2022 Perth and Kinross Council election explained

Seat Change4: 1
Seats4:4
Leaders Seat4:Various
Party4:Independent politician
Leader4:Various
Seats3:4
Leaders Seat3:Perth City South (retiring)
Party3:Scottish Liberal Democrats
Posttitle:Council Leader after election
Before Party:Scottish Conservatives
Before Election:Murray Lyle
Council Leader
Leader5:Alasdair Bailey
Seat Change5: 1
Seats5:2
Leaders Seat5:Carse of Gowrie
Party5:Scottish Labour Party
Leader3:Willie Wilson
Majority Seats:21
Seats For Election:All 40 seats to Perth and Kinross Council
Next Year:2027
Next Election:2027 Perth and Kinross Council election
Previous Year:2017
Previous Election:2017 Perth and Kinross Council election
Ongoing:no
Type:parliamentary
Flag Image:File:Coat of Arms of the Area Council of Perth and Kinross.svg
Seat Change2: 3
Seats2:14
Leaders Seat2:Strathallan (retiring)
Party2:Scottish Conservatives
Leader2:Murray Lyle
Seat Change1: 1
Seats1:16
Leaders Seat1:Strathtay
Party1:Scottish National Party
Leader1:Grant Laing
After Party:Scottish National Party
Percentage1:36.6%
Popular Vote1:22,273
Swing1: 5.4%
Swing2: 8.6%
Percentage2:32.3%
Popular Vote2:19,643
Swing3: 0.7%
Percentage3:13.1%
Popular Vote3:7,961
Swing5: 0.4%
Percentage5:5.6%
Popular Vote5:3,432
Swing4: 0.5%
Percentage4:7.2%
Popular Vote4:4,399

The 2022 Perth and Kinross Council election was held on 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used the 12 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 40 councillors elected. Each ward elects either 3 or 4 members - using the STV electoral system - a form of proportional representation.

Following the declaration of the results on 6 May 2022, talks began between the political groupings to determine who will be able to form an administration, which will result in posts such as Committee Conveners, the Council Leader, and the Provost being allocated.

Background

Previous election

See main article: articles and 2017 Perth and Kinross Council election. At the previous election in 2017, the Conservatives won the most seats on the council, but were 4 seats short of an overall majority. The SNP won the next most amount of seats at 15, followed by the Liberal Democrats at 4, with Independents taking 3 and Labour taking 1 seat. Following the result a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition administration was formed.[1] However, in September 2019, the coalition administration ended as the Conservative group voted to continue as a minority administration.[2]

2017 Perth and Kinross election result!Party!Seats!Vote share
Conservative1740.9%
SNP1531.2%
Liberal Democrats412.5%
Independent36.7%
Labour15.2%
Source:[3]

Composition

There were changes to the political composition of the Council between 2017 and 2022 owing to the suspension of Councillors, defections, by-election results. Just before the election, the Scottish Conservatives had 17 Councillors, the SNP had 13 Councillors (down two compared to 2017), the Scottish Liberal Democrats had 5 (up one compared to 2017), Labour continued to have one Councillor, whilst there were four Independent or non-aligned Councillors.

Composition of Perth and Kinross Council!Party!2017 election!Dissolution
Conservative1717
SNP1513
Liberal Democrats45
Independent34
Labour11

By-elections

Five by-elections were held between the 2017 and 2022 elections. Resignation of Conservative Councillor Michael Jamieson after being charged with possession of indecent images of children in 2017 and SNP Councillor Dave Doogan after his election as a Member of Parliament in the 2019 United Kingdom general election triggered by-elections in Perth City South and Perth City North.[4] [5] The deaths of Conservative Councillor Ian Campbell and SNP Councillors Bob Band and Henry Anderson also triggered by-elections in the Highland, Perth City South, and Almond and Earn wards.[6] [7] [8]

Three by-elections did not change the political composition of the council. Conservative candidate Audrey Coates was elected to replace Jamieson in the first Perth City South by-election.[9] John Duff won the Highland by-election to replace fellow Conservative Ian Campbell.[10] The SNP's Ian Massie won the Perth City North by-election to replace Dave Doogan.[11]

Two by-elections resulted in changes in political representation. Liz Barrett of the Scottish Liberal Democrats won the second Perth City South by-election, replacing the SNP's Bob Band.[12] Scottish Conservative candidate Frank Smith won the final by-election of the term, replacing the SNP's Henry Anderson as a Councillor for the Almond and Earn.[13]

