2017 Scottish Borders Council election
Elections to Scottish Borders Council were held on 4 May 2017, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 11 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, a form of proportional representation, with 34 councillors elected.
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 34 seats to Scottish Borders Council 18 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() The 11 multi-member wards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Following the 2012 election, the Scottish National Party formed a coalition with the support of the Independents and the Liberal Democrats. The Borders Party also supported this administration. This replaced the previous Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent coalition which existed from 2007-2012.
The council was the first to reveal its administration after the election, with the Conservative group forming a coalition with independents to rule the council. New Tweeddale East councillor Shona Haslam will become its leader formally on 18 May. Outgoing independent leader, David Parker, will become the council's new convener.[1]
Election results
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 15 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 44.1% | 41.6% | 19,355 | +18.4% | |
SNP | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26.5% | 21.4% | 9,959 | +0.7% | |
Independent | 8 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 23.5% | 23.8% | 11,050 | +1.1% | |
Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 5.9% | 8.2% | 3,818 | -8.3% | |
Labour | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 2.8% | 1,283 | -3.5% | |
Scottish Green | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 2.2% | 1,030 | +1.8% |
Ward results
Tweeddale West
- 2012: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2017: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change: No Change
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
SNP | Heather Anderson | 25.2% | 1,160 | |||||||
Conservative | Eric Small | 22.5% | 1,036 | 1,036.2 | 1,040.2 | 1,097.2 | 1,115.3 | 1,123.3 | 1,928.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Kris Chapman | 16.7% | 768 | 769.2 | 783.2 | 820.2 | 891.4 | 1,073.1 | 1,192.2 | |
Conservative | John Anderson | 21.3% | 984 | 984.2 | 987.2 | 1,003.2 | 1,018.2 | 1,030.2 | ||
Scottish Green | Catriona Hamilton | 4.7% | 218 | 221.3 | 238.4 | 262.6 | 332.8 | |||
Labour | Julia Reid | 4.4% | 201 | 201.5 | 205.5 | 224.6 | ||||
Independent | Tommy Davidson | 3.7% | 170 | 170.6 | 190.6 | |||||
Independent | Michael Needham | 1.6% | 73 | 73.1 | ||||||
Electorate: 8,167 (Est.) Valid: 4,610 Spoilt: 78 Quota: 1,153 Turnout: 4,688 (57.4%) |
Tweeddale East
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
Conservative | Shona Haslam | 37.6% | 1,804 | |||||
SNP | Stuart Bell (incumbent) | 20% | 960 | 971.7 | 1,442.7 | |||
Independent | Robin Tatler | 16.5% | 793 | 970.4 | 1,013.7 | 1,093.4 | 1,701.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Amanda Kubie | 13.6% | 650 | 881.7 | 931.1 | 1,003.5 | ||
SNP | Simon Ritchie | 12.2% | 585 | 590.7 | ||||
Electorate: 8,640 (Est.) Valid: 4,792 Spoilt: 46 Quota: 1,199 Turnout: 4,838 (56%) |
Galashiels and District
- 2012: 2xSNP; 1xBP; 1xIndependent
- 2017: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 2xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: Independent and Con gain one seat from SNP and BP
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
Conservative | Euan Jardine | 28.5% | 1,292 | |||||||
SNP | Andy Anderson | 20% | 907 | |||||||
Independent | Sandy Aitchison (incumbent) | 11.9% | 539 | 612.9 | 640.3 | 732.4 | 916.2 | |||
Independent | Harry Scott | 10.1% | 460 | 517.8 | 532.4 | 592.4 | 753.1 | 757 | 988.3 | |
SNP | John Mitchell (incumbent) | 11.5% | 523 | 530.4 | 558.9 | 597.7 | 647.3 | |||
Independent | Bill White (incumbent) | 8.7% | 396 | 441.3 | 462.1 | 522 | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Caledonia Bhatia | 5.5% | 249 | 316 | 369.2 | |||||
Labour | David Sharp | 3.7% | 167 | 188.5 | ||||||
Electorate: 10,980 (Est.) Valid: 4,533 Spoilt: 66 Quota: 907 Turnout: 4,599 (41.9%) |
