2012 Falkirk Council election

Elections to Falkirk Council were held on 3 May 2012, the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used the nine wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 32 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.

2012 Falkirk Council election

← 2007 3 May 2012 (2012-05-03) 2017 →

All 32 seats to Falkirk Council
17 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Leader Craig Martin David Alexander
Party Labour SNP
Leader's seat Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst Falkirk North
Last election 14 seats, 43.8% 13 seats, 40.6%
Seats before 14 13
Seats won 14 13
Seat change Steady0 Steady0

  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Billy Buchannan John Patrick
Party Independent Conservative
Leader's seat Bonnybridge and Larbert Falkirk South
Last election 3 seats, 9.4% 2 seats, 6.3%
Seats before 1 2
Seats won 1 2
Seat change Steady0 Steady0

Council Leader before election

Craig Martin
Labour

Council Leader after election

Craig Martin
Labour

The election saw Labour remain the largest party on the Council despite being outpolled in terms of votes by the Scottish National Party. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party saw their vote share fall but held their Council seats and Independents returned 3 seats as they did in the 2007 Local Elections.

Following the election, the controlling administration consists 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.

Election result

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Falkirk Local Election Result 2012
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 14 - - - 43.75 37.74 16,150 +1.54
  SNP 13 - - - 40.63 40.48 17,321 +5.38
  Independent 3 - - - 9.4 10.54 4,512 -1.36
  Conservative 2 - - - 6.3 11.23 4,806 -2.27

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

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Bo'ness and Blackness

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  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xLab
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Bo'ness and Blackness – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
SNP Ann Ritchie (incumbent) 37.67 1,526      
Labour Adrian Mahoney (incumbent) 21.03 852 900.1 1,010.8 1,780.8
Labour David Aitchison 20.39 826 850.9 910.2  
SNP Sandy Turner (incumbent) 11.40 462 848.3 915.9 956.1
Conservative Lynn Munro 9.50 385 401.5    
Electorate: 11,250   Valid: 4,051   Spoilt: 79   Quota: 1,013   Turnout: 4,130 (36.01%)  

Grangemouth

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  • 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
  • 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Grangemouth – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Labour Allyson Black (incumbent) 24.68 1,201              
SNP David Balfour 22.58 1,099              
Independent Robert Spears (incumbent) 17.71 862 877.9 882.4 963.6 1,064.6      
Labour Joan Paterson 10.33 503 675.4 678.6 695.6 725.8 739.3 815.4 978.4
SNP Andrew Cowie 8.69 423 432.3 538.8 562.2 596.2 608.9 683.7  
Conservative Amanda Nicol 5.73 279 285 286.3 309.8        
Independent Jim Waugh 5.59 272 275.4 277.4 331.6 377.9 412.7    
Independent David Sharp 4.68 228 231.6 233.4          
Electorate: 12,350   Valid: 4,867   Spoilt: 124   Quota: 974   Turnout: 4,991 (39.41%)  

Denny and Banknock

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  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Denny and Banknock – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SNP John McNally (incumbent)† 28.23 1,502            
Labour Jim Blackwood (incumbent) 22.35 1,189            
Independent Brian McCabe 11.69 622 676.9 680.9 714.1 801.2 977.6 1,133.3
SNP Martin D. Oliver (incumbent) 10.73 571 870.1 879.4 900.1 972.5 1,062.6 1,148
Labour Terrie Hay 8.33 443 459 539.7 563.2 614.7 684.9  
Independent Alexander John Waddell (incumbent) 7.72 411 433.1 439.6 480.2 539.5    
Independent Khalid Hamid 7.27 387 398.9 406.4 428.2      
Conservative David Grant 3.70 197 200.7 204.5        
Electorate: 12,350   Valid: 5,321   Spoilt: 95   Quota: 1,065   Turnout: 5,416 (39.45%)  

Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst

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  • 2007: 2xLab; 2xSNP
  • 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
Labour Charles MacDonald (incumbent) 26.28 1,377    
Labour Craig Martin (incumbent) 25.42 1,332    
SNP Stephen Bird 23.61 1,237    
SNP Steven Carleschi (incumbent) 17.33 908 986.1 1,052.9
Conservative Jim Flynn 7.35 385 437.3 480.8
Electorate: 14,121   Valid: 5,239   Spoilt: 86   Quota: 1,048   Turnout: 5,325 (37.1%)  