Previous Councillor! colspan="3"
Elected Councillor
Perth City Southdata-sort-value="Lumsden, Douglas" Michael JamiesonConservativedata-sort-value="Flynn, Stephen" Audrey Coates
Highlanddata-sort-value="Fleet, Natalie" Ian Campbelldata-sort-value="Anderson, Lee" John Duff
Perth City SouthSNPdata-sort-value="Dowey, Martin" Bob BandLiberal Democratsdata-sort-value="Dorans, Allan" Liz Barrett
Perth City NorthSNPdata-sort-value="Altree, Chris" Dave DooganSNPdata-sort-value="Fell, Simon" Ian Massie
Almond and EarnSNPdata-sort-value="Morrison Keir" Henry Andersondata-sort-value="Clarke-Smith, Brendan" Frank Smith

Suspensions

Further changes in political composition resulted from Councillors being suspended from their political parties. Two Councillors were suspended from the Scottish Conservatives and did not rejoin the group for the remainder of the Council term. Colin Stewart and Calum Purves, representing Strathmore and Kinross-shire, were suspended in 2019 after allegations about their conduct during a meeting of the council's Integration Joint Board. Only Purves, not Stewart, was later readmitted to the Conservative group.[14] Audrey Coates, elected in the 2017 Perth City South by-election, was also suspended from the Conservative group after being charged with drink driving in 2020.[15]

Defections

Michael Barnacle, previously an Independent Councillor for Kinross-shire, joined the Scottish Conservatives in 2021, citing the prospect of a second referendum on Scottish independence and promises from the Conservative group to increase autonomy for Kinross-shire as his motivating favours.[16]

Retiring Councillors

12 incumbent Councillors did not seek re-election. These included the outgoing Leader of the council, Conservative Councillor Murray Lyle and the longest serving Councillor, the Scottish Liberal Democrats' Willie Wilson. In total, seven Conservative Councillors, three SNP Councillors, and two Liberal Democrat Councillors did not seek re-election.[17] [18]

WardPartyRetiring councillorFirst Elected
Carse of GowrieSNPBeth Pover2017
StrathmoreSNPFiona Sarwar2017
Liberal DemocratsLewis Simpson2003
StrathearnConservativesRoz McCall2017
StrathallanConservativesMurray Lyle2007
SNPTom Gray2010
Kinross-shireConservativesMichael Barnacle1999
ConservativesCallum Purves2017
Almond and EarnConservativesKathleen Baird2016
Perth City SouthLiberal DemocratsWillie Wilson1980
IndependentAudrey Coates2017
Perth City NorthConservativesHarry Coates2017

Results

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 4 May 2017. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

|- class="unsortable" align="centre"!rowspan=2 align="left"|Ward! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
!rowspan=2|Total
Cllrs
|- class="unsortable" align="center"!colspan=2 bgcolor="" | SNP!colspan=2 bgcolor="" | Lab!colspan=2 bgcolor=""| Conservative!colspan=2 bgcolor="" | Green!colspan=2 bgcolor="" | Lib Dem!colspan=2 bgcolor="white"|

Others|-|align="left"|Carse of Gowrie|bgcolor="" |31.5|bgcolor="" |1|27.8|1|30.9|1|5.1|0|3.3|0|1.3|0|3|-|align="left"|Strathmore|bgcolor="" |36.2|bgcolor="" |2|colspan="2" |30.2|1|7.4|0|8.8|0|17.4|1|3|-|align="left"|Blairgowrie and Glens|40.3|1|5.0|0|bgcolor="" |45.5|bgcolor="" |2|3.6|0|5.5|0|2.2|0|3|-|align="left"|Highland|bgcolor="" |36.3|bgcolor="" |1|3.3|0|30.9|1|4.6|0|2.0|0|21.9|1|3|-|align="left"|Strathtay|bgcolor="" |46.5|bgcolor="" |1|colspan="2" |34.9|1|colspan="2" |18.7|1|colspan="2" |3|-|align="left"|Strathearn|bgcolor="" |33.0|bgcolor="" |1|colspan="2" |29.9|1|colspan="2" |5.8|0|31.2|1|3|-|align="left"|Strathallan|35.0|1|colspan="2" |bgcolor="" |46.6|bgcolor="" |2|7.0|0|11.4|0|colspan="2" |3|-|align="left"|Kinross-shire|25.5|1|6.8|0|bgcolor="" |29.3|bgcolor="" |1|5.2|0|20.9|1|12.1|1|4|-|align="left"|Almond and Earn|33.8|1|colspan="2" |bgcolor="" |48.3|bgcolor="" |2|7.9|0|8.8|0|1.3|0|3|-|align="left"|Perth City South|33.6|2|5.6|0|22.8|1|4.1|0|bgcolor="#FAA61A"|33.9|bgcolor="#FAA61A"|1|colspan="2" |4|-|align="left"|Perth City North|bgcolor="" |55.2|bgcolor="" |2|15.3|1|19.6|0|3.5|0|4.3|0|2.2|0|3|-|align="left"|Perth City Centre|bgcolor="" |39.9|bgcolor="" |2|8.3|0|24.8|1|5.1|0|19.8|1|2.2|0|4|}

