2012 Scottish Borders Council election
2012 Elections to Scottish Borders Council were held on 3 May 2012, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 11 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, a form of proportional representation, with 34 Councillors elected.
The election saw the Scottish Conservative Party remain the largest party on the Council though they lost 1 seat. The Scottish National Party replaced the Scottish Liberal Democrats as the second largest party by gaining 3 seats at the expense of the latter. The Lib Dems were reduced to 6 seats. Independents increased their numbers to 7 seats while the Borders Party retained their 2 seats.
Following the election the Scottish National Party formed a coalition with the support of the Independents and the Liberal Democrats. The Borders Party are also supporting this administration. This replaced the previous Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent coalition which existed from 2007-2012.
Election 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
Tweeddale West
- 2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Tweeddale East
- 2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Galashiels and District
- 2007: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xBP
- 2012: 2xSNP; 1xBP; 1xIndependent
- 2007-2012 Change: SNP and Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem and Con
- = Outgoing Councillor from a different Ward.
Selkirkshire
- 2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from SNP
Leaderdale and Melrose
- 2007: 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem; 1xBP
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xBP; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Mid Berwickshire
- 2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xSNP; 1xCon
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
East Berwickshire
- 2007: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Kelso and District
- 2007: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xIndependent
- 2012: 2xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2007-2012 Change: Con gain from Independent
Jedburgh and District
- 2007: 2xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent
- 2007-2012 Change: Independent gain one seat from Con
Hawick and Denholm
- 2007: 1xCon; 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2007-2012 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Hawick and Hermitage
- 2007: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
- 2007-2012 Change: No change
Post Election Changes
- † On 4 February 2012 Leaderdale and Melrose Borders Party Cllr Nicholas Watson resigned his seat on the Council to pursue employment in Cumbria. The by-election was won by Iain Gillespie, also of the Borders Party, on 2 May 2013.
- †† On 29 July 2013 Tweedale West Conservative and Unionist Party Cllr Nathaniel Buckingham resigned his seat on the Council due to work pressures and family commitments. The by-election was held on 10 October 2013 and was held by the Conservatives Keith Cockburn.
- ††† On 22 February 2014 Hawick and Denholm Conservative and Unionist Cllr Zandra Elliot died. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy and was won by the Independent Watson McAteer.
- †††† On 2 June 2016 Leaderdale and Melrose SNP Cllr Jim Torrance resigned from the party and became an Independent citing lack of support from Christine Grahame MSP over the Council's plans to house the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Tweedbank.