2012 Angus Council election

2012 Scottish local government election

Elections to Angus Council were held on 3 May 2012 the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election used the eight 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 29 Councillors being elected.

2012 Angus Council election

← 2007 3 May 2012 (2012-05-03) 2017 →

All 29 seats to Angus Council
15 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Iain Gaul No appointed group leader
Party SNP Independent Conservative
Leader's seat Kirriemuir and Dean
Last election 13 seats, 44.8% 6 seats, 20.7% 5 seats, 17.2%
Seats before 13 6 5
Seats won 15 8 4
Seat change Increase2 Increase2 Decrease1

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Margaret Thomson David May
Party Labour Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Monifieth and Sidlaw Montrose and District
Last election 2 seats, 6.9% 3 seat, 10.3%
Seats before 2 3
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Decrease1 Decrease2

The multi-member wards

Council Leader before election

Bob Myles
Independent

Council Leader after election

Iain Gaul
SNP

The 2007 election saw the Scottish National Party lose majority control on the council. In their stead the Angus Alliance took over the leadership of the council made up of all parties and groupings opposed to the SNP. Two independent councillors (one elected in 2007, the other elected at a by-election in 2011) remained outside the Angus Alliance.

The 2012 election saw the SNP gain two additional seats and regain their overall majority on the council. Independents also increased their overall numbers and became the second largest grouping while all other parties; the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats lost seats. The Conservative and Unionist Party are the second largest political party represented on the council.

Following the election the Scottish National Party formed the administration on the council. Cllr Ian Gaul (Kirriemuir and Dean) was appointed leader of the council at the subsequent statutory meeting, Cllr Paul Valentine (Montrose) Depute Leader. Cllr Helen Oswald (Carnoustie and District) was elected Provost.

Election result

Angus Local Election Result 2012
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SNP 15 3 1  2 51.72 44.38 14,689  6.08
  Independent 8 3 1  2 27.59 24.24 8,023  3.34
  Conservative 4 0 1  1 13.79 17.71 5,863  1.39
  Labour 1 0 1  1 3.45 7.34 2,429  4.46
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 2  2 3.45 5.77 1,911  3.93

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

Kirriemuir and Dean

  • 2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon
  • 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Kirriemuir and Dean – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Ronnie Proctor 39.99 1,375      
SNP Iain Gaul (incumbent) 37.84 1,301      
Scottish Liberal Democrats Alison Andrews (incumbent) 12.48 429 691.9 717.7  
SNP Jeanette Gaul 9.69 333 389.9 783.5 1,034.9
Electorate: 8,264   Valid: 3,438   Spoilt: 78   Quota: 860   Turnout: 3,516 (41.6%)  

Brechin and Edzell

  • 2007: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent
  • 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Independent
Brechin and Edzell – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
SNP Mairi Evans (incumbent) 35.36 1,145        
Independent Bob Myles (incumbent) 19.49 631 641.8 666.9 878.2  
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Jane Ferguson 15.01 486 495.7 533.4 617.7 645.6
SNP Jim Houston 14.18 459 736.6 752.9 799.1 812.1
Independent Douglas Murray 12.04 390 400.8 429.4    
Scottish Liberal Democrats Janet Cowan 3.92 127 133.1      
Electorate: 8,386   Valid: 3,238   Spoilt: 62   Quota: 810   Turnout: 3,300 (38.61%)  

Forfar and District

  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xCon
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 2xIndependent
  • 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Con
Forfar and District – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
SNP Lynne Devine 21.8% 986        
SNP Glennis Middleton (incumbent) 20.52% 928        
Independent Ian McLaren 18.59% 841 855.5 859.5 890.2 972
Independent Colin Brown (incumbent) 17.4% 787 798.3 802.4 820.9 1,050.4
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party John Rymer (incumbent) 10.78% 487 490.2 491.1 526.6 546.1
Independent Charlie Brown 7.89% 357 367 369.3 383.9  
Scottish Liberal Democrats Avril Simpson 3.03% 137 141.4 142.6    
Electorate: 11,218   Valid: 4,523   Spoilt: 53   Quota: 905   Turnout: 4,578 (40.32%)  

Monifieth and Sidlaw

  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Monifieth and Sidlaw – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Craig Fotheringham 21.5% 1,170        
SNP Sheila Hands 21.32% 1,160        
SNP Rob Murray (incumbent) 20.69% 1,126        
Scottish Labour Party Margaret Thomson (incumbent) 17.64% 960 970.4 973.7 975.6 1,098.1
SNP Sandy Ritchie 14.5% 789 796.9 855.5 887.7 933.9
Scottish Liberal Democrats Liz Petrie 4.32% 235 266.6 269.8 270.6  
Electorate: 12,692   Valid: 5,441   Spoilt: 40   Quota: 1,089   Turnout: 5,481 (42.87%)  

