2012 Dumfries and Galloway Council election
The 2012 Dumfries and Galloway Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Dumfries and Galloway Council. The election used the thirteen wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with each ward electing three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 47 councillors being elected.
The election saw [Scottish Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party|Labour] replace the Conservatives as the largest party on the council as they gained 1 seat while the Conservatives lost 4 seats. The Scottish National Party retained their third place on the authority but did not gain any additional seats. Independents proved to be the biggest winners as they returned to the council with 7 seats and 5 net gains which included 2 former members of the Labour party. The Liberal Democrats proved to be the worst performers of the election, being reduced to just a single seat.
Following the election the Conservative Party formed a coalition with the support of the SNP. This replaced the previous Conservative-Lib Dem coalition which existed from 2007 to 2012.
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 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
Stranraer and North Rhins
- 2007: 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xLab
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Con
Wigtown West
- 2007: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Lab
Mid Galloway
- 2007: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem
- = Sitting Councillor for a different Ward.
Dee
- 2007: 1xCon; 1xIndependent; 1xSNP
- 2012: 2xIndependent; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from SNP
Castle Douglas and Glenkens
- 2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2012: 1xCon; 1xIndependent; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Abbey
- 2007: 2xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Con
North West Dumfries
- 2007: 2xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Mid and Upper Nithsdale
- 2007: 2xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Lochar
- 2007: 2xCon; 1xLab; 1xSNP
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: Lab gain one seat from Con
Nith
- 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Annandale South
- 2007: 2xLab; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Annandale North
- 2007: 2xCon; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
- 2012: 2xCon; 1xLab; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Annandale East and Eskdale
- 2007: 3xCon; 1xLab
- 2012: 2xCon; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Con
Aftermath
On 20 September 2013, 6 councillors of the Conservative Party quit their group and became independents.In August 2015 Lochar SNP councillor Yen Hongmei Jin resigned from the party and became an independent, citing racial prejudice towards her and having lost out at a candidate selection for the Scottish Parliament election, 2016.