2022 Argyll and Bute Council election

Elections to Argyll and Bute Council are currently taking place as of 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. The election will use the 11 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 36 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.[1]

2022 Argyll and Bute Council election

5 May 2022 (2022-05-05)

All 36 seats to Argyll and Bute Council
19 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Jim Lynch N/A
Party SNP Independent
Leader's seat Oban South and the Isles N/A
Last election 11 seats, 27.6% 10 seats, 30.4%
Current seats 11 10

 
Leader Gary Mulvaney Robin Currie
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Helensburgh Central Kintyre and the Islands
Last election 9 seats, 25% 6 seats, 10.7%
Current seats 8 5

Incumbent Council Leader

Robin Currie
Liberal Democrats



New ward boundaries were proposed by Boundaries Scotland in 2021 which would have reduced the total number of councillors to 34, however these were rejected by the Scottish Parliament.[2]

At the last election in 2017, the SNP won the most seats, however a coalition of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and independents, referred to as The Argyll, Lomond and the Isles Group (TALIG) ran the council.[3]

Background

Previous election

At the previous election in 2017, the Scottish National Party (SNP) became the largest party despite losing two seats, overtaking the number of independents which fell by five. A coalition of independents, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats retained control of the council after the Conservatives made five gains and the Liberal Democrats increased their number by two.[4]

Argyll and Bute Council election result 2017
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SNP 11 1 3 2 30.5 27.7 9,174 2.0
  Independent 10 2 7 5 27.7 30.4 10,079 8.0
  Conservative 9 5 0 5 25 25.1 8,315 9.6
  Liberal Democrats 6 2 0 2 16.6 10.7 3,571 0.7
  Labour 0 0 0 0 4.1 1,362 0.5
  Green 0 0 0 0 1.8 609 1.6
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0.1 32 New
Total 36 33,110
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.

Source: [4]

Composition

After the 2017 election, a few changes in the composition of the council happened. Changes in the political affiliation of councillors occurred when Conservative councillor Alastair Redman was suspended over Islamophobia allegations[5] and independent councillor Roddy McCuish joined the Independence for Scotland Party.[6] In the run up to the election, Conservative councillor Donald Kelly was deselected by the party but continued on as an independent.[7] Three by-elections were held and resulted in an independent hold, a Conservative gain from the Lib Dems and a Conservative hold.[8][9]

Party 2017 result Current composition
SNP 11 11
Independents 10 11
Conservative 9 8
Liberal Democrats 6 5
ISP 0 1

Retiring councillors

Ward Party Retiring councillor
Kintyre and the Islands SNP Anne Horn
Mid Argyll SNP Sandy Taylor
Oban South and the Isles Independent Mary-Jean Devon
ISP Roddy McCuish
Oban North and Lorn Independent Elaine Robertson
Cowal Liberal Democrats Alan Reid
Dunoon Independent Jim Anderson
Conservative Bobby Good
Isle of Bute SNP Jim Findlay
Lomond North Conservative Paul Collins
Helensburgh Central SNP Lorna Douglas
Liberal Democrats Aileen Morton
Helensburgh and Lomond South SNP Richard Trail

Proposed boundary changes

Following the passing of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, a review of the boundaries was undertaken in North Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The Act allowed single- or two-member wards to be created to provide better representation of island communities. New ward boundaries were proposed by Boundaries Scotland in 2021 which would have increased the number of wards by one to 12 but reduced the number of councillors by two to 34. Two new two-member, island-only wards would have been created to represent Islay, Jura and Colonsay and Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree. As a result, the Kintyre peninsula would have been represented by a single ward instead of multiple wards which cover a mix of mainland and island communities. The proposals would have made no changes to the boundaries or numbers of councillors in Cowal; Dunoon and Lomond North. The boundaries in Isle of Bute would have remained the same but the number of councillors would have been reduced from three to two. Minimal changes would have been made to the boundaries of Helensburgh Central and Helensburgh and Lomond South but the number of councillors in Helensburgh Central would have been reduced by one from four to three. Oban would have been placed in its own ward with four members and a new two-member Lorn ward including the inhabited island of Lismore would have been created. However, the proposals in Argyll and Bute were rejected by the Scottish Parliament and the 11 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 remained in place.[2][10]

Results

Argyll and Bute Council election result 2022
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SNP
  Independent
  Conservative
  Liberal Democrats
  ISP
  Green
  Alba
  Scottish Family
  Labour

Ward summary

Results of the Argyll and Bute Council election, 2022
by ward
Ward  %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
Total
Cllrs
SNP Independents Conservative Lib Dem Others
South Kintyre 4
Kintyre and the Islands 3
Mid Argyll 3
Oban South and the Isles 4
Oban North and Lorn 4
Cowal 3
Dunoon 3
Isle of Bute 3
Lomond North 3
Helensburgh Central 4
Helensburgh and Lomond South 3
Total 36

Ward results

South Kintyre

South Kintyre − 3 seats[11]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
SNP John Armour (incumbent)
Liberal Democrats Rory Colville (incumbent)
Independent Donald Kelly (incumbent)
Conservative Tommy MacPherson