Ward results

Carse of Gowrie (Ward 1)

Incumbent Councillors Alasdair Bailey (Labour) and Angus Forbes (Conservative) were re-elected. Ken Harvey (SNP) was elected for the first time.[19] John Kellas, formerly the SNP Councillor for Strathtay,[20] stood as a second SNP candidate but was not elected. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining as one Labour, one Conservative, and one SNP.

Strathmore (Ward 2)

Perth & Kinross' Provost and incumbent Councillor Dennis Melloy was not re-elected, with party colleague Hugh Anderson elected for the first time. Colin Stewart, first elected in 2017 but subsequently suspended from the Conservatives over allegations of bullying,[21] was elected as an Independent, whilst the SNP's Grant Stewart and Jack Welch were both elected for the first time. Incumbent Liberal Democrat Councillor Lewis Simpson did not seek re-election.[22] The Scottish National Party and Independents gained a seat compared to 2017, whilst the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives lost one.

Blairgowrie and Glens (Ward 3)

Incumbent Councillors Bob Brawn (Conservative), Tom McEwen (SNP) and Caroline Shiers (Conservative) were re-elected. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining as two Conservative and one SNP.

Highland (Ward 4)

Incumbent Councillors John Duff (Conservative), Xander McDade (Independent) and Michael Williamson (SNP) were re-elected. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining as one Conservative, one Independent and one SNP.

Strathtay (Ward 5)

Incumbent Councillors Ian James (Conservative) and Grant Laing (SNP) were re-elected. Claire McLaren (Liberal Democrats) was elected for the first time and incumbent Councillor Anne Jarvis (Conservative) was not re-elected. Liberal Democrats gained the seat from the conservatives. 2022 political representation is now one Conservative, one SNP and one Liberal Democrat.

Strathearn (Ward 6)

Incumbent Councillors Rhona Brock (Independent) and Stewart Donaldson (SNP) were re-elected. Unlike 2017, the Conservatives only stood one candidate and their candidate, Noah Khogali, was elected for the first time and is the youngest representative on the Council. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining as one Independent, one SNP and one Conservative.

Strathallan (Ward 7)

Council leader Murray Lyle (Conservative) and Tom Gray (SNP) stood down at this election. Incumbent Councillor Crawford Reid (Conservative) was re-elected. Keith Allen (Conservative) and Steven Carr (SNP) were elected for the first time. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining two Conservatives and one SNP.

Kinross-Shire (Ward 8)

Incumbent Councillors Callum Purves (Conservative) and Mike Barnacle (Independent/Conservative) stood down at this election. Incumbent Councillors Willie Robertson (Liberal Democrats) and Richard Watters (SNP) were re-elected. Neil Freshwater (Conservative) was elected for the first time. Former Councillor Dave Cuthbert (Independent) is back representing Kinross-shire after being elected. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining one SNP, one Liberal Democrat, one Conservative and one Independent.

Almond and Earn (Ward 9)

Deputy Provost and incumbent Councillor Kathleen Baird (Conservative) stood down at this election. Incumbent Councillors David Illingworth (Conservative) and Frank Smith (Conservative) were re-elected. Unlike 2017, the SNP only stood one candidate and Michelle Frampton was elected for the first time. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining two Conservatives and one SNP.

Perth City South (Ward 10)

Incumbent Councillors Liz Barrett (Liberal Democrats) and Sheila McCole (SNP) were re-elected. Andy Chan (Conservative) and Iain Macpherson (SNP) were elected for the first time. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining two SNP, one Liberal Democrat and one Conservative.

Perth City North (Ward 11)

Incumbent Councillors Ian Massie (SNP) and John Rebbeck (SNP) were re-elected. Incumbent Councillor Harry Coates (Conservative) stood down at this election and Brian Leishman (Labour) won the 3rd seat over the conservative candidate, Aziz Rehman. The political representation is now two SNP and one Labour.

