Kilbirnie and Beith (ward)

Last updated

Kilbirnie and Beith
North Ayrshire
Kilbirnie and Beith.svg
Boundary of Kilbirnie and Beith in North Ayrshire from 2017–2022.
Electorate 10,600 (2017)
Major settlements Beith
Kilbirnie
Scottish Parliament constituency Cunninghame North
Scottish Parliament region West Scotland
UK Parliament constituency North Ayrshire and Arran
2007 (2007)–2022 (2022)
Number of councillors3
Replaced by Garnock Valley
Created from Beith
Garnock East
Kilbirnie North
Kilbirnie South
Largs South and Fairlie

Kilbirnie and Beith was one of the 10 wards used to elect members of North Ayrshire Council. Created in 2007 following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements, the ward elected three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.

Contents

The area was politically split after each election returned one councillor for both the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Labour as well as one independent councillor.

Boundaries

The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Kilbirnie and Beith was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained part of the former Garnock East and Kilbirnie South wards and the majority of the former Kilbirnie North ward as well as all of the former Beith ward and a small part of the former Largs South and Fairlie ward. Kilbirnie and Beith took in an area in the northeast of the council area next to its border with Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire and centred around the towns of Beith and Kilbirnie. [1] Following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections, the ward was reduced in area as largely unpopulated areas were transferred to other wards. The eastern boundary was moved west to run along the A737 with the area transferred to the Dalry and West Kilbride ward. [2]

In 2018, the Scottish Parliament passed the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 which included provisions to improve the representation of island communities on councils. As a result, an intermediate review of the boundaries in North Ayrshire was carried out. The review coincided with the introduction of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 which allowed for the creation of five-member wards. This proposed that three wards – Dalry and West Kilbride, Kilbirnie and Beith and North Coast and Cumbraes – be replaced by two new wards named Garnock Valley and North Coast. The proposals for North Ayrshire were subsequently approved by the Scottish Parliament and the ward was abolished in 2022. [3] [4]

Councillors

ElectionCouncillors
2007 Jean Highgate
(Ind.)
Craig Taylor
(SNP)
John Bell
(Labour)
2008Anthea Dickson
(SNP)
2012
2017 Donald L. Reid
(Ind.)

Election results

2017 election

Kilbirnie and Beith - 3 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345
SNP Anthea Dickson (incumbent)22.31,0571,061 1,091 1,617 
Independent Donald L. Reid22.21,0531,074 1,182 1,203 
Labour John Bell (incumbent)19.59251,031 1,062 1,096 1,235
Conservative Ted Nevill14.9705712 731 735 751
SNP Margaret Johnson12.1574576 610   
Independent James Smith5.6263267    
Labour James Robson3.3156    
Electorate: 10,600  Valid: 4,733  Spoilt: 122  Quota: 1,184  Turnout: 45.8%  

    Source: [5] [6]

    2012 election

    Kilbirnie and Beith - 3 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678
    SNP Anthea Dickson (incumbent)24.81,1011,107 1,121     
    Independent Jean Highgate (incumbent)17.1758767 804 804 910 947 1,000 1,368
    SNP Craig Wilson17.1762763 771 778 807 853 886  
    Labour John Bell (incumbent)17.0756765 773 773 785 1,370  
    Labour Allan Wilson16.2721727 731 731 745    
    Conservative Ted Nevill5.1228228 231 231     
    Independent Josh McCormick1.77781       
    Socialist Labour Tristan Lindsay0.941       
    Electorate: 10,662  Valid: 4,444  Spoilt: 97  Quota: 1,112  Turnout: 41.7%  

      Source: [7]

      2008 by-election

      A by-election arose in the Kilbirnie and Beith Ward following the death of SNP councillor Craig Taylor. Anthea Dickson held the seat for the SNP on 11 December 2008.

      Kilbirnie and Beith by-election (11 December 2008) - 1 seat
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      123
      SNP Anthea Dickson48.91,3631,380 1,415
      Labour Gordon McKay33.7939956 972
      Conservative Ted Nevill11.6322324 342
      Liberal Democrats Lewis Hutton3.494104  
      Socialist Labour James McDaid2.468  
      Electorate: 11,232  Valid: 2,786  Spoilt: 20  Quota: 1,394  Turnout: 25.0%  

        Source: [8]

        2007 election

        Kilbirnie and Beith - 3 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        123456789
        SNP Craig Taylor23.41,3291,349 1,366 1,397 1,450    
        Labour John Bell23.11,3131,324 1,337 1,373 1,382 1,386 1,467  
        Independent Jean Highgate16.7947958 993 1,024 1,151 1,157 1,371 1,374 1,810
        Labour Donald Reid15.0849854 856 878 930 933 986 1,019  
        Conservative John Smith9.9562569 570 595 607 610    
        Independent John Johnstone4.7265281 296 309      
        Liberal Democrats Jenny Hutton3.3188191 197       
        Independent William Fyfe2.0116123        
        Independent Iain Walker1.9106        
        Electorate: 11,058  Valid: 5,675  Spoilt: 132  Quota: 1,419  Turnout: 52.5%  

          Source: [9]

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          References

          1. "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; North Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2006. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
          2. "Fifth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; North Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
          3. "Review of Electoral Arrangements; North Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. June 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
          4. Hamilton, Andy (5 March 2022). "North Ayrshire: Changes on the way as voters get set to go to polls". Irvine Times. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
          5. "Declaration of Results Report Kilbirnie and Beith" (PDF). North Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
          6. "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Kilbirnie and Beith" (PDF). North Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
          7. "Declaration of Results Ward 07 - Kilbirnie and Beith" (PDF). North Ayrshire Council. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
          8. "Local Government By Election – Thursday 11 December 2008 North Ayrshire Council- Electoral Ward 7 – Kilbirnie and Beith" (PDF). North Ayrshire Council. 12 December 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
          9. "Local Government Elections 2007: Declaration of result North Ayrshire Council: Kilbrine and Beith Electoral Ward" (PDF). North Ayrshire Council. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2024.