2022 Falkirk Council election explained

Election Name:	2022 Falkirk Council election
Flag Image:	Falkirk Council.svg
Type:	parliamentary
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2017 Falkirk Council election
Previous Year:	2017
Next Election:	2027 Falkirk Council election
Next Year:	2027
Seats For Election:	All 30 seats to Falkirk Council
Majority Seats:	16
Leader1:	Cecil Meiklejohn
Party1:	Scottish National Party
Leaders Seat1:	Falkirk North
Seats Before1:	12
Seats After1:	12
Popular Vote1:	21,066
Percentage1:	39.7%
Swing1:	0.9%
Leader2:	Robert Bissett
Party2:	Scottish Labour
Leaders Seat2:	Falkirk North
Seats Before2:	7
Seats After2:	9
Popular Vote2:	12,179
Percentage2:	23.0%
Swing2:	0.1%
Leader4:	James Kerr
Party4:	Scottish Conservatives
Leaders Seat4:	Upper Braes
Seats Before4:	7
Seats After4:	5
Popular Vote4:	10,326
Percentage4:	19.5%
Swing4:	5.0%
Leader5:	N/A
Party5:	Independent (politician)
Seats Before5:	4
Seats After5:	4
Popular Vote5:	6,018
Percentage5:	11.4%
Swing5:	1.6%
Council Leader
Before Election:	Cecil Meiklejohn
Before Party:	Scottish National Party
Posttitle:	Council Leader after election
After Election:	Cecil Meiklejohn
After Party:	Scottish National Party

The 2022 Falkirk Council election was held on 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. The election used the nine wards created following the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland's 5th Review, with 30 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either three or four members, using the STV electoral system.^[1]

At the last election in 2017, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won the most seats and formed a minority administration.^[2]

Background

Previous election

At the previous election in 2017, the Scottish National Party (SNP) became the largest party, despite losing one seat, overtaking Labour who lost five seats. Two independents were elected, one less than 2012 while the Conservatives gained five seats.^[3]

Notes:

• Votes are the sum of first preference votes across all council wards. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections in May 2012. This is because STV has an element of proportionality which is not present unless multiple seats are being elected. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.
• Following boundary changes, the number of seats in Falkirk fell from 32 in 2012 to 30 in 2017. Gains and losses are represented against national results which may differ from other published sources.

Composition

Since the previous election, several changes in the composition of the council occurred. Labour councillor John McLuckie and Conservative councillor James Kerr were suspended by their respective parties after having been charged by the police following an investigation into planning irregularities in Falkirk.^[4] SNP councillor Niall Coleman resigned from the party to become an independent.^[5] Two by-elections were held and resulted in an SNP hold^[6] and an SNP gain from Labour.

	Party	2017 result	Dissolution
	SNP	12	12
	Labour	9	7
	Conservative	7	7
	Independents	2	4

Retiring councillors

Ward	Party		Retiring councillor
Grangemouth		Labour	Allyson Black
Denny and Banknock		Labour	Jim Blackwood
Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst		Labour	Joan Coombes
Bonnybridge and Larbert		Independent	Niall Coleman
Falkirk North		SNP	David Alexander
		Independent	Dennis Goldie
Falkirk South		Conservative	John Patrick
Lower Braes		Conservative	Malcolm Nicol
Upper Braes		SNP	Gordon Hughes

Results

Ward summary

|- class="unsortable" align="centre"!rowspan=2 align="left"|Ward!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!%
!Cllrs
!rowspan=2|Total
Cllrs
|- class="unsortable" align="center"!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|SNP!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Lab!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Conservative!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Green!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Lib Dem!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Ind!colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Alba!colspan=2 bgcolor="white"|

