2012 City of Edinburgh Council election First party Second party Third party Leader Andrew Burns Steve Cardownie Jeremy Balfour Party Labour SNP Conservative Leader's seat [[Fountainbridge /Craiglockhart]] Forth Corstorphine /Murrayfield Last election 15 seats, 22.93% 12 seats, 20.32% 11 seats, 22.08% Seats before 15 13 11 Seats won 20 18 11 Seat change 5 6 0 Popular vote 39,286 37,537 27,588 Percentage 28.13% 26.87% 19.75% Swing 5.45% 6.55% 2.33% Fourth party Fifth party Leader Maggie Chapman and Steve Burgess Paul Edie Party Scottish Green Liberal Democrats Leader's seat Leith Walk ,Southside /Newington Corstorphine /Murrayfield Last election 3 seats, 8.23% 17 seats, 21.99% Seats before 3 17 Seats won 6 3 Seat change 3 14 Popular vote 15,978 13,040 Percentage 11.44% 9.34% Swing 3.21% 12.65%
Map of council wards
Leader of the Council before election Jenny Dawe defeated Liberal Democrats
Leader of the council after election Andrew Burns Labour
Elections to the City of Edinburgh Council were held on 3 May 2012, the same day as the 2012 Scottish local elections . The election was the second using 17 new wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , each ward elected three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation system of election.
The main feature of the elections was the near obliteration of the Scottish Liberal Democrats as they collapsed from 17 seats on the city council to just 3, which saw them occupying the position as the smallest party. Their leader, and the leader of the council, Jenny Dawe, lost her seat in Meadows/Morningside , epitomising the poor performance. Scottish Labour replaced the Lib Dems as the largest party as they made 5 gains, winning 20 seats in total. The Scottish National Party became the second largest party, gaining 6 seats and 18 seats in total. The Scottish Conservatives retained 11 seats on the council while the Scottish Greens doubled their seat numbers to 6.
After the election a coalition was formed between the Labour Party and the SNP. This replaced the previous Lib Dem – SNP Coalition which had existed from 2007 to 2012.
Election result [ edit ] 2012 City of Edinburgh Council election Electorate: 331,954 Turnout: 141,552 (42.6%) Total Valid: 139,684[1] Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/− Labour 20 6 1 5 34.48 28.13 39,286 5.45 SNP 18 6 0 6 31.03 26.87 37,537 6.55 Conservative 11 1 1 0 18.97 19.75 27,588 2.33 Scottish Green 6 3 0 3 10.34 11.44 15,978 3.21 Liberal Democrats 3 0 14 14 5.17 9.34 13,040 12.65 Independent 0 0 0 0 0.00 1.84 2,565 New UKIP 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.34 480 New TUSC 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.33 463 New Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.26 368 New Scottish Socialist 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.16 228 New Pirate 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.14 195 New
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.
