2012 Scottish local government election
The 2012 Midlothian Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Midlothian Council . The election used the six wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation , with 18 Councillors being elected.[ 1]
The election saw Labour retain their traditional position as the largest party on the council though they lost compared to the 2007 election. The Scottish National Party significantly increased their representation with 2 net gains and a significant rise in vote share to have the same seat numbers as the Labour Party. The Scottish Green Party gained a seat on the council for the first time and so too did Independent , former Conservative member, Peter de Vink. The Scottish Liberal Democrats were wiped out from this authority as well, losing all 3 of their seats (2 in the election, 1 by the defection of a member after 2007).
Following the election the SNP formed a minority administration with the support of the Green Party and the Independent. This is the first time that Labour had not had a role in the running of Midlothian in 84 years.
Election result
Midlothian Local Election Result 2012
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
Labour
8
0
1
-1
44.44
39.49
9,967
+2.69
SNP
8
2
0
+2
44.44
39.47
9,936
+5.97
Scottish Green
1
1
0
+1
5.56
4.49
1,134
+2.59
Independent
1
1
0
+1
5.56
3.75
946
+1.75
Conservative
0
0
0
0
0.00
8.51
2,147
-1.59
Liberal Democrats
0
0
3
-3
0.00
3.73
941
-8.87
TUSC
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.67
168
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 results
Penicuik
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
2007-2012: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Penicuik – 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
SNP
Derek George Rosie
29.9
1,427
Labour
Adam Montgomery (incumbent )
28.6
1,363
SNP
Joe Wallace
14.8
706
915.6
950.6
1,009.1
1,057.9
1,343.9
Liberal Democrats
Sheila Thacker
11.8
562
571.5
601.6
721.8
993.1
Conservative
Sandy Forrest
9.9
474
476.5
489.8
505.9
Scottish Green
Gary Christopher Bell
5.0
237
242.6
269.5
Electorate: 10,693 Valid: 4,769 Spoilt: 76 Quota: 1,193 Turnout: 4,845 (44.6%)
Bonnyrigg
2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2012: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xGRN
2007-2012 Change: GRN gain one seat from Lab
Bonnyrigg – 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Labour
Derek Milligan (incumbent )
30.67
1,574
SNP
Bob Constable (incumbent )
24.49
1,257
1,272.1
1,566.5
Scottish Green
Ian Baxter
13.07
671
681.3
704.2
787.1
930.4
1,079.9
1,407.4
Labour
Louie Lorraine Milliken
10.23
525
749.4
768.5
809.4
864.9
1,020.4
Independent
Jack Aitchison (incumbent )
7.44
382
396.9
406.5
430.3
474.1
Conservative
Emma Cummings
7.11
365
368.5
373.5
386.8
SNP
Thomas Munro
6.98
358
366.5
Electorate: 12,007 Valid: 5,132 Spoilt: 99 Quota: 1,284 Turnout: 5,205 (42.74%)
Dalkeith
2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: No change
Dalkeith – 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Labour
Alex Bennett
31.6
1,021
SNP
Jim Bryant
24.9
803
816.9
Labour
Margot Russell (incumbent )
18.7
604
760.2
760.6
774.9
810.6
SNP
Colin Cassidy
12.7
410
417.7
425.6
447.6
469.1
Conservative
Robin Traquair
5.7
184
187.3
187.4
194.8
235.2
Liberal Democrats
George Boyd
4.1
133
138.8
138.9
152.4
TUSC
Willie Duncan
2.3
75
80.8
80.9
Electorate: 8,678 Valid: 3,230 Spoilt: 81 Quota: 808 Turnout: 3,311 (37.22%)
Midlothian West
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Midlothian West – 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SNP
Andrew Coventry
21.5
930
935
943
987
1,017
1,071
1,106
SNP
Owen Thompson (incumbent )††
18.20
789
793
805
832
861
900
960
Labour
Russell Imrie (incumbent )
17.9
776
778
784
823
872
966
1,595
Labour
Alex Jones
17.58
762
764
773
794
821
856
Conservative
Andrew Hardie
10.7
462
480
497
567
Liberal Democrats
Les Thacker (incumbent )
5.67
246
247
263
309
Scottish Green
Helen Blackburn
5.2
226
234
258
Independent
George McCleery
2.38
103
115
TUSC
Lynn Leitch
0.95
41
Electorate: 10,714 Valid: 4,335 Spoilt: 54 Quota: 1,084 Turnout: 4,389 (40.46%)
Midlothian East
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Labour
Midlothian East – 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SNP
Lisa Beattie (incumbent )
33.1
1,372
Labour
Peter Boyes (incumbent ) †
24.2
1,003
1,015.5
1,020.5
1,036.7
1,048.6
Labour
Katie Moffat (incumbent )
11.5
475
486.9
493.2
525.7
Independent
Peter de Vink
11.1
461
484.9
503.4
686.3
737.8
800.9
1014.3
SNP
Paul Bertram
9.8
405
656.9
665.9
689.4
721.1
781.7
Conservative
Richard Thomson
9.1
379
388.3
388.3
TUSC
Bob Goupillot
1.3
52
54.2
Electorate: 10,409 Valid: 4,147 Spoilt: 78 Quota: 1,037 Turnout: 4,225 (39.84%)
Midlothian South
2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: No change
Midlothian South – 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Labour
Jim Muirhead (incumbent )
36.0
1,305
SNP
Cath Johnstone
21.7
786
807.9
845.1
855.7
1538.5
SNP
Dougie Crawford
19.1
693
706.1
729.7
732.3
Labour
Bryan Pottinger
15.4
559
870.9
947.9
Conservative
Peter Smaill
7.8
283
293.9
Electorate: 9,288 Valid: 3,626 Spoilt: 68 Quota: 907 Turnout: 3,694 (39.04%)
Post-Election Changes
† Midlothian East Independent and former Labour Cllr Peter Boyes resigned due to ill-health on 11 August 2014. A by-election was held on 27 November 2014 and was won by Labour's Kenny Young. [1]
†† Midlothian West SNP Cllr Owen Thompson was elected as an MP for Midlothian on 7 May 2015. He resigned as Leader of Midlothian Council on 23 June 2015 and announced he would resign his Council seat with effect from 1 July 2015.[2] A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 10 September 2015 and the seat was held by the SNP's Kelly Parry.[3]
By-elections
Midlothian East By-election (27 November 2014)[ 2] – 1 Seat
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Labour
Kenny Young
32.9%
1,294
1,310
1,343
1,443
1,682
SNP
Colin Cassidy
32.1%
1,260
1,270
1,357
1,384
1,613
Independent
Robert Hogg
19.8%
780
789
831
914
Conservative
Andrew Hardie
8.4%
331
342
359
Scottish Green
Bill Kerr-Smith
5.0%
197
210
Liberal Democrats
Euan Davidson
1.7%
68
Electorate: 11,637 Valid: 3,930 Spoilt: 40 Quota: 1,966 Turnout: 3,970 (34.1%)
Midlothian West By-election (10 September 2015)[ 3] – 1 Seat
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
SNP
Kelly Parry
43.2%
1,540
1,558
1,701
Labour
Ian Miller
26.5%
945
977
1,082
Conservative
Pauline Winchester
14.7%
524
570
618
Scottish Green
Daya Feldwick
10.4%
372
420
Liberal Democrats
Jane Davidson
4.5%
162
Independent
David Tedford
0.7%
25
Electorate: 11,582 Valid: 3,568 Spoilt: 49 Quota: 1,785 Turnout: 3,617 (31.2%)
References