2017 Renfrewshire Council election explained
See main article: 2017 Scottish local elections.
| Election Name: | 2017 Renfrewshire Council election |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2012 Renfrewshire Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2012 |
| Election Date: | 5 May 2017 |
| Next Election: | 2022 Renfrewshire Council election |
| Next Year: | 2022 |
| Seats For Election: | All 43 seats to Renfrewshire Council |
| Majority Seats: | 22 |
| Turnout: | 48.0% 5.5% |
| Image1: | SNP |
| Leader1: | Iain Nicolson |
| Party1: | Scottish National Party |
| Leaders Seat1: | Erskine and Inchinnan |
| Seats Before1: | 15 |
| Seats1: | 19 |
| Seat Change1: | 4 |
| Popular Vote1: | 23,467 |
| Percentage1: | 37.6% |
| Swing1: | 2.3% |
| Leader2: |
(retiring) |
| Party2: | Scottish Labour Party |
| Leaders Seat2: | Paisley Southwest |
| Seats Before2: | 19 |
| Seats2: | 13 |
| Seat Change2: | 9 |
| Popular Vote2: | 17,599 |
| Percentage2: | 28.2% |
| Swing2: | 19.4% |
| Image3: | Con |
| Leader3: | James MacLaren |
| Party3: | Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party |
| Leaders Seat3: | Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank |
| Seats Before3: | 1 |
| Seats3: | 8 |
| Seat Change3: | 7 |
| Popular Vote3: | 13,124 |
| Percentage3: | 21.0% |
| Swing3: | 11.9% |
| Image4: | LD |
| Leader4: | Eileen McCartin |
| Party4: | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Leaders Seat4: | Paisley Southwest |
| Seats Before4: | 1 |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 2,580 |
| Percentage4: | 4.1% |
| Swing4: | 0.3 |
| Image5: | Ind |
| Leader5: | N/A |
| Party5: | Independent (politician) |
| Leaders Seat5: | N/A |
| Last Election5: | 1 |
| Seats Before5: | 3 |
| Seats5: | 2 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 3,319 |
| Percentage5: | 5.3% |
| Swing5: | 3.7% |
| Map2 Image: | Renfrewshire Council 2017.svg |
| Council Leader |
| Before Election: | Mark McMillan |
| Before Party: | Scottish Labour Party |
| Posttitle: | Council Leader after election |
| After Election: | Iain Nicolson |
| After Party: | Scottish National Party |
The 2017 Renfrewshire Council election took place on 4 May 2017 to elect members of Renfrewshire Council.[1] The election was first to use the twelve wards created as a result of the 2015-16 Boundary Commission review, with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system, a form of proportional representation, with 43 Councillors being elected, a net increase of 3 members compared to the 2012 Council.
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 results
Renfrew North and Braehead
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 additional seat compared to 2012. SNP gain one seat from Labour. Conservative gain extra seat.
Renfrew South and Gallowhill
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab
- 2012-2017 Change: SNP gain one seat from Labour
Paisley Northeast and Ralston
- 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
- 2017: 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xSNP
- 2012-2017 Change (vs Paisley East and Ralston): 1 less seat compared to 2012. Conservative gain one seat from Labour. SNP lose additional seat.
Paisley Northwest
- 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
- 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain one seat from Labour
Paisley East and Central
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab
- New ward
Paisley Southeast
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change (vs Paisley South): 1 less seat compared to 2012. Labour lose seat.
Paisley Southwest
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
- 2012-2017 Change: SNP gain one seat from Labour
Johnstone South and Elderslie
- 2012: 3xLab; 1xSNP
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
- 2012-2017 Change: SNP & Conservative each gain one seat from Labour.
Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch
- 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
- 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent
- 2012-2017 Change: 1 extra seat compared to 2012. Labour lose one seat to Conservative. Independent gain extra seat.
Houston, Crosslee and Linwood
- 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
- 2017: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
- 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain one seat from SNP.
Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank
- 2012: 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xSNP
- 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
- 2012-2017 Change: No change
Erskine and Inchinnan
- 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
- 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
- 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain one seat from Labour
Changes since Election
- † In August 2018, Houston, Crosslee and Linwood Labour Cllr Jim Sheridan was suspended from the party following the discovery of anti-Semitic posts on Facebook.[2] He was reinstated following an investigation in January 2019.[3] In July 2021 he was suspended again.[4] In March 2022 he resigned from the Labour party[5]
- †† Paisley Southeast Cllr Paul Mack was disqualified from office by the Standards Commission for Scotland, with effect from 1 October 2020.[6] A by-election was due to be held on 14 December 2021, however Paul Mack appealed the decision to the Court of Session.[7] On 11 March 2022, the Court of Session ruled to the effect that Cllr Mack's disqualification was reduced to ten months, backdated to May 2021.[8]
- ††† On 22 October 2020 Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch Cllr Andy Doig joined the Scotia Future party.[9]
- †††† Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank SNP Cllr Natalie Don was elected as a MSP for Renfrewshire North and West in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
- ††††† In December 2021 Councillors Dowling, Davidson, McCulloch and Montgomery were suspended from the Labour group, but this was overturned on 30 December.[10]
- †††††† In March 2022 Councillor Jim Harte was suspended from the Labour group.[11]
Notes and References
- Web site: Candidates declared for the Renfrewshire Council election . . renfrewshire.gov.uk . Renfrewshire Council . 4 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170405073838/http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/4755/Candidates-declared-for-the-Renfrewshire-Council-election . 5 April 2017 . dead .
- News: Labour Party suspends former MP Jim Sheridan. BBC News . 18 August 2018. 30 March 2021.
- News: Anti-Semitism row former MP Jim Sheridan reinstated. BBC News . 25 January 2019. 30 March 2021.
- Web site: Hutcheon . Paul . Scottish Labour councillor suspended for a second time over anti-semitism row . 19 July 2021 . Daily Record . 7 February 2022.
- News: Nicol . Jacob . Labour councillor Jim Sheridan quits party after 40 years . 31 March 2022 . The Gazette . 25 March 2022.
- Web site: Dunion. Kevin. 28 September 2020. Decision of the Hearing Panel of the Standards Commission for Scotland following the Hearing held at Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, on Thursday, 10 September 2020. 22 October 2020. Standards Commission for Scotland.
- Web site: team. Renfrewshire Communications. By-election for Ward 6 - Paisley Southeast. 2021-11-26. www.renfrewshire.gov.uk.
- Web site: Lady Dorrian, Lord Doherty, Lord Matthews . Opinion of the Court . www.scotcourts.gov.uk . 31 March 2022.
- News: Gordon. Tom. 22 October 2020. Former SNP politicians set up new party for 'real independence' outside EU. The Herald. 22 October 2020.
- Web site: Talbot . Carla . Renfrewshire Labour councillors have suspension over unpaid fees overturned . Daily Record/Paisley Daily Express . 30 December 2021 . 31 March 2022.
- Web site: Brawn . Steph . Councillor Jim Harte 'suspended' from Renfrewshire's Labour group . The Gazette . 31 March 2022.