Ward summary [ edit ] Map of Council Wards showing parties elected in each ward Ward results [ edit ] 2007 : 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xSNP 2012 : 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem 2007-2012 Change : No Change
2012 Council election: Almond – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 SNP Norman Work (incumbent ) 32.55% 2,722 Conservative Lindsay Paterson 26.24% 2,194 Liberal Democrats Alastair Shields †††††† 15.89% 1,329 1,460 1,500 1,515 1,579 1,804 2,426 Labour Billy Fitzpatrick 14.92% 1,248 1,350 1,356 1,373 1,421 1,623 Scottish Green Moira Dunworth 6.17% 516 651 657 683 768 Independent John Longstaff 2.49% 208 268 276 338 UKIP Otto Inglis 1.73% 145 168 181 Electorate: 18,996 Valid: 8,362 Spoilt: 51 Quota: 2,091 Turnout: 8,413 (44.3%)
Pentland Hills [ edit ] 2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab 2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon 2007-2012 Change: No Change
Pentland Hills – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 SNP Bill Henderson 29.16% 2,317 Labour Ricky Henderson (incumbent ) 28.85% 2,293 Conservative Dominic Heslop 15.09% 1,199 1,224 1,249 1,335 1,397 1,502 2,446 Conservative Shelia Low 12.61% 1,002 1,017 1,040 1,099 1,154 1,240 Scottish Green Phyl Meyer 4.05% 322 400 468 607 840 Independent Mike 'Professor Pongoo' Ferrigan 5.59% 444 491 531 590 Liberal Democrats Stuart Bridges 4.66% 370 414 462 Electorate: 18,002 Valid: 7,947 Spoilt: 51 Quota: 1,987 Turnout: 7,998 (44.4%)
Drum Brae/Gyle [ edit ] 2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP 2012: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Drum Brae/Gyle – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Labour Karen Keil 26.46% 1,981 Liberal Democrats Robert Aldridge (incumbent ) 18.77% 1,405 1,425 1,431 1,490 1,636 1,695 1,735 2,312 SNP Ron Cairns * 18.34% 1,373 1,383 1,386 1,406 1,466 2,052 Conservative Mark Brown 16.04% 1,201 1,207 1,212 1,233 1,349 1,370 1,383 SNP Alison Lindsay 8.66% 648 657 661 699 750 Independent Steven Binney 6.92% 518 532 588 663 Scottish Green Linda Hendry 3.62% 271 285 296 Independent John Scott 1.20% 90 95 Electorate: 17,123 Valid: 7,487 Spoilt: 78 Quota: 1,872 Turnout: 7,565 (44.2%)
=Outgoing Councillor from a different Ward. 2007: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xLab 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem Forth – 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Labour Cammy Day (incumbent ) 27.54% 2,230 Conservative Allan Jackson (incumbent ) 22.64% 1,833 SNP Steve Cardownie (incumbent ) 17.01% 1,377 1,407 1,422 1,432 1,443 1,482 1,554 2,377 SNP George Gordon 12.05% 976 1,008 1,017 1,019 1,034 1,070 1,187 Scottish Green Kate Joester 7.08% 573 598 626 637 683 850 Labour Vicki Redpath 6.47% 524 962 976 987 1,009 1,099 1,347 1,446 Liberal Democrats Tim Wight 5.06% 410 423 473 495 500 TUSC Ruth Ann Henderson 1.44% 117 127 130 132 Liberal Seumas Stiubhard MacMhicean 0.70% 57 64 73 Electorate: 21,796 Valid: 8,097 Spoilt: 136 (1.65%) Quota: 1,620 Turnout: 8,233 (37.8%)
Inverleith [ edit ] 2007 : 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2012 : 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xGreen 2007-2012 Change : Green gain one seat from Lib Dem Inverleith – 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 Labour Lesley Hinds (incumbent ) 24.99% 2,751 Conservative Iain Whyte (incumbent ) 17.77% 1,956 1,989 2,019 2,279 Scottish Green Nigel Bagshaw 14.92% 1,642 1,815 1,865 2,325 SNP Gavin Barrie 13.03% 1,434 1,489 2,148 2,264 Conservative Scott Douglas 11.73% 1,291 1,312 1,326 1,487 Liberal Democrats Tim McKay (incumbent ) 10.38% 1,143 1,226 1,252 SNP John Young 7.19% 792 820 Electorate: 23,235 Valid: 11,009 Spoilt: 118 (1.06%) Quota: 2,202 Turnout: 11,127 (47.9%)