Selkirkshire
- 2012: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent
- 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
Conservative | Michelle Ballantyne† (incumbent) | 27% | 1,081 | |||||||||
SNP | Elaine Thornton-Nicol | 22.2% | 888 | 889 | 941 | 956 | 983 | 1,031 | ||||
Independent | Gordon Edgar (incumbent) | 12.8% | 514 | 524 | 531 | 569 | 607 | 646 | 652 | 847 | 1,083 | |
Conservative | Trevor Adams | 15.1% | 606 | 661 | 663 | 675 | 694 | 713 | 713 | 763 | ||
Independent | Kenneth Gunn | 9.8% | 392 | 396 | 403 | 417 | 429 | 456 | 464 | |||
Labour | Scott Redpath | 3.7% | 147 | 148 | 165 | 176 | 219 | |||||
Liberal Democrats | Nancy Norman | 3.3% | 134 | 136 | 163 | 171 | ||||||
Independent | David Black | 3.1% | 123 | 124 | 125 | |||||||
Scottish Green | Barbara Harvie | 3% | 122 | 123 | ||||||||
Electorate: 7,752 (Est.) Valid: 4,007 Spoilt: 86 Quota: 1,002 Turnout: 4,093 (52.8%) |
Leaderdale and Melrose
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xBP; 1xSNP
- 2017: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change: Con gain one seat from BP
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
Independent | David Parker (incumbent) | 25.2% | 1,149 | |||||||
Conservative | Tom Miers | 20.5% | 934 | 934.9 | 950.9 | 1,014 | 1,476.5 | |||
SNP | Kevin Drum†† | 17.8% | 811 | 812.4 | 832.5 | 903.7 | 910.8 | 915.5 | 1,105.3 | |
Independent | Iain Gillespie (incumbent) | 11.2% | 510 | 513.3 | 585.7 | 720.2 | 744.4 | 871.1 | ||
Conservative | Diana Findlay | 11.5% | 523 | 523.6 | 543.7 | 529.8 | ||||
Liberal Democrats | John Paton-Day | 9.4% | 426 | 427.5 | 473.6 | |||||
Independent | Rebecca Fraser | 4.4% | 202 | 202.7 | ||||||
Electorate: 8,673 (Est.) Valid: 4,555 Spoilt: 78 Quota: 1,139 Turnout: 4,633 (53.4%) |
Mid Berwickshire
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change: Con gain one seat from Lib Dem
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
Conservative | John Greenwell (incumbent) | 35.1% | 1,592 | ||||||
Conservative | Mark Rowley | 24.1% | 1,096 | 1,434.3 | |||||
SNP | Donald Moffat (incumbent) | 21.2% | 962 | 983.2 | 995.3 | 1,022.9 | 1,124.7 | 1,435.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Frances Renton (incumbent) | 11.9% | 539 | 576.5 | 665 | 728.6 | 816.2 | ||
Scottish Green | Pauline Stewart | 3.9% | 177 | 181 | 201 | 249 | |||
Labour | David Smith | 3.9% | 175 | 180.4 | 199.8 | ||||
Electorate: 8,494 (Est.) Valid: 4,541 Spoilt: 96 Quota: 1,136 Turnout: 4,637 (54.6%) |
East Berwickshire
- 2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2017: 2 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from Independent
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
Conservative | Jim Fullarton (incumbent) | 35.6% | 1,505 | |||||||
Conservative | Carol Hamilton | 23.1% | 979 | 1,357 | ||||||
SNP | Helen Laing | 19.6% | 831 | 835 | 841 | 893 | 932 | 1,001 | 1,203 | |
Liberal Democrats | Danny Robertson | 6.5% | 276 | 296 | 352 | 398 | 475 | 627 | ||
Labour | Eddy Coulson | 7.1% | 301 | 309 | 328 | 359 | 408 | |||
Independent | Michael Clift | 4.2% | 178 | 185 | 233 | 259 | ||||
Scottish Green | Kate Duncan | 3.8% | 162 | 166 | 178 | |||||
Electorate: TBC Valid: 4,232 Spoilt: 66 Quota: 1,059 Turnout: 49.0% |
Kelso and District
- 2012: 2 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat
- 2017: 2 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat
- 2012-2017 Change: No Change
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
Conservative | Tom Weatherston (incumbent) | 28% | 1,212 | ||||||||
Conservative | Simon Mountford (incumbent) | 25% | 1,083 | ||||||||
Liberal Democrats | Euan Robson | 14.7% | 636 | 675 | 675 | 700 | 741 | 788 | 955 | 1,370 | |
SNP | Alison Lamond | 16.5% | 713 | 715 | 715 | 731 | 749 | 809 | 850 | ||
Independent | Ian Aitchison | 7.7% | 333 | 362 | 362 | 389 | 401 | 424 | |||
Scottish Green | Colin Shaughnessy | 3% | 129 | 133 | 133 | 144 | 164 | ||||
Labour | Sally Prentice | 2.7% | 116 | 119 | 119 | 124 | |||||
Independent | Colin McGrath | 2.4% | 104 | 114 | 114 | ||||||
Electorate: TBC Valid: 4,326 Spoilt: 89 Quota: 1,082 Turnout: 53.1% |
Jedburgh and District
- 2012: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
