2017 South Ayrshire Council election

Summary

Elections to South Ayrshire Council took place on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.

2017 South Ayrshire Council election
← 2012 4 May 2017 (2017-05-04) 2022 →

All 28 seats to South Ayrshire Council
15 seats needed for a majority
Registered89,490
Turnout52.1%
  First party Second party
 
Con
Leader Martin Dowey Allan Dorans
Party Conservative SNP
Leader's seat Ayr West Ayr West
(defeated)
Last election 10 seats, 31.5% 9 seats, 29.3%
Seats before 10 9
Seats won 12 9
Seat change Increase 2 Steady
Popular vote 19,851 13,808
Percentage 43.4% 30.2%
Swing Increase 11.9 Increase 0.9

  Third party Fourth party
 
Lab
Ind
Leader Brian McGinley Brian Connolly
Party Labour Independent
Leader's seat Ayr East Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton
Last election 9 seats, 25.0% 2 seat, 13.5%
Seats before 9 2
Seats won 5 2
Seat change Decrease 4 Steady
Popular vote 6,954 4,879
Percentage 15.2% 10.7%
Swing Decrease 9.8 Decrease 2.8

The 8 multi-member wards

Council Leader before election

Bill McIntosh
(Conservative)
No overall control

Council Leader after election

Douglas Campbell
(SNP)
No overall control

The Conservatives retained their position as the largest party returning 12 councillors - two more than in the previous election. The Scottish National Party (SNP) maintained their total of nine councillors to remain as the second party while Labour lost four seats. The number of independents returned remained at two.

Following the election, a coalition administration was formed between the SNP, Labour and Independent councillors, even though the Conservatives remained the largest party on the council.[1]

Background edit

The total number of seats on South Ayrshire Council was reduced as part of a Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland from 30 to 28, with the total number of council wards remaining at 8. Both the Ayr East and Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton wards saw the number of seats reduced from four to three.[2]

Results edit

2017 South Ayrshire Council election result
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 12 2 0   2 42.9 43.4 19,851   11.9
  SNP 9 1 1   32.1 30.2 13,808   0.9
  Labour 5 0 4   4 17.9 15.2 6,954   9.8
  Independent 2 0 0   7.1 10.7 4,879   2.8
  Scottish Green 0 0 0   0.0 0.6 290 New
Total 28 45,782

Source: [3]

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 2012. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

Ward summary edit

Results of the 2017 South Ayrshire Council election by ward
Ward % Cllrs % Cllrs % Cllrs % Cllrs % Cllrs Total
Cllrs
Conservative SNP Lab Ind Green
Troon 51.5 2 30.61 1 13.71 1 4.2 0 4
Prestwick 46.2 2 31.3 1 13.3 1 9.1 0 4
Ayr North 25.6 1 43.7 2 24.7 1 6.1 0 4
Ayr East 40.5 1 36.5 1 17.3 1 5.6 0 3
Ayr West 59.2 3 23.4 1 11.1 0 6.2 0 4
Kyle 43.8 1 31.0 1 25.3 1 3
Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton 36.4 1 27.7 1 9.4 0 26.5 1 3
Girvan and South Carrick 26.7 1 19.3 1 9.4 0 44.5 1 3
Total 43.4 12 30.2 9 15.2 5 10.7 2 0.6 0 28

Ward results edit

Troon edit

The Conservatives (2), the SNP (1) and Labour (1) retained the seats they won at the previous election.

Troon - 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Conservative Peter Convery (incumbent) 35.2 2,446        
Conservative Bob Pollock 16.3 1,135 2,017      
SNP Craig Mackay 16.2 1,125 1,146 1,157 1,216 2,201
SNP Annie McIndoe 14.5 1,005 1,016 1,025 1,117  
Labour Philip Saxton (incumbent) 13.7 951 1,011 1,194 1,304 1,385
Scottish Green Boyd Murdoch 4.2 290 310 371    
Electorate: 12,132   Valid: 6,952   Spoilt: 128   Quota: 1,391   Turnout: 57.2%  

Source: [4][5]

Prestwick edit

The Conservatives (2), the SNP (1) and Labour (1) retained the seats they won at the previous election.

Prestwick - 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Conservative Hugh Hunter (incumbent) 29.9 2,008          
SNP Ian Cochrane (incumbent) 22.3 1,498          
Conservative Margaret Toner (incumbent) 16.3 1,098 1,641        
Labour Helen Moonie (incumbent) 13.3 895 932 990 1,000 1,255 1,615
SNP John Wallace[note 1] 9.1 612 618 625 749 897  
Independent Alasdair John Malcolm 9.1 611 649 719 726    
Electorate: 12,085   Valid: 6,722   Spoilt: 172   Quota: 1,345   Turnout: 55.1%  

Source: [6][7]

Ayr North edit

Labour retained one of the two seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election and the SNP gained one seat from Labour.

