2017 Midlothian Council election

The 2017 Midlothian Council election took place on 4 May 2017 to elect members of Midlothian Council. The election used the six wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with each ward electing three Councillors using the single transferable vote system a form of proportional representation, with 18 Councillors being elected.

2017 Midlothian Council election

4 May 2017
All 18 seats to Midlothian Council 10 seats needed for a majority
Leader Derek Milligan Kelly Parry Peter Smaill Party Labour SNP Conservative Leader's seat Bonnyrigg Midlothian West Midlothian East Last election 8 seats, 39.49% 8 seats, 39.47% 0 seats, 8.51% Seats before 8 8 0 Seats won 7 6 5 Seat change 1 2 5 Popular vote 9,887 10,038 7,444   Leader Ian Baxter Peter de Vink Party Scottish Green Independent Leader's seat Bonnyrigg Midlothian East Last election 1 seats, 4.49% 1 seats, 3.75% Seats before 1 1 Seats won 0 0 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 2,250 2,453
Council Leader before election Cath Johnstone SNP Council Leader after election Derek Milligan Labour

It was the first time that the Conservative party had won council seats in Midlothian since the 1995 election.

Summary of results

Midlothian Local Election Result 2017

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	7	0	1	1	38.89	30.20	9,887	9.29
	SNP	6	0	2	2	33.34	30.67	10,038	8.80
	Conservative	5	5	0	5	27.78	22.74	7,444	14.23
	Independent	0	0	1	1	0	7.49	2,453	3.74
	Scottish Green	0	0	1	1	0	6.87	2,250	2.38
	Liberal Democrats	0	0	0		0	2.01	661	1.72

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

Penicuik

• 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2012-2017: 1 Con gain from SNP

Penicuik - 3 seats[1]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5
	Conservative	Andrew Hardie	26.2	1,517
	Labour	Adam Montgomery (incumbent)†	25.6	1,482
	SNP	Debbi McCall	21.0	1,212	1,214.5	1,217.9	1,336.4	1,472.8
	SNP	Joe Wallace (incumbent)	14.3	828	829.7	832.8	886.1	940.0
	Liberal Democrats	Ken Brown	7.3	425	455.7	466.9	571.6
	Scottish Green	Jim Garry	5.6	329	333.1	336.5
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,793   Spoilt: 62   Quota: 1,449   Turnout: 52.3%

Bonnyrigg

• 2012: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xGreen
• 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
• 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Green

Bonnyrigg - 3 seats[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6
	Labour	Derek Milligan (incumbent)	29.0	1,901
	Conservative	Janet Lay-Douglas	21.6	1,415	1,425.6	1,515.9	1,521.3	1,524.7	1,708.1
	SNP	Dianne Alexander	18.4	1,203	1,210.0	1,222.4	1,778.9
	Scottish Green	Ian Baxter (incumbent)	10.7	701	713.7	763.8	799.9	870.2	1,037.0
	SNP	Colin Lawrie	9.4	617	623.3	632.6
	Labour	Louie Lorraine Milliken	7.1	466	665.6	715.8	728.1	741.4
	Independent	George McIntyre	3.8	250	257.4
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 6,553   Spoilt: 103   Quota: 1,639   Turnout: 48.5%

Dalkeith

• 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
• 2017: 2xLab; 1xSNP
• 2012-2017 Change: No change

Dalkeith - 3 seats[3]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	SNP	Colin Cassidy	27.2	1,142
	Labour	Stephen Curran	23.2	976	980.7	1,000.9	1,051.6
	Labour	Margot Russell (incumbent)	19.1	800	804.2	840.4	884.7	885.9	993.5	1,317.5
	Conservative	Robin Traquair	16.8	706	707.3	716.3	779.4	779.4	791.8
	Independent	Jim Bryant (incumbent)	5.9	248	249.9	275.1
	Scottish Green	Jill Simon	4.0	168	171.9
	SNP	Gary Young	3.8	158	229.1	282.0	330.4	330.5
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 4,198   Spoilt: 121   Quota: 1,050   Turnout: 41.9%

Midlothian West

• 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from SNP

Midlothian West - 3 seats[4]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	Conservative	Pauline Winchester	26.9	1,503
	SNP	Kelly Parry (incumbent)	19.5	1,091	1,092.0	1,106.3	1,159.7	1,679.7
	Labour	Russell Imrie (incumbent)	12.2	684	698.8	737.5	817.0	837.3	867.9	1,443.5
	Labour	Stephen Blain	11.0	612	620.1	650.1	700.2	707.3	724.1
	SNP	David Temple	10.4	581	582.7	587.7	616.9
	Scottish Green	Helen Blackburn	8.4	468	473.4	552.3	680.8	715.9	835.8	889.4
	Independent	Andrew Coventry (incumbent)	7.4	413	435.8	484.2
	Liberal Democrats	Ross Laird	4.2	236	256.6
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,588   Spoilt: 91   Quota: 1,398   Turnout: 47.2%

Midlothian East

• 2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
• 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Independent

Midlothian East - 3 seats[5]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4
	Conservative	Peter Smaill	26.9	1,522
	Labour	John Hackett	22.7	1,284	1,314.3	1,387.5	1,431.6
	Independent	Robert Hogg	18.8	1,064	1,098.0	1,169.1	1,210.2
	SNP	Kenneth Baird	15.4	872	873.1	928.1	1,485.8
	SNP	Louise D'Arcy-Greig	10.8	609	610.4	677.4
	Scottish Green	Helen Armstrong	5.3	301	309.1
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 5,652   Spoilt: 68   Quota: 1,414   Turnout: 48.3%

Midlothian South

• 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
• 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
• 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Lab

Midlothian South - 3 seats[6]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	Labour	Jim Muirhead (incumbent)	24.6	1,218	1,257
	SNP	Cath Johnstone (incumbent)	21.6	1,067	1,104	1,104.9	1,164.8	1,295.1
	Conservative	Kieran Munro	15.8	781	801	802.0	867.0	1,048.4	1,050.7	1,249.7
	SNP	Ellen Scott	13.3	658	721	721.9	748.3	797.5	844.1
	Independent	Jason Ferry	9.7	478	541	541.9	625.5
	Labour	Bryan Pottinger (incumbent)	9.4	464	497	510.8
	Scottish Green	Malcolm Spaven	5.7	283
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 4,949   Spoilt: 76   Quota: 1,238   Turnout: 45.2%

Changes since the election

By-elections

†On 10 January 2018 Penicuik Labour Cllr Adam Montgomery died following a short illness.[7] A by-election was held on 22 March 2018 and the seat was gained by the SNP's Joe Wallace.

Penicuik By-election (22 March 2018)[8]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3
	SNP	Joe Wallace	35.0	1,663	1,803	2,307
	Conservative	Murdo MacDonald	30.2	1,433	1,469	1,788
	Labour	Vivienne Wallace	27.6	1,310	1,414
	Scottish Green	Helen Armstrong	7.2	344
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 4,781   Spoilt: 31   Quota: 2,376   Turnout: 4,812 (42.9%)

References

1. https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2140/extended_penicuik_results.pdf
2. https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2141/extended_bonnyrigg_results.pdf
3. https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2142/extended_ward_3_dalkeith_results.pdf
4. https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2143/extended_ward_4_mid_west_results.pdf
5. https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2145/extended_ward_5_mid_east_results.pdf
6. https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2144/extended_ward_6_mid_south_results.pdf
7. "Obituary: Adam Montgomery, Provost, councillor and shop steward". Retrieved 23 March 2018.
8. Cochrane, Lynn. "Penicuik by-election result". www.midlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2018.