2017 Falkirk Council election

Elections to Falkirk Council will be held on 4 May 2017, the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election will use the nine wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 30 councillors being elected, a reduction of 2 members from 2012. Each ward will elect either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.

Main article: 2017 Scottish local elections

Following the 2012 election, the controlling administration consisted of 14 Labour members, 2 Conservative and 1 Independent (Cllr Buchanan). Opposition is 13 SNP members and 2 Independent (Cllrs Spears and McCabe). The Council Leader is Cllr Craig C Martin, Provost is Cllr Reid and the Depute Provost Cllr Patrick.

2017 Falkirk Council election
4 May 2017 (2017-05-04)
All 30 seats to Falkirk Council
16 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Cecil Meiklejohn Craig Martin John Patrick
Party SNP Labour Conservative
Leader's seat Falkirk North Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst Falkirk South
Last election 13 seats, 40.6% 14 seats, 43.8% 2 seats, 6.3%
Seats before 13 14 2
Seats won 13 14 2
Seats after 12 9 7
Seat change -1 -5 +5
  Fourth party
 
Leader Billy Buchannan
Party Independent
Leader's seat Bonnybridge and Larbert
Last election 3 seats, 9.4%
Seats before 1
Seats won 3
Seats after 2
Seat change -1
Council Leader before election

Craig Martin
Labour

 Council Leader after election

Cecil Meiklejohn
SNP

Election result summary
Falkirk Local Election Result 2017
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SNP 12 - 1 -1 40 38.8 20,861
  Labour 9 - 5 -5 30 23.1 12,421
  Conservative 7 5 - +5 23.3 24.5 13,168
  Independent 2 -1 -1 6.7 9.8 5,308
  Scottish Green - - - - 0.0 3.6 1,933
  Other parties - - - - 0.0 0.1 63

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections in May 2012. The number of Falkirk Council seats was reduced by 2 in the 2017 election. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

Ward results

Bo'ness and Blackness
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
  • 2017: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
  • 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain one seat from SNP
Bo'ness and Blackness - 3 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4
SNP Ann Ritchie (incumbent) 27.97 1,510      
Conservative Lynn Munro 26.15 1,412      
Labour David Aitchison 20.49 1,106 1,116.38 1,130.17 1,381.23
SNP Alan Gilbert 14.1 761 880.73 882.71 892.69
Scottish Green Mari-Ellena Corvi 5.78 312 324.72 333.19 360.08
Labour Michael Burnett 5.52 298 302.24 312.82  
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,399   Spoilt: 137   Quota: 1350   Turnout: 5,536 (46.8%)

    Grangemouth
    • 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
    • 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
    • 2012-2017 Change: 1 less seat compared to 2012. Labour lose seat.
    Grangemouth - 3 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
    SNP David Balfour (incumbent) 26.95 1,510          
    Labour Allyson Black (incumbent) 23.22 1,301 1,309.44 1,332.73 1,483.53    
    Conservative James Bundy 18.38 1,030 1,031.79 1,040 1,074.58 1,094.4  
    Independent Robert Spears (incumbent) 17.49 980 988.08 1,004.58 1,247.12 1,274.46 1,834.19
    SNP Margaret-Ann Milne 12.06 676 756.82 799.39      
    Scottish Green Judith McLaughlin 1.91 107 109.72        
    Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,604   Spoilt: 99   Quota: 1,402   Turnout: 5,703 (44.3%)

      [1]

      Denny and Banknock
      • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
      • 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
      • 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain 1 seat from Independent
      Denny and Banknock - 4 seats
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7Count 8Count 9Count 10
      SNP Paul Garner (incumbent) 26.3 1,664                  
      Labour Jim Blackwood (incumbent) 15.27 965 976.27 976.51 996.75 1,019.23 1,020.57 1,233.78 1,359.61    
      Conservative Nigel Harris 14.49 916 918.16 918.16 924.16 950.16 950.39 964.43 1,068.91 1,086.46 1,314.59
      SNP Fiona Collie 13.98 884 1,200.27 1,210.99 1,255.15 1,274.11          
      Independent Brian McCabe (incumbent) 10.87 687 719.13 722.85 737.57 780.57 782.45 811.89 984.92 1,002.97  
      Independent Alexander John Waddell 8.26 522 528.47 529.47 537.7 615.95 616.69 640.97      
      Labour Khalid Hamid 4.97 314 322.87 323.11 333.35 355.83 356.51        
      Independent Anne Montgomery 3.65 231 232.92 235.16 247.4            
      Scottish Green Cheryl Brind 1.89 119 122.84 125.08              
      Solidarity Sean Mellon 0.3 19 21.64                
      Electorate: TBC   Valid: 6,321   Spoilt: 95   Quota: 1,265   Turnout: 6,416 (44.1%)

        Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst
        • 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
        • 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
        • 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain 1 seat from Labour
        Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst - 4 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7
        Conservative Jim Flynn 27.85 1,968            
        SNP Gary Bouse 27.18 1,921            
        Labour Joan Coombes * 13.53 956 1,069.44 1,098.21 1,154.31 1,229.31 1,251.22 2,106.01
        SNP Laura Murtagh 13.3 940 955.48 1,350.04 1,374.34 1,530.07    
        Labour Martin Murray 12.03 850 964.01 980.63 997.67 1,050.7 1,070.97  
        Scottish Green Chris Marsh 4.12 291 328.16 358.51 408.87      
        Independent Safia Ali 1.99 141 198.71 206.1        
        Electorate: TBC   Valid: 7,067   Spoilt: 133   Quota: 1,414   Turnout: 7,200 (44%)
          • = Outgoing Councillor for Grangemouth ward.