    Kintyre and the Islands

    Kintyre and the Islands − 3 seats[11]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    1
    Liberal Democrats Robin Currie (incumbent)
    Labour Jane B. Kelly
    Independent John McAlpine
    SNP Dougie McFadzean
    Conservative Alec McNeilly
    Independent Alastair John Redman (incumbent)

      Mid Argyll

      Mid Argyll − 3 seats[11]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1
      Independent Abisola Adepetun
      Liberal Democrats David Barton
      SNP Jan Brown
      Labour Lesley Burt
      Independent Andy Cameron
      Conservative Garret Corner
      Independent Donnie MacMillan (incumbent)
      Independent Douglas Trevor Philand (incumbent)
      ISP Ross Alistair Weir

        Oban South and the Isles

        Oban South and the Isles − 4 seats[11]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        1
        Labour Gopi Ageer
        Liberal Democrats Henry Drummond Boswell
        Independent Donnie Campbell
        Conservative Amanda Hampsey
        SNP Willie Hume
        Independent Andrew Kane
        Independent Colin Kennedy
        SNP Jim Lynch (incumbent)
        Independent Jamie McGrigor (incumbent)
        Green Phyl Stuart Meyer
        Independent John Watson

          Oban North and Lorn

          Oban North and Lorn − 4 seats[11]
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          1
          Independent Linda Battison
          Independent Kyle Campbell-Renton
          Liberal Democrats Veronica Davis
          Alba Angus Files
          Independent Kieron Green (incumbent)
          Green Luna Martin
          SNP Julie McKenzie (incumbent)
          Conservative Andrew Vennard (incumbent)

            Cowal

            Cowal − 3 seats[11]
            PartyCandidateFPv%Count
            1
            SNP Gordon Blair (incumbent)
            Labour Mark Feinmann
            SNP Lachie MacQuarie
            Conservative Yvonne McNeilly (incumbent)
            ISP Fiona Nelson
            Liberal Democrats William Sinclair
            Independent Kenneth White

              Dunoon

              Dunoon − 3 seats[11]
              PartyCandidateFPv%Count
              1
              Independent George Darroch
              SNP Audrey E. Forrest (incumbent)
              Conservative Daniel Hampsey
              Independent Gordon Graham McKinven
              Liberal Democrats Ross Moreland
              Labour Kaitlin Wallace
              Scottish Family Susan Watling

                Isle of Bute

                Isle of Bute − 3 seats[11]
                PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                1
                Independent Fraser Gillies
                SNP Reeni Kennedy-Boyle
                Labour Dawn Malcolm
                Independent Liz McCabe (incumbent)
                Liberal Democrats Derek John McFarlane
                Alba Robert McGowan
                Independent Jean Murray Moffat (incumbent)
                Green Euan Stuart
                Conservative Peter Wallace

                  Lomond North

                  Lomond North − 3 seats[11]
                  PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                  1
                  Conservative Maurice Corry
                  Independent George Freeman (incumbent)
                  Independent Mark Irvine
                  Independent Robert Graham MacIntyre
                  Liberal Democrats Nigel Ford Millar
                  SNP Shonny Iain Paterson (incumbent)
                  Labour Watson Robinson

                    Helensburgh Central

                    Helensburgh Central − 4 seats[11]
                    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                    1
                    Independent James Alexander Robb
                    Green Sarah Davies
                    Liberal Democrats Graham Hardie (incumbent)
                    Labour Fiona Howard
                    SNP Ian James MacQuire
                    Conservative Gary Mulvaney (incumbent)
                    Conservative Alison Willmot

                      Helensburgh and Lomond South

                      Helensburgh and Lomond South − 3 seats[11]
                      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                      1
                      SNP Math Campbell-Sturgess
                      Green Howard Green
                      Liberal Democrats Paul Donald Kennedy
                      Conservative David Kinniburgh (incumbent)
                      Conservative Gemma Penfold (incumbent)

                        References

                        1. "SLG Notice of Election" (PDF). Argyll and Bute Council. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        2. "2019 Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
                        3. Campbell, Rita (19 May 2017). "Economic growth and education priorities in Argyll". Press and Journal. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        4. Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Results 2017 Argyll and Bute". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
                        5. Windram, Susan (14 November 2019). "Alastair Redman among suspended Tories". The Oban Times. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        6. O'Toole, Emer (8 January 2021). "Independence for Scotland party welcomes its first elected representative". The National. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        7. Neil, Sandy (4 November 2021). "Crisis? What crisis? Argyll Tories lose three councillors in three months". Oban Times. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        8. Galloway, Andy (19 March 2021). "Argyll and Bute Council: Gemma Penfold wins Helensburgh and Lomond South by-election". Helensburgh Advertiser. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        9. Galloway, Andy (17 December 2021). "Lomond North by-election: full result and reaction". Helensburgh Advertiser. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
                        10. "Review of Electoral Arrangements Argyll and Bute Council Area Final Proposals" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. May 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
                        11. "Local Government Election May 2022 Notice of Poll". Argyll and Bute Council. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
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