Corstorphine/Murrayfield [ edit ] 2007 : 2xLib Dem; 1xCon 2012 : 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2007-2012 Change : SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem Corstorphine/Murrayfield – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conservative Jeremy Balfour (incumbent ) 24.96% 2,050 2,100 SNP Frank Ross 24.74% 2,032 2,053 2,056 Liberal Democrats Paul Edie (incumbent ) 21.77% 1,788 1,798 1,817 1,818 1,993 2,798 Labour Tom McInally 20.45% 1,679 1,698 1,702 1,702 1,884 Scottish Green Dominic Hinde 6.11% 502 526 530 530 UKIP James Nisbet 1.96% 161 Electorate: 17,445 Valid: 8,212 Spoilt: 56 (0.68%) Quota: 2,054 Turnout: 8,268 (47.4%)
Sighthill/Gorgie [ edit ] 2007 : 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2012 : 2xLab; 2xSNP; 2007-2012 Change : SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Sighthill/Gorgie – 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 Labour Eric Milligan (incumbent ) 28.3 2,266 SNP Catherine Fullerton 20.3 1,624 SNP Denis Dixon 17.1 1,368 1,389 1,396 1,414 1,462 1,688 Labour Donald Wilson (incumbent ) 13.8 1,107 1,677 Conservative Susan Dewhurst 9.2 736 745 749 750 808 917 Scottish Green Lindsay Ashford 8.2 658 674 690 691 776 Liberal Democrats Neil MacLean 3.2 253 260 267 267 Electorate: 23,877 Valid: 8,012 Spoilt: 240 (2.91%) Quota: 1,603 Turnout: 8,252 (34.6%)
Colinton/Fairmilehead [ edit ] 2007: 2xCon; 1xLab 2012: 2xCon; 1xSNP 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lab Colinton/Fairmilehead – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Conservative Jason Rust (incumbent ) 28.71% 2,692 Conservative Elaine Aitken (incumbent ) 23.29% 2,184 2,427 SNP Richard Lewis 20.59% 1,931 1,953 1,962 1,975 2,021 2,187 2,816 Labour Eric Barry (incumbent ) 17.87% 1,676 1,699 1,708 1,724 1,831 2,070 Scottish Green Andy Saunders 4.91% 460 474 484 501 647 Liberal Democrats Alan Beal 3.62% 339 350 365 368 UKIP Malcolm MacKay 1.01% 95 100 105 Electorate: 18,521 Valid: 9,377 Spoilt: 74 (0.78%) Quota: 2,345 Turnout: 9,451 (51%)
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart [ edit ] 2007: 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem 2012: 1xGrn; 1xLab; 1xSNP 2007-2012 Change: Grn and SNP gain one seat each from Con and Lib Dem 2007 Council election: Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 Scottish Green Gavin Corbett 24.07% 1,789 1,801 2,004 SNP David Key 23.54% 1,750 1,755 1,811 1,848 1,861 Labour Andrew Burns (incumbent ) 23.24% 1,728 1,734 1,851 1,905 Conservative Will Searle 21.15% 1,572 1,578 1,714 1,731 1,738 Liberal Democrats Jim Lowrie (incumbent ) 7.34% 546 561 Liberal Tim Strode 0.66% 49 Electorate: 17,069 Valid: 7,434 Spoilt: 70 (0.93%) Quota: 1,859 Turnout: 7,504 (44%)
