See main article: 2012 Scottish local elections.
Election Name: | 2012 Fife Council election |
Country: | Scotland |
Type: | parliamentary |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 2007 Fife Council election |
Previous Year: | 2007 |
Next Election: | 2017 Fife Council election |
Next Year: | 2017 |
Seats For Election: | All 78 seats to Fife Council |
Majority Seats: | 40 |
Party1: | Scottish Labour Party |
Last Election1: | 24 seats, 30.8% |
Leaders Seat1: | The Lochs |
Seats Before1: | 24 |
Seats Needed1: | 16 |
Seats1: | 35 |
Seat Change1: | 11 |
Popular Vote1: | 41,126 |
Percentage1: | 38.5% |
Leader2: | Peter Grant |
Party2: | Scottish National Party |
Leaders Seat2: | Glenrothes West and Kinglassie |
Last Election2: | 23 seats, 29.5% |
Seats Before2: | 22 |
Seats Needed2: | 17 |
Seats2: | 26 |
Seat Change2: | 3 |
Popular Vote2: | 33,205 |
Percentage2: | 31.1% |
Leader3: | Elizabeth Riches |
Party3: | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
Leaders Seat3: | East Neuk and Largoward |
Last Election3: | 21 seats, 26.9% |
Seats Before3: | 21 |
Seats Needed3: | 19 |
Seats3: | 10 |
Seat Change3: | 11 |
Popular Vote3: | 13,983 |
Percentage3: | 13.1% |
Leader4: | Andrew Rodger |
Party4: | Independent (politician) |
Leaders Seat4: | Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages |
Last Election4: | 5 seats, 6.4% |
Seats Before4: | 6 |
Seats Needed4: | 35 |
Seats4: | 4 |
Seat Change4: | 1 |
Popular Vote4: | 6,356 |
Percentage4: | 5.9% |
Leader5: | Dave Dempsey |
Party5: | Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party |
Leaders Seat5: | Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay |
Last Election5: | 5 seats, 6.4% |
Seats Before5: | 4 |
Seats Needed5: | 35 |
Seats5: | 3 |
Seat Change5: | 2 |
Popular Vote5: | 8,382 |
Percentage5: | 7.8% |
Council Leader | |
Before Election: | Peter Grant |
Before Party: | Scottish National Party |
Posttitle: | Council Leader after election |
After Election: | Alex Rowley |
After Party: | Scottish Labour Party |
Elections to Fife Council were held on 3 May 2012, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 23 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 78 Councillors elected.
The biggest benefactors were the Labour Party who regained the 11 seats they had lost in the 2007 Local Elections thus increase its share to remain the largest party. Scottish Liberal Democrats lost over half their seats, with labour picking up most of the seats, while the Scottish National Party increased their representation by 3 seats and remained in second place on the authority. Most of their gains were in the wards of the Fife North East constituency where they had previously only had a single seat. The Independents lost a seat while the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party lost 2 seats. The UK Independence Party lost its only Scottish Councillor who had defected from the Conservatives in 2008.
Following the election the Labour Party formed a minority administration with the support of the Independents and the Conservative Party. This replaced the previous SNP - Lib Dem coalition administration.
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.
Obelisks (†) indicate changes since the election, and link to further details.
The detailed results of the 12 by-elections are as follows:[1]