Perth City Centre (Ward 12)

Incumbent Councillors Chris Ahern (Conservative), Peter Barrett (Liberal Democrats), Eric Drysdale (SNP) and Andrew Parrott (SNP) were all re-elected. There was no change in political representation from the 2017 election, remaining two SNP, one Conservative and one Liberal Democrat.

Aftermath

Strathallan & Perth City North by-elections

Conservative councillor Crawford Reid resigned as a councillor in July 2024 after being asked to return to work in the NHS.[23] This was followed by Labour councillor Brian Leishman resigning as a councillor in August 2024 after being elected as the Member of Parliament for the Alloa and Grangemouth constituency at the 2024 General Election.[24] The resulting by-elections were held on 26 September 2024 and Liberal Democrat candidate, Alan Watt won the Strathallan by-election, while SNP candidate Carol Mair won the Perth City North by-election.[25] [26]

Source: Source:[27]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Foote . Chris . 15 May 2017 . Tory-led coalition takes over Perth and Kinross from SNP . 15 May 2017 . STV News.
  2. Web site: Buchan . Jamie . Tories go it alone as Perth and Kinross Council administration partnership fractures . 30 March 2021.
  3. Web site: Teale . Andrew . Local Election Results 2017 . 27 September 2024 . Local Elections Archive Project.
  4. Web site: Buchan . Jamie . Perth councillor on child images charge resigns . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  5. Web site: Clark . Rachel . 2020-02-19 . Dave Doogan stands down as councillor . 2022-05-07 . Daily Record . en.
  6. News: 2018-02-06 . Perth and Kinross Council leader Ian Campbell dies suddenly . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-05-07.
  7. Web site: Buchan . Jamie . 'An inspiration to us all' - Tributes paid to SNP councillor Bob Band who died after lengthy illness . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  8. Web site: Dickie . Douglas . 2020-12-28 . Tragic death of councillor is "brutal reminder of how unforgiving COVID can be" . 2022-05-07 . Daily Record . en.
  9. Web site: Buchan . Jamie . Tories celebrate triumph at Perth City South by-election . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  10. Web site: John Duff wins Highland ward by-election . 2022-05-07 . Perth and Kinross . en.
  11. Web site: Gardiner . Ross . Lib Dems and SNP win twin Perth by-elections . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  12. Web site: Gardiner . Ross . Lib Dems and SNP win twin Perth by-elections . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  13. Web site: Anderson . Kathryn . 2021-03-26 . Conservative Frank Smith elected to represent Almond and Earn ward . 2022-05-07 . Daily Record . en.
  14. Web site: O'Neil . Sean . Two Perth and Kinross Conservative councillors suspended by group over mental health meeting . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  15. Web site: Buchan . Jamie . EXCLUSIVE: Perth councillor suspended by Tories over drink-driving charge . 2022-05-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  16. Web site: Dickie . Douglas . 2021-03-29 . Independent Perth and Kinross councillor joins Scottish Conservatives . 2022-05-07 . Daily Record . en.
  17. Web site: Anderson . Kathryn . 2022-04-07 . Perth and Kinross Council leader is stepping down after 15 years . 2022-05-08 . Daily Record . en.
  18. Web site: Anderson . Kathryn . 2022-04-07 . Perth and Kinross Council leader is stepping down after 15 years . 2022-05-06 . Daily Record . en.
  19. Web site: Local Government Election Results in 2022 . 2022-05-06 . Perth & Kinross Council . en.
  20. Web site: Clark . Rachel . 2018-03-06 . Three already set to stand in by-election . 2022-05-06 . Daily Record . en.
  21. Web site: Buchan . Jamie . Perthshire councillor ousted over bullying claims has suspension extended . 2022-05-06 . The Courier . en-GB.
  22. Web site: Anderson . Kathryn . 2022-04-07 . Perth and Kinross Council leader is stepping down after 15 years . 2022-05-06 . Daily Record . en.
  23. News: Lindsay . Morag . 11 July 2024 . Perth and Kinross Tory councillor quits 'with immediate effect' . 27 September 2024 . The Courier.
  24. News: Anderson . Kathryn . 9 August 2024 . Perth councillor steps down, prompting second by-election . 27 September 2024 . The Courier.
  25. News: Ferguson . Alasdair . 27 September 2024 . Perth: SNP win council by-election ousting Labour from seat . 27 September 2024 . The National.
  26. News: Lindsay . Morag . 27 September 2024 . SNP and Lib Dems triumph in Perth and Kinross Council by-elections . 27 September 2024 . The Courier.
  27. Web site: By election results . 27 September 2024 . Perth and Kinross Council.