Meadows/Morningside [ edit ] 2007: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xGRN; 1xLab 2012: 1xCon; 1xGRN; 1xLab; 1xSNP 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem Meadows/Morningside – 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Conservative Mark McInnes (incumbent ) 29.90 3,125 Scottish Green Melanie Main 19.75 2,064 2,209 Labour Paul Godzik (incumbent ) 19.64 2,053 2,171 2171 SNP Sandy Howat 15.79 1,650 1,723 1,754 1,767 1,784 1,857 2,390 Liberal Democrats Jenny Dawe * 12.30 1,285 1,574 1,615 1,639 1,661 1,730 Pirate Phil Hunt 1.87 195 211 224 230 264 UKIP William Macadam 0.76 79 170 173 175 Electorate: 22,328 Valid: 10,451 Spoilt: 39 Quota: 2,091 Turnout: 10,490 (47%)
= Outgoing Councillor from a different Ward. City Centre [ edit ] 2007: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem 2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem City Centre – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conservative Joanna Mowat (incumbent ) 27.69% 1,402 SNP Alasdair Rankin (incumbent ) 24.97% 1,264 1,272 Labour Karen Doran 21.33% 1,080 1,093 1,094 1,101 1,235 1,777 Scottish Green Julita Mazurek 17.06% 864 887 890 907 1,111 Liberal Democrats Iain Coleman 7.94% 402 439 440 463 Liberal Karen Hetherington 1.01% 51 58 59 Electorate: 13,943 Valid: 5,063 Spoilt: 38 (0.74%) Quota: 1,266 Turnout: 5,101 (36.6%)
Leith Walk [ edit ] 2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xLab; 1xGRN 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xGRN 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xLab 2012: 1xLab; 1xGRN; 1xSNP 2007-2012 Change: GRN gain one seat from Lib Dem 2007 Council election: Leith – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Labour Gordon Munro (incumbent ) 32.1% 2010 Scottish Green Chas Booth 18.9% 1181 1306 1331 1427 1780 SNP Adam McVey 17.6% 1104 1140 1145 1163 1228 1280 2240 SNP Rob Munn (incumbent ) 14.8% 926 984 993 1013 1135 1169 Liberal Democrats Marjorie Thomas (incumbent ) 9.0% 565 618 641 825 Conservative Nicola Ross 6.5% 405 428 433 Liberal Irvine McMinn 1.1% 71 85 Electorate: 16,972 Valid: 6262 Spoilt: 122 Quota: 1566 Turnout: 32.6%
Craigentinny/Duddingston [ edit ] 2007: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Southside/Newington [ edit ] 2007: 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xGRN 2012: 1xGrn; 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem Southside/Newington – 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Scottish Green Steve Burgess (incumbent ) 19.97% 1,869 1,883 Labour Ian Perry (incumbent ) 19.78% 1,851 1,856 1,858 1,886 SNP Jim Orr ††† 18.34% 1,717 1,723 1,725 1,742 1,744 1,886 Conservative Cameron Rose (incumbent ) 16.72% 1,565 1,568 1,568 1,570 1,571 1,855 1,857 2,501 Liberal Democrats Gordon MacKenzie (incumbent ) 13.97% 1,308 1,341 1,343 1,348 1,351 1,548 1,551 Independent Gordon Murdie 9.53% 892 895 896 921 923 TUSC William Black 0.93% 87 90 91 Liberal Margaret Lea 0.76% 71 Electorate: 20,821 Valid: 9,360 Spoilt: 67 (0.71%) Quota: 1,873 Turnout: 9,427 (45.3%)
Liberton/Gilmerton [ edit ] 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon 2007-2012 Change: Con gain one seat from Lib Dem Liberton/Gilmerton – 4 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Labour Norma Austin-Hart (incumbent ) 21.4 1,941 SNP Tom Buchanan (incumbent )† 19.6 1,780 1,789 1,794 1,826 Labour Bill Cook (incumbent ) 19.5 1,768 1,868 Conservative Nick Cook 12.3 1,111 1,112 1,115 1,124 1,125 1,171 1,455 1,696 SNP Derek Howie 12.0 1,084 1,086 1,090 1,127 1,138 1,268 1,441 Liberal Democrats John Knox 7.6 687 689 694 711 711 848 Scottish Green Joan Carter 5.2 469 473 480 549 550 Scottish Socialist Colin Fox 2.5 228 229 233 Electorate: 23,187 Valid: 9,068 Spoilt: 191 (2.06%) Quota: 1,814 Turnout: 9,259 (39.9%)