Carnoustie and District

  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xLab
  • 2012: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP
  • 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain two seats from SNP and Lab
Carnoustie and District – 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Independent Brian Boyd (incumbent) 39.5% 1,750          
SNP Helen Oswald (incumbent)††† 23.23% 1,029 1,135.4        
SNP Fiona Gibb 13.14% 582 613.2 632.8 636.9 654.4 712.5
Independent Bill Bowles 10.9% 483 841.4 844.7 856.2 970.4 1,084
Scottish Labour Party Hamid Rasheed 6.19% 274 297.1 298.8 311.2 337.9  
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Adam Cormie 6.12% 271 299.5 299.7 306.2    
Scottish Liberal Democrats Lorraine Barthorpe 1% 41.4 49.8 49.8      
Electorate: 9,955   Valid: 4,430   Spoilt: 54   Quota: 1,108   Turnout: 4,484 (44.5%)  

Arbroath West and Letham

  • 2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent
  • 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Arbroath West and Letham – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SNP Alex King (incumbent) 23.57% 1,033            
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party David Lumgair (incumbent) 21.91% 960            
Independent David Fairweather (incumbent) 17.05% 747 751.8 768.2 829.5 883.8    
SNP Ewan Smith 14.90% 653 785.7 791.3 812.9 851.8 852.7 894.4
Scottish Labour Party Alec Mollison 9.65% 423 426.8 431.1 446.5 487.1 487.9 537.4
Independent Peter Nield (incumbent) 4.36% 191 194.2 201.4 238.6 268.9 271.9  
Scottish Liberal Democrats Kevin Barthorpe 4.36% 191 193.7 205.7 223.5      
Independent Ian Watson 4.2% 184 185.2 192.9        
Electorate: 11,230   Valid: 4,382   Spoilt: 59   Quota: 877   Turnout: 4,441 (39.02%)  

Arbroath East and Lunan

  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xCon
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xCon
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Arbroath East and Lunan – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Independent Bob Spink (incumbent)†† 25.76% 955          
SNP Sheena Welsh (incumbent) 23.15% 858          
SNP Donald Morrison (incumbent) 20.66% 766          
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Martyn Geddes 14.76% 547 600.3 609.4 610.8 641.9 784.2
Scottish Labour Party Alastair Stuart 12.73% 472 509 529.6 533.8 577.3  
Scottish Liberal Democrats Ginny Graham 2.9% 109 142.8 153.7 155.4    
Electorate: 11,032   Valid: 3,707   Spoilt: 70   Quota: 742   Turnout: 3,777 (33.6%)  

Montrose and District

  • 2007: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem
  • 2012: 2xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem
  • 2007-2012 Change: No change
Montrose and District – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Independent Mark Salmond (incumbent) 22.61% 891          
SNP Bill Duff 20.69% 815          
SNP Paul Michael Valentine (incumbent) 18.43% 726 743.1 764.1 821.1    
Scottish Liberal Democrats David May (incumbent) 16.29% 642 678.2 680.9 757.7 765.1 1,119.2
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Andrew Boyd 14.37% 566 588.9 589.6 617 621.2  
Scottish Labour Party Ina Paton 7.61% 300 308.4 309.1      
Electorate: 11,434   Valid: 3,940   Spoilt: 54   Quota: 789   Turnout: 3,994 (34.46%)  

Changes since 2012 election

  • † On 26 February 2013, Ewan Smith, councillor for Arbroath West and Letham, resigned from the Scottish National Party to sit as an independent, following a dispute over schooling in Arbroath. Angus councillor Ewan Smith resigns from the SNP over schools His resignation caused the SNP to lose their majority on the council, however their administration continued.
  • †† On 8 September 2016, Bob Spink resigned for health reasons.'Voice of reason' Bob Spink stands down from Angus Council Spink was an independent councillor for Arbroath East and Lunan. A by-election was held on 28 November 2016 and was won by Brenda Durno for the SNP. As a result, the SNP briefly regained their majority on the council, but it was lost after another by-election a week later.
  • ††† On 13 October 2016, Helen Oswald died from cancer.[1] Archived 18 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Oswald was the Scottish National Party councillor for Carnoustie and District and the incumbent provost. A by-election was held on 5 December 2016 and was won by independent candidate David Cheape.

By-elections Since 2012

Arbroath East and Lunan By-election (28 November 2016)- [1] 1 Seat
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
SNP Brenda Durno 35.0 919 925 956 1,010 1,172 1,357
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Derek Wann 27.0 709 723 741 799 928  
Independent Lois Speed 17.2 452 457 482 619    
Independent Kevin Smith 11.8 309 315 352      
Scottish Labour Party John Ruddy 6.7 177 191        
Scottish Liberal Democrats Richard Moore 2.3 60          
Electorate: 12,409   Valid: 2,626   Spoilt: 42   Quota:   Turnout: 21.5%  
Carnoustie and District By-election (5 December 2016)- [2] 1 Seat
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Independent David Cheape 43.5% 1,401 1,420 1,477 1,737
SNP Mark McDonald 32.1% 1,033 1,043 1,078 1,117
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Derek Shaw 17.7% 568 586 606  
Scottish Labour Party Ray Strachan 4.4% 141 151    
Scottish Liberal Democrats Beth Morrison 2.3% 75      
Electorate: 10,752   Valid: 3,218   Spoilt: 28   Quota: 1,610   Turnout: 30.2%  

References

  1. ^ "Local Government by-election – Ward 7 Arbroath East & Lunan". angus.gov.uk. Angus Council. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Local Council Elections 2012". angus.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2021.