Ayr North - 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
Conservative Ian Davis 25.6 1,258    
SNP Laura Brennan-Whitefield 25.5 1,256    
Labour Ian Cavana (incumbent) 19.5 958 1,015  
SNP Douglas Campbell (incumbent) 18.1 892 902 1,138
Independent Jamie McGeechan 6.1 300 363 375
Labour Brenda Knox 5.2 256 286 291
Electorate: 13,106   Valid: 4,920   Spoilt: 158   Quota: 985   Turnout: 39.6%  

Source: [8][9]

Ayr East edit

Due to boundary changes, Ayr East lost one seat. As a result, each of the parties that won seats at the previous election (the SNP, the Conservatives and Labour) all held one seat and the SNP lost their second seat.

Ayr East - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Conservative Mary Kilpatrick (incumbent) 40.5 2,110        
SNP Chris Cullen 22.1 1,148 1,165 1,223 1,233 1,926
Labour Brian McGinley (incumbent) 17.3 900 1,141 1,356    
SNP Ian McPherson 14.5 753 767 801 810  
Independent Andrew Bryden 5.6 293 500      
Electorate: 10,029   Valid: 5,204   Spoilt: 49   Quota: 1,302   Turnout: 51.5%  

Source: [10][11]

Ayr West edit

The Conservatives (2) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Conservatives gained one seat from Labour.

Ayr West - 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Conservative Martin Dowey 38.7 3,160            
SNP Siobhian Brown 15.5 1,267 1,276 1,276 1,376 2,006    
Conservative Lee Lyons 12.3 1,006 1,847          
Labour Liz Martin 11.1 911 952 961 1,071 1,103 1,248  
Conservative Darek McCabe 8.3 675 1,211 1,400 1,530 1,547 1,560 1,865
SNP Allan Dorans (incumbent) 7.9 646 653 654 723      
Independent Chic Brodie 6.2 506 530 535        
Electorate: 13,822   Valid: 8,171   Spoilt: 138   Quota: 1,635   Turnout: 59.4%  

Source: [12][13]

Kyle edit

The SNP, Labour and the Conservatives retained the seats they won at the previous election.

Kyle - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Conservative Arthur Spurling 43.8 2,160      
Labour Andy Campbell (incumbent) 25.3 1,247      
SNP Julie Dettbarn 16.4 807 876 879 1,612
SNP Scott McFarlane 14.6 721 811 813  
Electorate: 10,215   Valid: 4,935   Spoilt: 74   Quota: 1,234   Turnout: 48.7%  

Source: [14][15]

Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton edit

Due to boundary changes, Ayr East lost one seat. As a result, the SNP, the Conservatives and independent candidate Brian Connolly retained the seats they won at the previous election and Labour lost their seat.

Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Conservative Ian Campbell 36.4 1,584  
SNP William Grant (incumbent) 27.7 1,202  
Independent Brian Connolly (incumbent) 20.8 904 1,089
Labour Catriona Deliveli 9.4 408 478
Independent Gordon McFadzean 5.7 249 318
Electorate: 9,359   Valid: 4,347   Spoilt: 45   Quota: 1,087   Turnout: 48.1%  

Source: [16][17]

Girvan and South Carrick edit

The SNP and independent councillor Alec Clark retained the seats they had won at te previous election while the Conservatives gained one seat from Labour.

Girvan and South Carrick - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Independent Alec Clark (incumbent) 33.1 1,502          
Conservative Ian Fitzsimmons 26.7 1,211          
SNP Peter Henderson 19.3 876 919 921 933 1,012 1,285
Independent Karen Clark-McCartney 9.5 429 569 586 636 803  
Labour Owen Martin 9.4 428 485 497 515    
Independent Gavin Scott 1.9 85 125 134      
Electorate: 8,742   Valid: 4,531   Spoilt: 76   Quota: 1,133   Turnout: 52.3%  

Source: [18][19]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Sitting councillor for Ayr East.

References edit

  1. ^ "SNP, Labour and Independent councillors to run South Ayrshire Council". BBC News. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Fifth Electoral Review - South Ayrshire". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017.
  3. ^ Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2017 - South Ayrshire". Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 1 Troon" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 1 Troon" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 2 Prestwick" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 2 Prestwick" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 3 Ayr North" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 3 Ayr North" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 4 Ayr East" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 4 Ayr East" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 5 Ayr West" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 5 Ayr West" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 6 Kyle" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 6 Kyle" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 7 Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 7 Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Declaration of Results Report Ward 8 Girvan and South Carrick" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Candidate Votes Per Stage Report Ward 8 Girvan and South Carrick" (PDF). South Ayrshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2024.