Elections to

Aberdeenshire Council Aberdeenshire Council is the local authority for Aberdeenshire, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council has been under no overall control since its creation in 1996. It is based at Woodhill House, which is outside its own territory ...

were held on 3 May 2012, on the same day as the other

Scottish local government Local government in Scotland comprises thirty-two local authorities, commonly referred to as ''councils''. Each council provides public services, including education, social care, waste management, libraries and planning. Councils receive the ma ...

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

. The election used the 19

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

created as a result of the

Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 The Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9) is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which provided, amongst other things, for the election of councillors to the local government in Scotland, local authorities in Scotland by the single transfera ...

, with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the

single transferable vote The single transferable vote (STV) or proportional-ranked choice voting (P-RCV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which each voter casts a single vote in the form of a ranked ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vot ...

system form of

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...

, with 68 Councillors being elected. The 2007 election saw the Liberal Democrats form a coalition on the Council with the

Scottish Conservatives The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (), known as Scottish Tories, is part of the UK Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party active in Scotland. It currently holds 5 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Ki ...

. The 2012 election saw the SNP gain an additional 6 seats and become the largest party on the Council, supplanting the Lib Dems. The Tories retained their 14 seats on the Council and as a result became the second largest party. The Lib Dems lost half their Councillors falling from 24 to 12 seats. Independents also increased their overall numbers to 11 seats while Labour and the

Scottish Green Party The Scottish Greens (also known as the Scottish Green Party; ) are a green party, green List of political parties in Scotland, political party in Scotland. The party has 7 MSPs of 129 in the Scottish Parliament, the party holds 35 of the 1226 ...

won seats in Aberdeenshire for the first time. Following the election a Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent administration was formed. However, on 8 June 2015, a new administration was formed by the SNP and a 'Progressive Alliance' between Scottish Labour and 2 Progressive Independent councillors, who had been members of the previous administration.

Background

Previous election

At the previous election in 2007 the Liberal Democrats won 24 seats, falling 11 seats short of an overall majority. The SNP won 22 seats, falling 13 seats short of an overall majority. Both the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

and

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

groups fell well short of an overall majority. Source:

Composition

There were 2 by-elections in the 2007-12 term. One was in the Troup ward, which was held by the SNP. The other by-election was in the Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside ward, which resulted in a Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative.

Results

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. Source:

Ward results

Banff and District

*2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent *2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon *2007-2012: SNP and Con gain one seat from Independent and Lib Dem

Troup

*2007: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent *2012: 1xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xCon *2007-2012 Change: No change

Fraserburgh and District

*2007: 3xSNP; 1xIndependent *2012: 2xSNP; 2xIndependent *2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from SNP

Central Buchan

*2007: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent *2007-2012: Change: SNP gain one seat from Independent

Peterhead North and Rattray

*2007: 2xSNP; 1xInd; 1xCon *2012: 2xSNP; 2xIndependent *2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Con

Peterhead South and Cruden

*2007: 2xSNP; 1xLib Dem *2012: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent *2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem

Turriff and District

*2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent *2012: 1xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: No change

Mid-Formartine

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xCon *2007-2012 Change: SNP and Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem

Ellon and District

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem

West Garioch

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP *2012: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon *2007-2012 Change: Con gain from Lib Dem

Inverurie and District

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem

East Garioch

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP *2012: 1xSNP; 1xGRN; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: GRN gain from Lib Dem

Westhill and District

*2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent *2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Independent

Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent *2007-2012 Change: Independent gain from Lib Dem

Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside

*2007: 2xCon; 1xLib Dem *2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Con

Banchory and Mid-Deeside

*2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem *2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: No change

North Kincardine

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem

Stonehaven and Lower Deeside

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP *2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem *2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem

Mearns

*2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon *2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent *2007-2012 Change: Independent gain from Lib Dem

Aftermath

As no single party group on the council had the required 35 seats for an overall majority, a Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent administration was formed. In 2013, the 2 Labour councillors joined the administration. However, on 8 June 2015, a new administration was formed by the SNP, Scottish Labour and 2 Progressive Independent councillors, who had been members of the previous administration. East Garioch Cllr Fergus Hood defected from the SNP and joined the Liberal Democrats on 3 May 2013. West Garioch Cllr Sheena Lonchay and Inverurie and District Cllr Martin Kitts-Hayes both defected from the Liberal Democrats and became Independents on 25 April 2014. Troup Independent Cllr Mark Findlater ceased to be an Independent and joined the Conservatives on 23 February 2016. Troup SNP Cllr Hamish Partridge resigned from the party on 17 June 2016 and became an Independent citing curtailments to his freedom of speech. Banff and District SNP Cllr John Cox resigned from the party and became an Independent on 20 February 2017.

By-elections

Troup by-election

On 27 November 2014 a by-election was held after the death of Conservative councillor John Duncan on 4 September 2014. The SNP candidate Ross Cassie gained the seat from the Conservatives.

Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford by-election

On 5 November 2015 a by-election was held after the death of SNP councillor Joanne Strathdee on 23 August 2015, and the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Alastair Ross on 1 September 2015. It was won by both Conservative candidate Margo Stewart, gaining a seat for her party, and SNP candidate Gwyneth Petrie, who held the seat for her party.

Banff by-election

On 3 November 2016 a by-election was held after the death of SNP councillor Ian Gray on 27 August 2016. It was won by the Conservative candidate Iain Taylor, gaining the seat for his party.

Inverurie and District by-election

On 3 November 2016 a by-election was held after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Kitts-Hayes. It was won by Conservative candidate Colin Clark, gaining the seat for his party.

References

External links

Aberdeenshire 2012 election results
{{United Kingdom local elections, 2012

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2012 Scottish local elections 21st century in Aberdeenshire