Others|-|align="left"|Bo'ness and Blackness|21.74|1|18.64|1|15.12|0|2.44|0|1.61|0|bgcolor=""|40.58|bgcolor=""|1|colspan="4" |3|-|align="left"|Grangemouth|bgcolor="" |44.85|bgcolor="" |1|23.38|1|15.23|0|2.42|0|colspan="2" |15.06|1|colspan="2" |0.54|0|3|-|align="left"|Denny and Banknock|bgcolor="" |46.49|bgcolor="" |2|20.66|1|16.16|0|3.15|0|colspan="2" |13.54|1|colspan="4" |4|-|align="left"|Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst|bgcolor="" |44.37|bgcolor="" |2|24.55|1|24.06|1|4.14|0|2.88|0|colspan="6" |4|-|align="left"|Bonnybridge and Larbert|bgcolor="" |33.88|bgcolor="" |1|17.60|1|18.41|0|4.91|0|colspan="2" |25.22|1|colspan="4" |3|-|align="left"|Falkirk North|bgcolor="" |47.41|bgcolor="" |2|28.86|1|13.27|1|5.90|0|colspan="4" |4.55|0|colspan="2" |4|-|align="left"|Falkirk South|bgcolor="" |41.66|bgcolor="" |1|22.34|1|28.56|1|5.67|0|colspan="2" |1.77|0|colspan="4" |3|-|align="left"|Lower Braes|bgcolor="" |39.35|bgcolor="" |1|27.00|1|23.34|1|5.78|0|3.24|0|colspan="2" |1.30|0|colspan="2" |3|-|align="left"|Upper Braes|bgcolor="" |34.88|bgcolor="" |1|23.13|1|21.86|1|5.60|0|2.53|0|10.88|0|1.15|0|colspan="2" |3|-|- class="unsortable" class="sortbottom"!align="left"|Total!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!30|}

Ward results

Bo'ness and Blackness

• 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
• 2022: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
• 2017-2022 Change: Independent gain one seat from Conservative

Grangemouth

• 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
• 2017: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
• 2022: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
• 2017-2022 Change: No change

Denny and Banknock

• 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab 1xIndependent
• 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
• 2022: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
• 2017-2022 Change: Independent gain one seat from Conservative

Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst

• 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
• 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
• 2022: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
• 2017-2022 Change: No change

Bonnybridge and Larbert

• 2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
• 2017: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xIndependent
• 2022: 1xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017-2022 Change: Labour gain one seat from Conservative

Falkirk North

• 2012: 2xSNP; 2xLab
• 2017: 2xSNP; 2xLab
• 2022: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
• 2017-2022 Change: Conservative gain one seat from Labour

Falkirk South

• 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
• 2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
• 2022: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab
• 2017-2022 Change: No change

Lower Braes

• 2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2022: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
• 2017-2022 Change: No change

Upper Braes

• 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
• 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2022: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon
• 2017-2022 Change: No change

Aftermath

Falkirk South by-election

In July 2024, Labour councillor Euan Stainbank was elected as MP for Falkirk at the 2024 United Kingdom general election and subsequently resigned as a councillor in August 2024.^[7] A by-election was held on 17 October 2024 and was won by Labour candidate Claire Aitken.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Elections & voting - Local Government Elections 2022. Falkirk Council. 12 April 2022.
2. Web site: SNP secure Falkirk by-election win as Labour's support 'collapses' . Laura . Webster . The National . 15 October 2021 . 28 April 2022.
3. Web site: Local Elections Results 2017 Falkirk . Local Elections Archive Project . Andrew . Teale . 28 April 2022.
4. News: Falkirk councillors charged over planning concerns . BBC News . 21 September 2018 . 25 April 2022.
5. News: Falkirk councillor resigns from SNP . Falkirk Herald . James . Trimble . 13 March 2022 . 28 April 2022.
6. Web site: Bonnybridge and Larbert (Fk) By-Election 15/02/18 . 22 January 2018 . 25 April 2022 . Ballot Box Scotland.
7. News: Dobie . Fiona . 16 September 2024 . Candidates confirmed for Falkirk South by-election . 18 October 2024 . The Falkirk Herald.
8. News: Labour victory in Falkirk South by-election . Jill . Buchanan . The Falkirk Herald . 18 October 2024 . 19 October 2024.