2017 Scottish Borders Council election
2017 Elections to Scottish Borders Council were held on 4 May 2017, 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.
Following the 2012 election, the Scottish National Party formed a coalition with the support of the Independents and the Liberal Democrats. The Borders Party also supported this administration. This replaced the previous Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent coalition which existed from 2007-2012.
The council was the first to reveal its administration after the election, with the Conservative group forming a coalition with independents to rule the council. New Tweeddale East councillor Shona Haslam became its leader formally on 18 May. Outgoing independent leader, David Parker, become the council's new convener.
Ward results
Tweeddale West
- 2012: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2017: 1xLib Dem; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change: No Change
Tweeddale East
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: Independent gain one seat from Lib Dem
Galashiels and District
- 2012: 2xSNP; 1xBP; 1xIndependent
- 2017: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 2xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: Independent and Con gain one seat from SNP and BP
Selkirkshire
- 2012: 1xCon; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent
- 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: SNP gain one seat from Lib Dem
Leaderdale and Melrose
- 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xBP; 1xSNP
- 2017: 1xIndependent; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change: Con gain one seat from BP
Mid Berwickshire
- 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
- 2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change: Con gain one seat from Lib Dem
East Berwickshire
- 2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2017: 2 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from Independent
Kelso and District
- 2012: 2 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat
- 2017: 2 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat
- 2012-2017 Change: No Change
Jedburgh and District
- 2012: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
- 2017: 2 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative from Independent
Hawick and Denholm
- 2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2017: 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative, 1 x SNP
- 2012-2017 Change: No Change
Hawick and Hermitage
- 2012: 1 x Independent, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Conservative
- 2017: 2 x Independent, 1 x Conservative
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 x Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
- Sitting Councillor from Hawick and Denholm Ward.
Changes since 2017
- † On 4 December 2017, Selkirkshire Conservative Cllr Michelle Ballantyne resigned her seat upon her election to the Scottish Parliament. A by-election was held on 22 February 2018 and the seat was won by Independent candidate, Caroline Penman.
- †† On 9 March 2020, it was announced that Leaderdale and Melrose SNP Cllr Kevin Drum had died over the weekend. A by-election took place a year later in March 2021 and was won by the Scottish Conservatives.