Bonnybridge and Larbert

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  • 2007: 1xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xLab
  • 2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Bonnybridge and Larbert – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
SNP Tom Coleman (incumbent) 30.95 1,387      
Labour Linda Gow (incumbent) 27.56 1,235      
Independent Billy Buchanan (incumbent) 22.72 1,018 1,042.7 1,073.3 1,138.4
Conservative Elliot Roy 8.39 379 385 394.2 430.1
SNP Lynda Kenna * 6.67 299 493.8 512.9 560.8
Independent Chris Harley 3.70 166 176.7 192.6  
Electorate: 11,746   Valid: 4,481   Spoilt: 71   Quota: 1,121   Turnout: 4,552 (38.15%)  
  • Sitting Councillor from a different ward.

Falkirk North

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  • 2007: 2xLab; 2xSNP
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 2xLab
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Falkirk North – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
SNP David Alexander (incumbent) 36.46 1,915  
Labour Craig Martin (incumbent) 20.98 1,102  
Labour Pat Reid (incumbent) 19.25 1,011 1,070.6
SNP Cecil Meiklejohn (incumbent) 16.73 879 1,604.5
Conservative Robert Edward Ardis 6.59 346 361.8
Electorate: 13,878   Valid: 5,253   Spoilt: 129   Quota: 1,051   Turnout: 5,382 (37.85%)  

Falkirk South

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  • 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
  • 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Falkirk South – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Labour Dennis Goldie 23.96 1,279            
SNP Colin Chalmers 21.74 1,160            
Conservative John Patrick (incumbent) 15.76 841 844.6 846.9 856.9 984.9 998.4 1,212.7
Labour Gerry Goldie (incumbent) 15.72 839 1,025.6 1,031.5 1,039.5 1,184.9    
SNP Georgie Thomson (incumbent) 12.59 672 675.3 748.1 754.7 854.3 874.9  
Independent Joe Lemetti (incumbent) 8.71 465 472.3 477.6 519.9      
Independent Hugh McGinlay 1.52 81 81.3 82.4        
Electorate: 13,207   Valid: 5,337   Spoilt: 100   Quota: 1,068   Turnout: 5,437 (40.41%)  

Lower Braes

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  • 2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
  • 2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Lower Braes – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Conservative Malcolm Nicol (incumbent) 35.99 1,447
SNP Steven Jackson (incumbent) 31.32 1,259
Labour Alan Nimmo (incumbent) 27.78 1,117
SNP Robbie Landsman 4.90 197
Electorate: 9,948   Valid: 4,020   Spoilt: 100   Quota: 1,068   Turnout: 4,120 (40.41%)  

Upper Braes

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  • 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP
  • 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Upper Braes – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Labour John McLuckie (incumbent) 32.26 1,361        
SNP Gordon Hughes (incumbent) 29.79 1,257        
SNP Ricky Wilson 13.46 568 592.5 757.9 862.9  
Conservative Alan Rust 13.04 550 565.5 573.5    
Labour Rosie Murray 11.45 483 712.3 725.3 905.9 1,176.5
Electorate: 11,033   Valid: 4,219   Spoilt: 101   Quota: 1,055   Turnout: 4,320 (38.24%)  

References

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Scottish Local Government Elections 2012

Post-Election Changes

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  • † Denny and Banknock SNP Cllr John McNally was elected as an MP for Falkirk on 7 May 2015.[1] He resigned his Council seat in June and a by-election was held on 13 August 2015 which was held by the SNP's Paul Garner.

By-elections since 2012

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Denny and Banknock By-election (13 August 2015) – 1 Seat[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
SNP Paul Garner 69.1% 2,576
Labour Andrew Bell 14.7% 549
Conservative David Grant 11.6% 431
Scottish Green Brian Capaloff 4.6% 170
Electorate: 14,462   Valid: 3,726   Spoilt: 34   Quota: 1,864   Turnout: 3,760 (26.1%)  
  1. ^ "By-election results – Ward 3 – Denny and Banknock – 13 August 2015 | Falkirk Council". falkirk.gov.uk.