          Bonnybridge and Larbert
          • 2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
          • 2017: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent
          • 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain 1 seat from Labour
          Bonnybridge and Larbert - 3 seats
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
          SNP Tom Coleman (incumbent)† 33.7 1,898          
          Conservative David Grant 24.31 1,368 1,389.43 1,404.2 1,427.07    
          Independent Billy Buchanan (incumbent) 20.15 1,134 1,225.91 1,271.58 1,394.9 1,400.54 1,902.47
          Labour Linda Gow (incumbent) 15.71 884 963.51 992.13 1,110.3 1,115.96  
          Scottish Green David Robertson 3.84 216 384.58 417.2      
          Independent Janine Rennie 2.27 128 153.3        
          Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,628   Spoilt: 51   Quota: 1,408   Turnout: 5,679 (45.1%)

            Falkirk North
            • 2012: 2xSNP; 2xLab
            • 2017: 2xSNP; 2xLab
            • 2012-2017 Change: No change
            Falkirk North - 4 seats
            PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
            SNP David Alexander (incumbent) 35.82 2,326          
            Labour Denis Goldie * 17.22 1,118 1,160.83 1,208.1 1,313.84    
            SNP Cecil Meiklejohn (incumbent) 16.33 1,060 1,864.91        
            Conservative Wendy Chandrachud 14.11 916 933.22 948.14 978.61 979.61  
            Labour Robert Bissett 12.95 841 908.11 962.4 1,102.62 1,113.75 1,563.47
            Scottish Green Debra Pickering 3.56 231 263.23 519.28      
            Electorate: TBC   Valid: 6,492   Spoilt: 196   Quota: 1,299   Turnout: 6,688 (41%)
              • = Outgoing Councillor for Falkirk South.

              Falkirk South
              • 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
              • 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
              • 2012-2017 Change: 1 less seat compared to 2012. Labour lose seat.
              Falkirk South - 3 seats
              PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1
              SNP Lorna Binnie 35.68 2,216
              Conservative John Patrick (incumbent) 32.09 1,993
              Labour Pat Reid * 27.15 1,686
              Scottish Green Donnie Buchanan 5.07 315
              Electorate: TBC   Valid: 6,210   Spoilt: 71   Quota: 1,533   Turnout: 6,281 (48.3%)
                • = Sitting Councillor from Falkirk North.

                Lower Braes
                • 2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
                • 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
                • 2012-2017 Change: No change
                Lower Braes - 3 seats
                PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7Count 8
                Conservative Malcolm Nicol (incumbent) 34.49 1,864              
                SNP Adanna McCue 30.19 1,632              
                Labour Alan Nimmo (incumbent) 14.06 760 894.04 944.99 961.84 970.94 1,066.33 1,146.65 1,446.12
                Independent Ricky Wilson 10.34 559 633.98 669.5 684.89 725.99 779.78 993.11  
                Independent Steven Jackson (incumbent) 5.27 285 339.93 359.32 369.06 421.23 472.93    
                Scottish Green Chris Brind 3.02 163 181.68 282.9 293.23 303.1      
                Independent Sam Hemple 1.81 98 121.07 128.28 137.12        
                UKIP Stuart Martin 0.81 44 89.04 91.96          
                Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,405   Spoilt: 50   Quota: 1,352   Turnout: 5,455 (46.2%)

                  Upper Braes
                  • 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
                  • 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
                  • 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain 1 seat from Labour
                  Upper Braes - 3 seats
                  PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6Count 7
                  Conservative James Kerr†† 30.22 1,701            
                  Labour John McLuckie (incumbent)†† 23.85 1,342 1,441.91          
                  SNP Gordon Hughes (incumbent) 18.27 1,028 1,036.61 1,040.73 1,066.78 1,093.98 1,218.31 2,112.31
                  SNP Farah Farzana 14.84 835 837.07 838.76 890.08 910.68 978.8  
                  Independent Jim Robertson 6.4 360 401.68 409.18 449.03 602.12    
                  Independent Neil Durning 3.25 183 224.17 228.32 262      
                  Scottish Green Tom McLaughlin 3.18 179 193.12 196.92        
                  Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,628   Spoilt: 104   Quota: 1,408   Turnout: 5,732 (46.5%)

                    Changes since 2017
                    • † On 30 November 2017 Bonnybridge and Larbert SNP Cllr Tom Coleman died following a short illness.[2] A by-election was held on 15 February 2018 and the seat was retained by his son, Niall.
                    • †† On 21 September 2018 Upper Braes Labour Cllr John McLuckie and Conservative Cllr James Kerr were suspended by both of their respective parties and became Independents having been charged by the police following an investigation into planning irregularities in Falkirk.[3]

                    By-elections since 2017
                    Bonnybridge and Larbert By-election (15 February 2018)[4]
                    PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5
                    SNP Niall Coleman 38.6 1,295 1,300 1,354 1,619 1,866
                    Conservative George Stevenson 32.4 1,088 1,096 1,115 1,280
                    Labour Linda Gow 24.2 813 821 858
                    Scottish Green David Robertson 3.7 124 129
                    UKIP Stuart Martin 1.0 35
                    Electorate: TBC   Valid: 3,355   Spoilt: 30   Quota: 1,678   Turnout: 3,385 (26.5%)

                      References
                      1. "Ward 2 - Grangemouth". Falkirk Council. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
                      2. https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/politics/death-of-falkirk-provost-tom-coleman-1-4628456
                      3. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-45600222
                      4. http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/council-democracy/elections-voting/by-election.aspx
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