Portobello/Craigmillar [ edit ] 2007: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem Portobello/Craigmillar – 3 seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Labour Maureen Child (incumbent ) 36.6 2,645 SNP Michael A. Bridgeman (incumbent ) 20.4 1,477 1,559 1,565 1,607 1,649 2,381 SNP David Manson 11.6 837 879 891 921 953 Labour David Walker 10.8 784 1,212 1,237 1,270 1,319 1,356 1,431 1,744 Scottish Green Peter McColl 8.5 615 723 768 825 974 1,059 1,203 Conservative Henry Christian 7.2 523 549 574 601 Independent Norrie Davies 2.9 213 253 261 Liberal Democrats Martin Veart 1.9 137 155 Electorate: 17,603 Valid: 7,231 Spoilt: 169 (2.28%) Quota: 1,808 Turnout: 7,400 (42%)
Post-election changes [ edit ] † Liberton/Gilmerton SNP councillor Tom Buchanan died on 3 April 2013. A by-election was held on 20 June 2013 and was won by Labour's Keith John Robson.[2] †† Craigentinny/Duddingston Labour councillor Alex Dunn defected from the Labour Party and joined the SNP on 4 December 2013.[3] ††† On 1 March 2014 Southside/Newington SNP councillor Jim Orr resigned from the party and became an Independent citing disillusionment with internal political spats.[4] †††† Leith Walk SNP councillor Deidre Brock was elected as an MP for Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency) on 7 May 2015 and resigned her Council seat on 24 June 2015.[5] Leith Walk Green councillor Maggie Chapman resigned her seat on 30 June 2015 to focus her efforts on winning a Scottish Parliament seat in North East Scotland .[6] A by-election for both seats was held on 10 September 2015, Lewis Ritchie defending the SNP seat and Labour's Marion Donaldson taking the other.[7] †††††† Almond Liberal Democrat councillor Alastair Shields resigned from the party and became an Independent after having been de-selected. He originally indicated that he would contest the 2017 local elections as an Independent, but ruled this out in October 2016.[8] [9] By Elections since 2012 [ edit ] Liberton/Gilmerton By-election (20 June 2013)[1] - 1 Seat Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Labour Keith John Robson 39.47 2,892 2,896 2,906 2,941 3,070 3,255 3,448 SNP Derek Howie 30.69 2,249 2,251 2,256 2,287 2,403 2,523 2,633 Conservative Stephanie Murray 11.23 823 824 836 903 934 1,098 Liberal Democrats John Christopher Knox 8.26 605 611 616 625 708 Scottish Green Alys Mumford 5.62 412 430 440 471 UKIP Jonathan Stanley 3.21 235 239 251 Independent John Scott 0.87 64 70 Pirate Phil Hunt 0.64 47 Electorate: 24,177 Valid: 7,246 Spoilt: 81 Quota: 3,664 Turnout: 7,327 (30.6%)
Leith Walk By-election (10 September 2015)[2] - 2 Seats Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 SNP John Ritchie 36.2% 2,290 Labour Marion Donaldson 25.7% 1,623 1,650.1 1,653.1 1,659.6 1,661.7 1,680.4 1,697.6 1,798.2 1,990.2 2,717.3 Scottish Green Susan Rae 21.8% 1,381 1,464.6 1,469.8 1,483.4 1,495.3 1,502.7 1,576.1 1,653.3 1,729.9 Conservative Gordon Murdie 7.9% 501 503.8 505.8 506.9 507 540.2 541.2 574.6 Liberal Democrats Mo Hussain 4% 255 261.6 263 265.3 265.3 267.4 271.6 UKIP Alan Melville 1.6% 102 105.6 105.6 106.8 106.8 Scottish Socialist Natalie Reid 1.5% 97 107.7 107.7 108.2 122 125.2 Left Unity Bruce Whitehead 0.5% 32 33.6 33.7 33.9 Independent John Scott 0.4% 26 29 30 Libertarian Tom Laird 0.3% 17 17.9 Electorate: 25,521 Valid: 6,324 Spoilt: 83 Quota: 2,109 Turnout: 6,407 (25.1%)
References [ edit ] External links [ edit ]