| Election Name: | 2012 Aberdeenshire Council election |
| Country: | Scotland |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2007 Aberdeenshire Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2007 |
| Next Election: | 2017 Aberdeenshire Council election |
| Next Year: | 2017 |
| Seats For Election: | All 68 seats to Aberdeenshire Council |
| Majority Seats: | 35 |
| Party1: | Scottish National Party |
| Seats1: | 28 |
| Seat Change1: | 6 |
| Leader2: | Jim Gifford |
| Party2: | Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party |
| Seats2: | 14 |
| Leader3: | Karen Clark |
| Party3: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats3: | 12 |
| Seat Change3: | 12 |
| Leader4: | Norman Smith |
| Party4: | Independent (politician) |
| Seats4: | 11 |
| Seat Change4: | 3 |
| Leader5: | Alison Evison |
| Party5: | Scottish Labour Party |
| Seats5: | 2 |
| Seat Change5: | 2 |
| Party6: | Scottish Green Party |
| Leader6: | Martin Ford |
| Seats6: | 1 |
| Seat Change6: | 1 |
| Council Leader | |
| Before Election: | Anne Robertson |
| Before Party: | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Posttitle: | Council Leader after election |
| After Election: | Jim Gifford |
| After Party: | Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Popular Vote1: | 27,336 |
| Percentage1: | 38.9% |
| Swing1: | 4.4% |
| Percentage2: | 21.2% |
| Popular Vote2: | 14,907 |
| Swing2: | 0.4% |
| Percentage3: | 15.4% |
| Popular Vote3: | 10,797 |
| Swing3: | 9.8% |
| Popular Vote4: | 10,320 |
| Percentage4: | 14.7% |
| Swing4: | 2.0% |
| Popular Vote5: | 4,785 |
| Percentage5: | 6.8% |
| Swing5: | 1.4% |
| Popular Vote6: | 1,681 |
| Percentage6: | 2.4% |
| Swing6: | 1.3% |
Elections to Aberdeenshire Council were held on 3 May 2012, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 19 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 68 Councillors being elected.
The 2007 election saw the Liberal Democrats form a coalition on the Council with the Scottish Conservatives.
The 2012 election saw the SNP gain an additional 6 seats and become the largest party on the Council, supplanting the Lib Dems. The Tories retained their 14 seats on the Council and as a result became the second largest party. The Lib Dems lost half their Councillors falling from 24 to 12 seats. Independents also increased their overall numbers to 11 seats while Labour and the Scottish Green Party won seats in Aberdeenshire for the first time.
Following the election a Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent administration was formed. However, on 8 June 2015, a new administration was formed by the SNP and a 'Progressive Alliance' between Scottish Labour and 2 Progressive Independent councillors, who had been members of the previous administration.
At the previous election in 2007 the Liberal Democrats won 24 seats, falling 11 seats short of an overall majority. The SNP won 22 seats, falling 13 seats short of an overall majority. Both the Conservative and Independent groups fell well short of an overall majority.
| Liberal Democrats | 24 | 25.2% | |
| SNP | 22 | 34.5% | |
| Conservative | 14 | 20.8% | |
| Independent | 8 | 12.7% |
There were 2 by-elections in the 2007-12 term. One was in the Troup ward, which was held by the SNP. The other by-election was in the Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside ward, which resulted in a Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative.
| Liberal Democrats | 24 | 21 | |
| SNP | 22 | 21 | |
| Conservative | 14 | 13 | |
| Independent | 8 | 11 | |
| Scottish Greens | 0 | 2 |
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.
Source:[2]
As no single party group on the council had the required 35 seats for an overall majority, a Conservative-Lib Dem-Independent administration was formed. In 2013, the 2 Labour councillors joined the administration. However, on 8 June 2015, a new administration was formed by the SNP, Scottish Labour and 2 Progressive Independent councillors, who had been members of the previous administration.
East Garioch Cllr Fergus Hood defected from the SNP and joined the Liberal Democrats on 3 May 2013.[3]
West Garioch Cllr Sheena Lonchay and Inverurie and District Cllr Martin Kitts-Hayes both defected from the Liberal Democrats and became Independents on 25 April 2014.[4]
Troup Independent Cllr Mark Findlater ceased to be an Independent and joined the Conservatives on 23 February 2016.[5]
Troup SNP Cllr Hamish Partridge resigned from the party on 17 June 2016 and became an Independent citing curtailments to his freedom of speech.[6]
Banff and District SNP Cllr John Cox resigned from the party and became an Independent on 20 February 2017.[7]
On 27 November 2014 a by-election was held after the death of Conservative councillor John Duncan on 4 September 2014.[8] The SNP candidate Ross Cassie gained the seat from the Conservatives.
On 5 November 2015 a by-election was held after the death of SNP councillor Joanne Strathdee on 23 August 2015,[9] and the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Alastair Ross on 1 September 2015.[10] It was won by both Conservative candidate Margo Stewart, gaining a seat for her party, and SNP candidate Gwyneth Petrie, who held the seat for her paarty.
On 3 November 2016 a by-election was held after the death of SNP councillor Ian Gray on 27 August 2016.[11] It was won by the Conservative candidate Iain Taylor, gaining the seat for his party.
On 3 November 2016 a by-election was held after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Kitts-Hayes.[12] It was won by Conservative candidate Colin Clark, gaining the seat for his party.