Elections to South Lanarkshire Council took place on 3 May 2012 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.
Labour retained their position as the largest party on the council as they gained three seats from 2007 but were one seat short of an overall majority. The Scottish National Party (SNP) also increased their representation and remained in second place on the authority after gaining four seats to hold 28. The Conservatives lost the majority of their seats as they fell from eight to three. One less independent candidate was elected with two returned and the remaining seat was won by the Liberal Democrats who lost one seat.
Labour initially formed a minority administration to run the council before, in February 2013, they took overall control of South Lanarkshire Council after winning a by-election from the SNP.[1]
Note: Votes are the sum of first preference votes across all council wards. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. This is because STV has an element of proportionality which is not present unless multiple seats are being elected. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at the dissolution of Scotland's councils.[3][4]
Ward results
Clydesdale West
The SNP retained both the seats they had won at the previous election while Labour held their only seat and gained one seat from the Conservatives.
The SNP held the seat they had won at the previous election while the Conservatives held one of their two seats and Labour gained one seat from the Conservatives.
The SNP retained the seat they had won at the previous election and gained a further seat to hold two while Labour held their only seat. Cllr Graeme Campbell, who had been elected as a Conservative in 2007, retained his seat as an independent candidate and the Conservatives lost their only seat. Independent candidate Jim Malloy was elected as a Labour candidate in 2007.
Labour retained both of the seats they had won at the previous election and gained one seat while the SNP retained the seat they had won at the previous election. In 2007, Cllr Bert Thomson was elected as an independent candidate. He retained his seat as an SNP candidate.
Labour (2) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP gained one seat from independent former councillor Tommy Gilligan. Cllr John Menzies was elected following a by-election in 2011 and retained his seat.
SNP councillor Anne Higgins died on 20 November 2012. A by-election was held on 14 February 2013 and was won by Labour's Gerard Killen which gave the party an overall majority on the council.
Rutherglen South by-election (14 February 2013) - 1 seat
SNP councillor Angela Crawley was elected as MP for Lanark and Hamilton East on 7 May 2015. She resigned her council seat on 22 May 2015. A by-election was held on 6 August 2015 and was won by the SNP's John Ross.
Hamilton South by-election (6 August 2015)- 1 seat
Labour councillor Jim Handibode died on 19 September 2015. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 10 December 2015 and was won by Labour's Mo Razzaq.
SNP councillor Lynn Adams died on 21 September 2015. A by-election was held on 21 January 2016 to fill the vacancy, won by the party's Stephanie Callaghan.
Hamilton North and East by-election (21 January 2016) - 1 seat
^Clydesdale West councillor Pat Lee defected from the SNP and joined Solidarity on 27 May 2015.[5]
^Clydesdale East SNP councillor Reverend Bev Gauld resigned from the party and became an independent in February 2014 after the party legalised same-sex marriage.[7]
^Clydesdale South SNP councillor Archie Manson resigned on 14 March 2014 on health grounds. A by-election was held on 5 June 2014 and won by Labour's Gordon Muir.[8]
^Rutherglen South SNP councillor Anne Higgins died on 20 November 2012. A by-election was held on 14 February 2013 and was won by Labour's Gerard Killen which gave the party an overall majority on the council.[9]
^Blantyre SNP councillor Bert Thomson defected from the SNP and joined Labour in 2014.
^Blantyre Labour councillor Jim Handibode died on 19 September 2015.[10] A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 10 December 2015 and was won by Labour's Mo Razzaq.
^Hamilton North and East SNP councillor Lynn Adams died on 21 September 2015.[11] A by-election was held on 21 January 2016 and it was won by the SNP's Stephanie Callaghan.
^Hamilton South SNP councillor Angela Crawley was elected as MP for Lanark and Hamilton East on 7 May 2015. She resigned her council seat on 22 May 2015.[12] A by-election was held on 6 August 2015 and was won by the SNP's John Ross.
^Hamilton South SNP councillor Bobby Lawson died on 13 August 2013. A by-election was held on 24 October 2013 and was won by Labour's Stuart Gallacher.[13]
^Larkhall councillor Lesley McDonald defected from the SNP and joined Labour on 2 May 2014.[14]
_(cropped).jpg)