- 2017: 2 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative from Independent
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
Conservative | Sandy Scott (incumbent) | 28.5% | 1,094 | |||||||
Conservative | Scott Hamilton | 26.8% | 1,026 | |||||||
SNP | Jim Brown (incumbent) | 19.7% | 755 | 759 | 760 | 768 | 795 | 877 | 1,150 | |
Independent | Rory Stewart (incumbent) | 15.6% | 600 | 633 | 657 | 708 | 747 | 801 | ||
Scottish Green | Charles Strang | 4.5% | 171 | 179 | 183 | 185 | 218 | |||
Labour | Kenryck Lloyd-Jones | 3.1% | 119 | 128 | 133 | 135 | ||||
Independent | Harvey Oliver | 1.8% | 70 | 82 | 90 | |||||
Electorate: TBC Valid: 3,835 Spoilt: 56 Quota: 959 Turnout: 54.4% |
Hawick and Denholm
- 2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2017: 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2012-2017 Change: No Change
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
Independent | Stuart Marshall (incumbent) | 63.3% | 2,283 | ||||||
Conservative | Neil Richards | 16.5% | 596 | 952 | |||||
SNP | Clair Ramage | 13.3% | 478 | 696 | 697 | 738 | 764 | 905 | |
Liberal Democrats | Ian Turnbull | 3.9% | 140 | 393 | 410 | 432 | 471 | ||
Labour | David Byrne | 1.6% | 57 | 98 | 101 | 114 | |||
Scottish Green | Kevin Ferguson | 1.4% | 51 | 93 | 95 | ||||
Electorate: TBC Valid: 3,605 Spoilt: 26 Quota: 902 Turnout: 50.9% |
Hawick and Hermitage
- 2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Conservative
- 2017: 2 x Independent, 1 x Conservative
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 x Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | ||||
Independent | Watson McAteer * | 43.2% | 1,496 | ||
Conservative | George Turnbull (incumbent) | 26.4% | 912 | ||
Independent | Davie Paterson (incumbent) | 19.2% | 665 | 936 | |
SNP | Iain Whyte | 11.2% | 386 | 482 | |
Electorate: TBC Valid: 3,459 Spoilt: 53 Quota: 865 Turnout: 50.3% |
- = Sitting Councillor from Hawick and Denholm Ward.
Changes since 2017
- † On 4 December 2017, Selkirkshire Conservative Cllr Michelle Ballantyne resigned her seat upon her election to the Scottish Parliament.[8] A by-election was held on 22 February 2018 and the seat was won by Independent candidate, Caroline Penman.
- †† On 9 March 2020, it was announced that Leaderdale and Melrose SNP Cllr Kevin Drum had died over the weekend.[9] A by-election will take place later in the year.
By-elections since 2017
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
Conservative | Trevor Adams | 35.7 | 1,247 | 1,251 | 1,262 | 1,276 | 1,307 | 1,342 | ||
Independent | Caroline Penman | 29.7 | 1,040 | 1,049 | 1,080 | 1,125 | 1,231 | 1,522 | 2,028 | |
SNP | John Mitchell | 19.8 | 691 | 717 | 729 | 758 | 797 | |||
Independent | Kenneth Gunn | 6.3 | 219 | 226 | 238 | 249 | ||||
Labour | Scott Redpath | 3.8 | 134 | 144 | 158 | |||||
Liberal Democrats | Jack Clark | 2.7 | 95 | 103 | ||||||
Scottish Green | Barbra Harvie | 2.0 | 70 | |||||||
References
- "Conservatives and independents to run Scottish Borders Council". 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Ward 4 Selkirkshire results information | Scottish Borders Council". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Ward 7 East Berwickshire results information | Scottish Borders Council". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Ward 8 Kelso and District results information | Scottish Borders Council". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Ward 9 Jedburgh and District results information | Scottish Borders Council". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Ward 10 Hawick and Denholm results information | Scottish Borders Council". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Ward 11 Hawick and Hermitage results information | Scottish Borders Council". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
- "Michelle Ballantyne resigns as Selkirkshire councillor". Border Telegraph.
- "Councillor's death a 'great shock' to colleagues". March 9, 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- Council, Scottish Borders. "Local government by-election results". www.scotborders.gov.uk.
External links
- List of candidates Scottish Borders Council