The main feature of the elections was the near obliteration of the Scottish Liberal Democrats as they collapsed from 17 seats on the city council to just 3, which saw them occupying the position as the smallest party. Their leader, and the leader of the council, Jenny Dawe, lost her seat in Meadows/Morningside, epitomising the poor performance. Scottish Labour replaced the Lib Dems as the largest party as they made 5 gains, winning 20 seats in total. The Scottish National Party became the second largest party, gaining 6 seats and 18 seats in total. The Scottish Conservatives retained 11 seats on the council while the Scottish Greens doubled their seat numbers to 6.
After the election a coalition was formed between the Labour Party and the SNP. This replaced the previous Lib Dem – SNP Coalition which had existed from 2007 to 2012.
Election result
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 summary
Map of Council Wards showing parties elected in each ward
Ward results
Almond
2007: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xSNP 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem 2007-2012 Change: No Change
2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xSNP 2012: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
=Outgoing Councillor from a different Ward.
Forth
2007: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xLab
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Inverleith
2007: 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xGreen
2007-2012 Change: Green gain one seat from Lib Dem
Corstorphine/Murrayfield
2007: 2xLib Dem; 1xCon
2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Sighthill/Gorgie
2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP; 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Colinton/Fairmilehead
2007: 2xCon; 1xLab
2012: 2xCon; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lab
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart
2007: 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
2012: 1xGrn; 1xLab; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: Grn and SNP gain one seat each from Con and Lib Dem
Meadows/Morningside
2007: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xGRN; 1xLab
2012: 1xCon; 1xGRN; 1xLab; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
= Outgoing Councillor from a different Ward.
City Centre
2007: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Leith Walk
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xLab; 1xGRN
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xGRN
2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Leith
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xLab
2012: 1xLab; 1xGRN; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: GRN gain one seat from Lib Dem
Craigentinny/Duddingston
2007: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Southside/Newington
2007: 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xGRN
2012: 1xGrn; 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Liberton/Gilmerton
2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
2007-2012 Change: Con gain one seat from Lib Dem
Portobello/Craigmillar
2007: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Lib Dem
Post-election changes
† Liberton/Gilmerton SNP councillor Tom Buchanan died on 3 April 2013. A by-election was held on 20 June 2013 and was won by Labour's Keith John Robson.[2]
†† Craigentinny/Duddingston Labour councillor Alex Dunn defected from the Labour Party and joined the SNP on 4 December 2013.[3]
††† On 1 March 2014 Southside/Newington SNP councillor Jim Orr resigned from the party and became an Independent citing disillusionment with internal political spats.[4]
†††† Leith Walk SNP councillor Deidre Brock was elected as an MP for Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency) on 7 May 2015 and resigned her Council seat on 24 June 2015.[5] Leith Walk Green councillor Maggie Chapman resigned her seat on 30 June 2015 to focus her efforts on winning a Scottish Parliament seat in North East Scotland.[6] A by-election for both seats was held on 10 September 2015, Lewis Ritchie defending the SNP seat and Labour's Marion Donaldson taking the other.[7]
†††††† Almond Liberal Democrat councillor Alastair Shields resigned from the party and became an Independent after having been de-selected. He originally indicated that he would contest the 2017 local elections as an Independent, but ruled this out in October 2016.[8][9]
By Elections since 2012
References
^"Council Election Results 2012 | The City of Edinburgh Council". edinburgh.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016.
^"Information for the Public – Ward 16 Liberton/Gilmerton By-Election – City of Edinburgh Council". 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013.
^"councillor Alex Lunn defects from Labour to SNP – Edinburgh Evening News". edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 4 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013.
^McCann, David (1 March 2014). "Jim Orr quits SNP over 'internal spats' – Edinburgh Evening News". edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
^"BROCK STEPS DOWN FROM WARD 12 | Broughton Spurtle". broughtonspurtle.org.uk. 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
^Brooks, Cameron (30 June 2015). "Edinburgh councillor resigns to focus on becoming north-east MSP". pressandjournal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
^"Notices for the Leith Walk Ward By-Election | Leith Walk Ward By-Election | The City of Edinburgh Council". 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
^"Alastair Shields leaves Lib Dems after being dumped for vote – Edinburgh Evening News". 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
^"Ex-Lib dem councillor to quit at next election".
