# 2012 Falkirk Council election

Elections to Falkirk Council were held on 3 May 2012, the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used the nine wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 32 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.
The election saw Labour remain the largest party on the Council despite being outpolled in terms of votes by the Scottish National Party. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party saw their vote share fall but held their Council seats and Independents returned 3 seats as they did in the 2007 Local Elections.
Following the election, the controlling administration consists of 14 Labour members, 2 Conservative and 1 Independent (Cllr Buchanan). Opposition is 13 SNP members and 2 Independent (Cllrs Spears and McCabe). The Council Leader is Cllr Craig C Martin, Provost is Cllr Reid and the Depute Provost Cllr Patrick.

## Election result

Falkirk Local Election Result 2012 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 14 | - | - | - | 43.75 | 37.74 | 16,150 | +1.54 |
| SNP | 13 | - | - | - | 40.63 | 40.48 | 17,321 | +5.38 |
| Independent | 3 | - | - | - | 9.4 | 10.54 | 4,512 | -1.36 |
| Conservative | 2 | - | - | - | 6.3 | 11.23 | 4,806 | -2.27 |
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
### Bo'ness and Blackness

* 2007: 2xSNP; 1xLab
* 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Bo'ness and Blackness – 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | SNP | Ann Ritchie (incumbent) | 37.67 | 1,526 | | | |
| | Labour | Adrian Mahoney (incumbent) | 21.03 | 852 | 900.1 | 1,010.8 | 1,780.8 |
| | Labour | David Aitchison | 20.39 | 826 | 850.9 | 910.2 | |
| | SNP | Sandy Turner (incumbent) | 11.40 | 462 | 848.3 | 915.9 | 956.1 |
| | Conservative | Lynn Munro | 9.50 | 385 | 401.5 | | |
| Electorate: 11,250 Valid: 4,051 Spoilt: 79 Quota: 1,013 Turnout: 4,130 (36.01%) ||||||||

### Grangemouth

* 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
* 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xIndependent
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Grangemouth – 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | Labour | Allyson Black (incumbent) | 24.68 | 1,201 | | | | | | | |
| | SNP | David Balfour | 22.58 | 1,099 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Robert Spears (incumbent) | 17.71 | 862 | 877.9 | 882.4 | 963.6 | 1,064.6 | | | |
| | Labour | Joan Paterson | 10.33 | 503 | 675.4 | 678.6 | 695.6 | 725.8 | 739.3 | 815.4 | 978.4 |
| | SNP | Andrew Cowie | 8.69 | 423 | 432.3 | 538.8 | 562.2 | 596.2 | 608.9 | 683.7 | |
| | Conservative | Amanda Nicol | 5.73 | 279 | 285 | 286.3 | 309.8 | | | | |
| | Independent | Jim Waugh | 5.59 | 272 | 275.4 | 277.4 | 331.6 | 377.9 | 412.7 | | |
| | Independent | David Sharp | 4.68 | 228 | 231.6 | 233.4 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,350 Valid: 4,867 Spoilt: 124 Quota: 974 Turnout: 4,991 (39.41%) ||||||||||||

### Denny and Banknock

* 2007: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
* 2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Denny and Banknock – 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | SNP | John McNally (incumbent)† | 28.23 | 1,502 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Jim Blackwood (incumbent) | 22.35 | 1,189 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Brian McCabe | 11.69 | 622 | 676.9 | 680.9 | 714.1 | 801.2 | 977.6 | 1,133.3 |
| | SNP | Martin D. Oliver (incumbent) | 10.73 | 571 | 870.1 | 879.4 | 900.1 | 972.5 | 1,062.6 | 1,148 |
| | Labour | Terrie Hay | 8.33 | 443 | 459 | 539.7 | 563.2 | 614.7 | 684.9 | |
| | Independent | Alexander John Waddell (incumbent) | 7.72 | 411 | 433.1 | 439.6 | 480.2 | 539.5 | | |
| | Independent | Khalid Hamid | 7.27 | 387 | 398.9 | 406.4 | 428.2 | | | |
| | Conservative | David Grant | 3.70 | 197 | 200.7 | 204.5 | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,350 Valid: 5,321 Spoilt: 95 Quota: 1,065 Turnout: 5,416 (39.45%) |||||||||||

### Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst

* 2007: 2xLab; 2xSNP
* 2012: 2xLab; 2xSNP
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst – 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | Labour | Charles MacDonald (incumbent) | 26.28 | 1,377 | | |
| | Labour | Craig Martin (incumbent) | 25.42 | 1,332 | | |
| | SNP | Stephen Bird | 23.61 | 1,237 | | |
| | SNP | Steven Carleschi (incumbent) | 17.33 | 908 | 986.1 | 1,052.9 |
| | Conservative | Jim Flynn | 7.35 | 385 | 437.3 | 480.8 |
| Electorate: 14,121 Valid: 5,239 Spoilt: 86 Quota: 1,048 Turnout: 5,325 (37.1%) |||||||

### Bonnybridge and Larbert

* 2007: 1xSNP; 1xIndependent; 1xLab
* 2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Bonnybridge and Larbert – 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | SNP | Tom Coleman (incumbent) | 30.95 | 1,387 | | | |
| | Labour | Linda Gow (incumbent) | 27.56 | 1,235 | | | |
| | Independent | Billy Buchanan (incumbent) | 22.72 | 1,018 | 1,042.7 | 1,073.3 | 1,138.4 |
| | Conservative | Elliot Roy | 8.39 | 379 | 385 | 394.2 | 430.1 |
| | SNP | Lynda Kenna * | 6.67 | 299 | 493.8 | 512.9 | 560.8 |
| | Independent | Chris Harley | 3.70 | 166 | 176.7 | 192.6 | |
| Electorate: 11,746 Valid: 4,481 Spoilt: 71 Quota: 1,121 Turnout: 4,552 (38.15%) ||||||||
* Sitting Councillor from a different ward.

### Falkirk North

* 2007: 2xLab; 2xSNP
* 2012: 2xSNP; 2xLab
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Falkirk North – 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 |
| | SNP | David Alexander (incumbent) | 36.46 | 1,915 | |
| | Labour | Craig Martin (incumbent) | 20.98 | 1,102 | |
| | Labour | Pat Reid (incumbent) | 19.25 | 1,011 | 1,070.6 |
| | SNP | Cecil Meiklejohn (incumbent) | 16.73 | 879 | 1,604.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Edward Ardis | 6.59 | 346 | 361.8 |
| Electorate: 13,878 Valid: 5,253 Spoilt: 129 Quota: 1,051 Turnout: 5,382 (37.85%) ||||||

### Falkirk South

* 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
* 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Falkirk South – 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Labour | Dennis Goldie | 23.96 | 1,279 | | | | | | |
| | SNP | Colin Chalmers | 21.74 | 1,160 | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | John Patrick (incumbent) | 15.76 | 841 | 844.6 | 846.9 | 856.9 | 984.9 | 998.4 | 1,212.7 |
| | Labour | Gerry Goldie (incumbent) | 15.72 | 839 | 1,025.6 | 1,031.5 | 1,039.5 | 1,184.9 | | |
| | SNP | Georgie Thomson (incumbent) | 12.59 | 672 | 675.3 | 748.1 | 754.7 | 854.3 | 874.9 | |
| | Independent | Joe Lemetti (incumbent) | 8.71 | 465 | 472.3 | 477.6 | 519.9 | | | |
| | Independent | Hugh McGinlay | 1.52 | 81 | 81.3 | 82.4 | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,207 Valid: 5,337 Spoilt: 100 Quota: 1,068 Turnout: 5,437 (40.41%) |||||||||||

### Lower Braes

* 2007: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
* 2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Lower Braes – 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Nicol (incumbent) | 35.99 | 1,447 |
| | SNP | Steven Jackson (incumbent) | 31.32 | 1,259 |
| | Labour | Alan Nimmo (incumbent) | 27.78 | 1,117 |
| | SNP | Robbie Landsman | 4.90 | 197 |
| Electorate: 9,948 Valid: 4,020 Spoilt: 100 Quota: 1,068 Turnout: 4,120 (40.41%) |||||

### Upper Braes

* 2007: 2xLab; 1xSNP
* 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
* 2007-2012 Change: No change
Upper Braes – 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Labour | John McLuckie (incumbent) | 32.26 | 1,361 | | | | |
| | SNP | Gordon Hughes (incumbent) | 29.79 | 1,257 | | | | |
| | SNP | Ricky Wilson | 13.46 | 568 | 592.5 | 757.9 | 862.9 | |
| | Conservative | Alan Rust | 13.04 | 550 | 565.5 | 573.5 | | |
| | Labour | Rosie Murray | 11.45 | 483 | 712.3 | 725.3 | 905.9 | 1,176.5 |
| Electorate: 11,033 Valid: 4,219 Spoilt: 101 Quota: 1,055 Turnout: 4,320 (38.24%) |||||||||