††† On 22 February 2014 Hawick and Denholm Conservative and Unionist Cllr Zandra Elliot died.Hawick 'ambassador' Zandra Elliot dies A by-election was held to fill the vacancy and was won by the Independent Watson McAteer. †††† On 2 June 2016 Leaderdale and Melrose SNP Cllr Jim Torrance resigned from the party and became an Independent citing lack of support from Christine Grahame MSP over the Council's plans to house the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Tweedbank.SBC Councillor quits over tapestry By-elections since 2012 [ edit ] Leaderdale and Melrose By-election (2 May 2013) - 1 Seat[ 2] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conservative Rachael Hamilton 27.57 956 975 982 1,038 1,283 Borders Iain Gillespie 23.48 814 844 900 1,118 1,444 2,066 Liberal Democrats John Paton-Day 21.46 744 756 816 983 SNP Harry Cummings 17.68 613 623 666 Labour Robin Tatler 6.78 235 238 UKIP Sherry Fowler 3.03 105 Electorate: 8,386 Valid: 3,467 Spoilt: 20 Quota: 1,734 Turnout: 3,487 (41.58%)
Tweeddale West By-election (10 October 2013) - 1 Seat[ 3] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Conservative Keith Cockburn 42.65 1,155 1,165 1,176 1,193 1,255 1,288 1,616 Liberal Democrats Nancy Norman 25.0 677 682 690 759 858 1,034 SNP Morag Kerr 13.26 359 369 373 409 444 Borders David Pye 8.4 228 237 245 272 Labour Veronica McTernan 7.5 203 204 207 UKIP Mars Goodman 1.56 43 44 Independent David Cox 1.56 43 Electorate: 7,707 Valid: 2,708 Spoilt: 21 Quota: 1,355 Turnout: 2,729 (35.41%)
Hawick and Denholm By-election (22 May 2014) - 1 Seat[ 4] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Independent Watson McAteer 25.5 732 750 803 900 1,010 1,222 1,505 Conservative Trevor Adams 21.6 622 627 638 665 692 798 Liberal Democrats Ian Turnbull 15.7 450 455 485 545 637 SNP Harry Stoddart 14.6 419 423 461 505 Independent Marion Short 11.3 326 334 385 Independent Davie Paterson 8.7 250 269 Independent Craig Bryson 2.6 74 Valid: 2,873 Spoilt: 47 Quota: 1,437 Turnout: 2,920 (%)
