East Lothian Council election, 2017

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East Lothian Council election, 2017
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All 22 seats to East Lothian Council
12 seats needed for a majority

 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LeaderWillie InnesBrian SmallStuart Currie
Party Labour Conservative SNP
Leader's seatPreston, Seton and GosfordHaddington and LammermuirMusselburgh
Last election10 seats, 43.1%3 seats, 14.4%9 seats, 30.4%
Seats before1039
Seats after976
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg4Decrease2.svg3
Council Leader before election

Willie Innes
Scottish Labour

Council Leader after election

Willie Innes
Scottish Labour

Elections to East Lothian Council will be held on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election will consist of 6 wards electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system a form of proportional representation, with 22 Councillors elected.

East Lothian Council area of Scotland

East Lothian or is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was also known as Haddingtonshire.

Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities designated as councils which consist of councillors elected every five years by registered voters in each of the council areas.

Contents

This election features revised ward boundaries to three wards resulting in the reduction of the number of East Lothian councillors from 23 to 22. Two former Musselburgh wards are being merged and will lose Wallyford and Whitecraig with 4 councillors to be elected. The bulk of the previous Fa'side ward will become Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry. Haddington and Lammermuir ward expands with the addition of Ormiston and Pencaitland and gains a councillor.

Election Result

East Lothian Local Election Result 2017
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 912-140.933.113,723-10.0
  Conservative 740+431.8227.411,382+13.0
  SNP 603-327.2727.911,584-2.5
  Liberal Democrats 000--4.751,971-0.85
  Scottish Green 0----4.491,862+4.49
  Independent 0--1--2.17900-3.73
  TUSC 0----0.1563-0.15

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 2012. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

Ward results [1]

Musselburgh

Musselburgh - 4 seats
PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7Count 8Count 9
SNP Stuart Currie (incumbent)22.121,683        
Conservative Katie Mackie19.341,4721,4731,4781,570     
Labour Andy Forrest (incumbent)15.481,1781,1871,1921,2661,2741,3621,924  
SNP John Williamson (incumbent)11.048409609671,0071,0081,2411,2781,3221,583
Independent John Caldwell (incumbent)10.568048098438969079851,0151,107 
Labour Katherine Sangster7.47568570579637644742   
Scottish Green Jason Rose6.53497506520630633    
Liberal Democrats Clare Graham6.17470473487      
Independent Theresa Sives1.269696       
Electorate: 15,874  Valid: 7,608  Spoilt: 139  Quota: 1,522  Turnout: 48.8

    Preston, Seton and Gosford

    Preston, Seton and Gosford - 4 seats
    PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7Count 8
    Labour Willie Innes (Incumbent)24.31,801       
    Conservative Lachlan Bruce24.11,784       
    SNP Neil Gilbert16.21,1971,2081,2151,2601,2881,2941,3222,201
    Labour Fiona O'Donnell 12.69321,1641,2261,2611,3691,818  
    SNP Janis Wilson11.4844852854922936951975 
    Labour Brian Weddell5.8429471485501520   
    Scottish Green Lesley Orr3.11230234250     
    Liberal Democrats Ghill Donald2.4180184260300    
    Electorate: 14,702  Valid: 7,397  Spoilt: 178  Quota: 1,480  Turnout: 51.5%

      Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry

      Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry - 4 seats
      PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7
      SNP Kenny McLeod (incumbent)24.51,540      
      Labour Fiona Dugdale20.31,272      
      Labour Colin McGinn15.39589699729781,0001,1021,893
      Conservative Gordon Mackett15.79869879889941,0541,0891,142
      Labour Jim Gillies (incumbent)13.38378448548648971,014 
      SNP Linda Watson7.4464713713725746  
      Liberal Democrats Alexander Graham2.5159162162176   
      TUSC Jimmy Haddow1.063      
      Electorate: 14,699  Valid: 6,279  Spoilt: 127  Quota: 1,256  Turnout: 43.6%

        North Berwick Coastal

        North Berwick Coastal - 3 seats
        PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5
        Conservative Jeremy Douglas Findlay27.161,703    
        Labour Jim Goodfellow (incumbent)23.731,4881,4971,573  
        Conservative Jane Henderson21.381,3411,4541,4741,4751,589
        SNP Laura Lowe Forrest17.971,1271,1281,2331,2341,335
        Liberal Democrats Robert O'Riordan5.07318323388389 
        Scottish Green Eurig Scandrett4.67293294   
        Electorate: 10,752  Valid: 6,270  Spoilt: 114  Quota: 1,568  Turnout: 59.4

          Haddington and Lammermuir

          Haddington and Lammermuir - 4 seats
          PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7
          Conservative Brian Small29.032,262      
          Labour John McMillan (incumbent)18.711,4581593     
          Labour Shamin Akhtar (incumbent)151,1691,2341,2561,3161,627  
          SNP Tom Trotter (incumbent)14.661,1421,1531,1551,2361,3271,3332,227
          SNP Ruth Currie11.418898948959471,0071,017 
          Liberal Democrats Kelvin Pate7.29568791795889   
          Scottish Green Cris Thacker3.88302329330    
          Electorate: 14,095  Valid: 7,790  Spoilt: 108  Quota: 1,559  Turnout: 56%

            Dunbar and East Linton

            Dunbar and East Linton - 3 seats
            PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
            Conservative Sue Kempson29.861,834     
            Labour Norman Hampshire (incumbent)26.591,633     
            SNP Paul McLennan (incumbent)17.041,0471,0541,0641,0941,1992,216
            SNP Isobel Knox13.28118198288521,177 
            Scottish Green Sarah Beattie-Smith8.79540569584761  
            Liberal Democrats Elisabeth Wilson4.49276392421   
            Electorate: 10,995  Valid: 6,141  Spoilt: 43  Quota: 1,536  Turnout: 56.4%

              Retiring Councillors

              Council WardDeparting CouncillorParty
              Dunbar and East LintonMichael Veitch [3] Conservative
              Fa'sideDonald Grant Labour
              Haddington and LammermuirLudovic Broun-Lindsay [3] Conservative
              MusselburghJohn McNeil [4] Labour
              MusselburghFraser McAllister Scottish National Party
              North Berwick CoastalDavid Berry [5] Independent
              North Berwick CoastalTim Day [3] Conservative
              Preston/Seton/GosfordMargaret Libberton Labour
              Preston/Seton/GosfordSteven Brown [6] Scottish National Party
              Preston/Seton/GosfordPeter Robert MacKenzie Scottish National Party

              Footnotes

              1. ↑ "Election 2017: All the candidates for East Lothian Council". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
              2. ↑ On 6 March 2013 North Berwick Coastal SNP Cllr David Stuart Berry resigned from the party and became an Independent Nationalist after comparing the Union to slavery on Twitter.
              3. 1 2 3 "All three East Lothian Conservative councillors not seeking re-election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
              4. ↑ "Long-serving Musselburgh councillor John McNeil to quit – and tells of 'hurt' at not landing senior post". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
              5. ↑ "Devastating eye condition forces ex-East Lothian Council leader David Berry out of election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
              6. ↑ "Councillor Steven Brown snubbed in re-election bid for Preston, Seton, Gosford ward by local SNP members". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
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