2017 East Lothian Council election

Elections to East Lothian Council were held on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election consisted of 6 wards electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system a form of proportional representation, with 22 Councillors elected.

Main article: 2017 Scottish local elections
2017 East Lothian Council election
4 May 2017 (2017-05-04)
All 22 seats to East Lothian Council
12 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
Con
SNP
Leader Willie Innes Jane Henderson Stuart Currie
Party Labour Conservative SNP
Leader's seat Preston, Seton and Gosford North Berwick Coastal Musselburgh
Last election 10 seats, 43.1% 10 seats, 14.4% 9 seats, 30.4%
Seats before 10 3 9
Seats after 9 7 6
Seat change 1 4 3
Council Leader before election

Willie Innes
Labour

 Council Leader after election

Willie Innes
Labour

This election featured revised ward boundaries to three wards resulting in the reduction of the number of East Lothian councillors from 23 to 22. Two former Musselburgh wards were merged, will losing Wallyford and Whitecraig with 4 councillors being elected. The bulk of the previous Fa'side ward became Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry. Haddington and Lammermuir ward expanded with the addition of Ormiston and Pencaitland and gained a councillor.

Election Result
East Lothian Local Election Result 2017[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 9 1 2 -1 40.9 33.1 13,723 -10.0
  Conservative 7 4 0 +4 31.82 27.4 11,382 +13.0
  SNP 6 0 3 -3 27.27 27.9 11,584 -2.5
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 - - 4.75 1,971 -0.85
  Scottish Green 0 - - - - 4.49 1,862 +4.49
  Independent 0 - -1 - - 2.17 900 -3.73
  TUSC 0 - - - - 0.15 63 -0.15

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

Musselburgh
  • 2012:
    • Musselburgh West (2xSNP; 1xLab)
    • Musselburgh East and Carberry (1xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xLab)
  • 2017: 2xSNP 1xConservative 1xLab
  • 2012-2017 Change: 2 wards combined due to ward change resulting in one less councillor for Musselburgh. Conservative gain one seat.
Musselburgh - 4 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456789
SNP Stuart Currie (incumbent) 22.12 1,683                
Conservative Katie Mackie 19.34 1,472 1,473 1,478 1,570          
Labour Andy Forrest (incumbent) 15.48 1,178 1,187 1,192 1,266 1,274 1,362 1,924    
SNP John Williamson (incumbent) 11.04 840 960 967 1,007 1,008 1,241 1,278 1,322 1,583
Independent John Caldwell (incumbent) 10.56 804 809 843 896 907 985 1,015 1,107  
Labour Katherine Sangster 7.47 568 570 579 637 644 742      
Scottish Green Jason Rose 6.53 497 506 520 630 633        
Liberal Democrats Clare Graham 6.17 470 473 487            
Independent Theresa Sives 1.26 96 96              
Electorate: 15,874   Valid: 7,608   Spoilt: 139   Quota: 1,522   Turnout: 48.8

    Preston, Seton and Gosford
    • 2012: 2xLabour 2xSNP
    • 2017: 2xLabour 1xSNP 1xCON
    • 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain one seat from SNP
    Preston, Seton and Gosford - 4 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678
    Labour Willie Innes (Incumbent) 24.3 1,801              
    Conservative Lachlan Bruce 24.1 1,784              
    SNP Neil Gilbert 16.2 1,197 1,208 1,215 1,260 1,288 1,294 1,322 2,201
    Labour Fiona O'Donnell 12.6 932 1,164 1,226 1,261 1,369 1,818    
    SNP Janis Wilson 11.4 844 852 854 922 936 951 975  
    Labour Brian Weddell 5.8 429 471 485 501 520      
    Scottish Green Lesley Orr 3.11 230 234 250          
    Liberal Democrats Ghill Donald 2.4 180 184 260 300        
    Electorate: 14,702   Valid: 7,397   Spoilt: 178   Quota: 1,480   Turnout: 51.5%

      Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry
      • 2012: 3xLabour 1xSNP (as Fa'side ward)
      • 2017: 2xLabour 1xSNP 1xConservative
      • 2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from Labour
      Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry - 4 seats
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234567
      SNP Kenny McLeod (incumbent) 24.5 1,540            
      Labour Fiona Dugdale 20.3 1,272            
      Labour Colin McGinn 15.3 958 969 972 978 1,000 1,102 1,893
      Conservative Gordon Mackett 15.7 986 987 988 994 1,054 1,089 1,142
      Labour Jim Gillies (incumbent) 13.3 837 844 854 864 897 1,014  
      SNP Linda Watson 7.4 464 713 713 725 746    
      Liberal Democrats Alexander Graham 2.5 159 162 162 176      
      TUSC Jimmy Haddow 1.0 63            
      Electorate: 14,699   Valid: 6,279   Spoilt: 127   Quota: 1,256   Turnout: 43.6%

