Elections to East Dunbartonshire Council were held on Thursday 4 May, the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used seven wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , a reduction of one from 2012, with 22 Councillors being elected, 2 fewer overall. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system .
The election saw the Scottish National Party elected as the largest group to replace Labour , which lost all but 2 seats to form the fourth largest group. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party gained 4 seats to achieve their highest ever number of councillors, while the Scottish Liberal Democrats gained 3 seats. The Independent councillor Duncan Cumming retained his seat.
Former leader of the council and Labour councillor Rhondda Geekie lost her seat as did the former leader of the SNP Group Ian Mackay.
Following the election the SNP formed a minority Administration, although the position of Provost was filled by Conservative Councillor Alan Brown. The Minority Administration was however short lived as on 21 December 2017 Cllr Gordan Low resigned his position as Leader of the Council as did all SNP Councillors from their Administration posts. In an unexpected turn, only weeks later SNP Councillor Jim Gibbons usurped his SNP colleague's position as Convenor of the Licensing Board after Councillor John Jamieson had resigned.
On 20 March 2018 Conservative Leader Councillor Andrew Polson and Lib Dem Leader Vaughan Moody were elected as Co-Leaders of the new Joint Administration, a first in East Dunbartonshire
Election Result [ ]
East Dunbartonshire Local Election Result 2017[1]
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
SNP
7
0
1
-1
31.8
28.77
13,540
+0.47
Conservative
6
4
0
+4
27.3
26.45
12,445
+11.05
Liberal Democrats
6
3
0
+3
27.3
15.04
7,076
+0.14
Labour
2
0
6
-6
9.1
13.09
6,159
-15.21
Independent
1
-
-
-
4.5
12.00
5,649
+5.9
Green
0
-
-
-
-
4.65
2,187
+3.95
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 results [ ]
Milngavie [ ]
2012: 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x SNP, 1 x Labour
2017: 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from Labour
Milngavie - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Conservative
Graeme McGinnigle
27.69%
1,701
Liberal Democrats
Jim Goodall
27.64%
1,698
SNP
Jim Gibbons (incumbent )
22.38%
1,375
1,381
1,393
1,486
1,957
Labour
Maureen Henry (incumbent )
9.29%
571
624
684
796
838
SNP
Kate Waddell
7.68%
472
473
478
560
Green
Gordon Masterton
5.32%
327
342
372
Electorate: TBC Valid: 6,144 Spoilt: 98 Quota: 1,537 Turnout: 58.7%
Bearsden North [ ]
2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Lib Dem, 1 x SNP
2017: 1 x Independent, 1 x Lib Dem, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from SNP
Bearsden North - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Independent
Duncan Cumming (incumbent )
33.23%
2,338
Conservative
Sheila Mechan
20.78%
1,462
1,635
1,650
1,693
1,780
Liberal Democrats
Rosie O'Neil
17.97%
1,264
1,449
1,538
1,716
2,415
SNP
Ian Mackay (incumbent )
18.15%
1,277
1,343
1,496
1,588
Labour
Eunis Jassemi-Zargani
5.39%
379
411
469
Green
Erin Crawley
4.48%
315
355
Electorate: TBC Valid: 7,035 Spoilt: 69 Quota: 1,759 Turnout: 62.1%
Bearsden South [ ]
2012: 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x SNP, 1 x Labour
2017: 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017: Con gain one seat from Lab
Bearsden South - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Conservative
Andrew Polson
27.96%
1,859
Liberal Democrats
Vaughan Moody (incumbent )
21.62%
1,437
1,519
1,660
2,019
SNP
Denis Johnston
18.13%
1,205
1,207
1,420
1,547
1,597
1,973
Independent
Alan Oliver
13.19%
877
919
995
1,123
1,250
Labour
Manjinder Shergill (incumbent )
10.38%
690
711
815
Green
Scott Ferguson
8.72%
580
585
Electorate: TBC Valid: 6,648 Spoilt: 50 Quota: 1,663 Turnout: 61.7%
Bishopbriggs North and Campsie [ ]
2017: 2 x SNP, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017 Change: New Ward
Bishopbriggs North and Campsie - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Conservative
Billy Hendry (incumbent )
30.27%
2,541
SNP
Paul Ferretti
21.79%
1,829
SNP
Mohrag Fischer
14.32%
1,202
1,228
1,356
1,498
1,587
1,793
Liberal Democrats
Gary Pews
11.40%
957
1,301
1,303
1,366
1,502
2,091
Labour
Gemma Welsh (incumbent )
14.18%
1,191
1,308
1,313
1,364
1,451
Independent
Brian Reid
4.25%
357
451
454
499
Green
Christopher Cotton
3.79%
318
341
348
Electorate: TBC Valid: 8,395 Spoilt: 127 Quota: 1,680 Turnout: 54.7%
Bishopbriggs South [ ]
2012: 2 x Labour, 1 x SNP
2017: 1 x Labour, 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2007-2012 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from Labour
Bishopbriggs South - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Conservative
Alan Brown
26.74%
1,631
SNP
Gordan Low (incumbent )
24.05%
1,467
1,470
1,536
Labour
Alan Moir (incumbent )
16.27%
992
1,011
1,062
1,062
1,303
2,280
Labour
Ian Elrick
14.72%
898
926
996
996
1,194
SNP
Irene Mackay
13.76
839
840
883
892
Green
Connor Boyd
4.46%
272
281
Electorate: TBS Valid: 6,099 Spoilt: 166 Quota: 1,525 Turnout: 50.3%
Lenzie & Kirkintilloch South [ ]
2012: 1 x Labour, 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2017: 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Liberal Democrat gain from Labour
Lenzie & Kirkintilloch South - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Conservative
Sandra Thornton
24.55%
1,634
1,641
1,716
SNP
Gillian Renwick (incumbent )
22.52%
1,499
1,576
1,611
1,612
2,093
Liberal Democrats
Rod Ackland
12.09%
805
847
896
914
928
989
1,342
1,825
Independent
Sandy Taylor
12.19%
811
841
1,037
1,049
1,070
1,180
1,298
Labour
Rhondda Geekie (incumbent )
10.94%
728
758
777
783
797
859
SNP
Martin Robertson
7.59%
505
543
552
552
Independent
Alisdair Sinclair
6.23%
415
431
Green
Carolynn Scrimgeour
3.89%
259
Electorate: TBC Valid: 6,656 Spoilt: 103 Quota: 1,665 Turnout: 56.1%
Kirkintilloch East & North & Twechar [ ]
2012: 1 x Labour, 1 x EDIA, 1 x SNP
2017: 1 x Labour, 1 x SNP, 1 x Liberal Democrat
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Liberal Democrat gain from EDIA
Kirkintilloch East & North & Twechar - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
SNP
John Jamieson (incumbent )
19.80%
1,115
1,132
1,144
1,872
Labour
Stewart MacDonald (incumbent )
19.33%
1,089
1,101
1,241
1,269
1,366
1,645
Liberal Democrats
Susan Murray
16.25%
915
931
1,183
1,215
1,281
1,678
Independent
Willie Paterson
15.11%
851
871
1,028
1,053
1,185
SNP
Pamela Marshall
14.29%
805
849
858
Conservative
Alison Lothian
13.16%
741
741
Green
Emma Sheppard
2.06%
116
Electorate: TBC Valid: 5,632 Spoilt: 119 Quota: 1,409 Turnout: 47.9%
References [ ]