        North Berwick Coastal
        • 2012: 1xLabour 1xConservative 1xSNP
        • 2017: 2xCon 1xLabour
        • 2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from SNP
        North Berwick Coastal - 3 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        12345
        Conservative Jeremy Douglas Findlay 27.16 1,703        
        Labour Jim Goodfellow (incumbent) 23.73 1,488 1,497 1,573    
        Conservative Jane Henderson 21.38 1,341 1,454 1,474 1,475 1,589
        SNP Laura Lowe Forrest 17.97 1,127 1,128 1,233 1,234 1,335
        Liberal Democrats Robert O'Riordan 5.07 318 323 388 389  
        Scottish Green Eurig Scandrett 4.67 293 294      
        Electorate: 10,752   Valid: 6,270   Spoilt: 114   Quota: 1,568   Turnout: 59.4

          Haddington and Lammermuir
          • 2012: 1xConservative 1xLabour 1xSNP
          • 2017: 1xConservative 2xLabour 1xSNP
          • 2012-2017 Change: No change
          Haddington and Lammermuir - 4 seats
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          1234567
          Conservative Brian Small† 29.03 2,262            
          Labour John McMillan (incumbent) 18.71 1,458 1593          
          Labour Shamin Akhtar (incumbent) 15.00 1,169 1,234 1,256 1,316 1,627    
          SNP Tom Trotter (incumbent) 14.66 1,142 1,153 1,155 1,236 1,327 1,333 2,227
          SNP Ruth Currie 11.41 889 894 895 947 1,007 1,017  
          Liberal Democrats Kelvin Pate 7.29 568 791 795 889      
          Scottish Green Cris Thacker 3.88 302 329 330        
          Electorate: 14,095   Valid: 7,790   Spoilt: 108   Quota: 1,559   Turnout: 56%

            Dunbar and East Linton
            • 2012: 1xLabour 1xConservative 1xSNP
            • 2017: 1xLabour 1xConservative 1xSNP
            • 2012-2017 Change: No change
            Dunbar and East Linton - 3 seats
            PartyCandidateFPv%Count
            123456
            Conservative Sue Kempson 29.86 1,834          
            Labour Norman Hampshire (incumbent) 26.59 1,633          
            SNP Paul McLennan (incumbent) 17.04 1,047 1,054 1,064 1,094 1,199 2,216
            SNP Isobel Knox 13.2 811 819 828 852 1,177  
            Scottish Green Sarah Beattie-Smith 8.79 540 569 584 761    
            Liberal Democrats Elisabeth Wilson 4.49 276 392 421      
            Electorate: 10,995   Valid: 6,141   Spoilt: 43   Quota: 1,536   Turnout: 56.4%

              Retiring Councillors
              Council Ward Departing Councillor Party
              Dunbar and East Linton Michael Veitch[2] Conservative
              Fa'side Donald Grant Labour
              Haddington and Lammermuir Ludovic Broun-Lindsay[2] Conservative
              Musselburgh John McNeil[3] Labour
              Musselburgh Fraser McAllister Scottish National Party
              North Berwick Coastal David Berry[4] Independent
              North Berwick Coastal Tim Day[2] Conservative
              Preston/Seton/Gosford Margaret Libberton Labour
              Preston/Seton/Gosford Steven Brown[5] Scottish National Party
              Preston/Seton/Gosford Peter Robert MacKenzie Scottish National Party

              Changes since 2017
              • † On 26 February 2019 Haddington and Lammermuir Councillor Brian Small resigned his seat.[6] A by-election followed was held on 9 May 2019. The seat was won by Craig Hoy of the Conservative Party.[7]

              By-elections since 2017
              Haddington and Lammermuir by-election 9 May 2019
              PartyCandidateFPv%Count
              12345
              Conservative Craig Hoy 35.01 2,212 2,249 2,428 2,759 3,277
              SNP Lorraine Glass 29.53 1,866 1,874 2,044 2,469  
              Labour Neal Black 21.51 1,359 1,370 1,589    
              Liberal Democrats Stuart Crawford 12.25 774 782      
              UKIP David Sisson 1.71 108        
              Electorate: 14,396   Valid: 6,319   Spoilt: 44   Quota: 3,160   Turnout: 44.2%

                Footnotes
                1. "Council Election Results - 4 May 2017 - Election results - East Lothian Council". www.eastlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
                2. "All three East Lothian Conservative councillors not seeking re-election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
                3. "Long-serving Musselburgh councillor John McNeil to quit – and tells of 'hurt' at not landing senior post". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
                4. "Devastating eye condition forces ex-East Lothian Council leader David Berry out of election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
                5. "Councillor Steven Brown snubbed in re-election bid for Preston, Seton, Gosford ward by local SNP members". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
                6. "Conservative councillor resigns, launching stinging attack on former party colleagues". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
                7. "UPDATED: Conservative candidate wins Haddington and Lammermuir by-election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
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