# 2017 Stirling Council election

The 2017 Stirling Council election was held on 4 May 2017, the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used the seven wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 23 councillors being elected, an increase of 1 from 2012. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system. Following the Fifth Electoral Review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, minor changes were made to several of the ward boundaries and one additional Councillor was added, increasing the total number of Councillors from twenty-two to twenty-three.
The election saw the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party increased their representation on the council by five and significantly increase their vote share. The SNP retained their nine seats (though lost the council seat they had won in a 2015 by-election) and the Scottish Green Party retained their one seat. The Scottish Labour Party saw their representation on the Council drop by four seats and the Scottish Liberal Democrats and all independent candidates failed to win any seats.
Following the 2012 election a coalition had been formed between the Labour Party and the Conservatives which replaced the previous SNP minority administration. In the aftermath of the 2017 election a new coalition was agreed between the SNP and Labour with Labour Councillor Christine Simpson becoming Provost of Stirling and the SNP's Graham Houston becoming depute convener of the council.

## Results

2017 Stirling Council election result :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 9 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 40.9 | 37.2 | 13,261 | 17.2 |
| SNP | 9 | 2 | 2 | | 40.9 | 34.7 | 12,408 | 2.7 |
| Labour | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13.6 | 16.2 | 5,772 | 12.6 |
| Scottish Green | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 4.5 | 6.6 | 2,339 | 0.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 3.3 | 1,180 | 2.2 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.0 | 715 | 0.4 |
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
### Trossachs and Teith

* 2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon
* 2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP
* 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from SNP
Trossachs and Teith - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Martin Earl (incumbent) | 38.1 | 2,027 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Evelyn Tweed | 20.5 | 1,090 | 1,105.8 | 1,112.5 | 1,227.6 | 1,306.6 | 1,311.7 |
| | SNP | Fergus Wood (incumbent) | 14.6 | 776 | 799.4 | 809.1 | 850.8 | 890.2 | 891.7 |
| | Conservative | Jeremy McDonald | 11.9 | 632 | 1,210.5 | 1,250.7 | 1,286.6 | 1,378.5 | |
| | Labour | Gerry McGarvey | 6.1 | 326 | 342.2 | 391.3 | 478.6 | | |
| | Scottish Green | Gordon Cowtan | 5.4 | 286 | 296.3 | 347.7 | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Galen Milne | 3.3 | 177 | 191.5 | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,147 Valid: 5,314 Spoilt: 118 Quota: 1,329 Turnout: 59.4% ||||||||||

### Forth and Endrick

* 2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon
* 2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP
* 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from SNP
Forth and Endrick - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Alistair Berrill (incumbent) | 26.6 | 1,651 | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Robert Davies ‡ | 18.5 | 1,147 | 1,234.4 | 1,255.6 | 1,355.4 | 1,597.0 | |
| | SNP | Graham Lambie (incumbent)‡‡‡ | 16.5 | 1,026 | 1,027.4 | 1,117.4 | 1,165.5 | 1,256.6 | 1,259.7 |
| | SNP | Ian Muirhead (incumbent) | 13.8 | 859 | 859.9 | 942.0 | 1,031 | 1,243.3 | 1,246.4 |
| | Independent | Evan McLean | 10.1 | 630 | 632.5 | 702.7 | 899.0 | | |
| | Labour | Richard Simpson | 8.5 | 529 | 530.4 | 602.5 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Michael Marten | 6.0 | 371 | 371.6 | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,405 Valid: 6,213 Spoilt: 115 Quota: 1,554 Turnout: 60.8% ||||||||||

### Dunblane and Bridge of Allan

* 2012: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xGreen
* 2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP; 1xGreen
* 2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Lab
Dunblane and Bridge of Allan - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Alastair Majury | 22.1 | 1,543 | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Douglas Dodds | 21.5 | 1,502 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Graham Houston (incumbent) | 17.2 | 1,203 | 1,205.4 | 1,208.3 | 1,250.0 | 1,885.6 | |
| | Scottish Green | Alasdair Tollemache | 10.1 | 706 | 717.2 | 727.1 | 883.5 | 950.6 | 1,218.4 |
| | Labour | Mike Robbins (incumbent) | 11.8 | 824 | 849.8 | 866.3 | 1,053.3 | 1,076.4 | 1,143.4 |
| | SNP | Rosemary Hunter | 10.4 | 723 | 724.4 | 724.6 | 741.8 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Auld | 6.8 | 476 | 512.0 | 536.0 | | | |
| Electorate: 11,484 Valid: 6,977 Spoilt: 123 Quota: 1,396 Turnout: 61.8% ||||||||||

### Stirling North

* 2017: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLab
* 2012-2017 Change: New ward
Stirling North - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Conservative | Ross Oxburgh | 26.7 | 1,237 | | | | | | |
| | SNP | Susan McGill | 22.8 | 1,054 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Danny Gibson (incumbent) | 13.3 | 616 | 665.1 | 668.7 | 682.2 | 729.8 | 994.1 | |
| | SNP | Jim Thomson (incumbent) | 15.7 | 727 | 740.3 | 845.6 | 862.2 | 885.2 | 899.7 | 906.4 |
| | Scottish Green | Chloe Campbell | 10.7 | 496 | 511.0 | 519.1 | 543.9 | 614.0 | 637.2 | 655.3 |
| | Labour | Jen Preston | 5.7 | 266 | 302.8 | 305.9 | 312.9 | 349.6 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fayzan Rehman | 3.2 | 150 | 205.6 | 206.1 | 222.4 | | | |
| | Independent | James McDonald | 1.8 | 85 | 117.3 | 118.3 | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,512 Valid: 4,631 Spoilt: 124 Quota: 927 Turnout: 45.2% |||||||||||

### Stirling West

* 2012: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
* 2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
* 2012-2017 Change: No change
Stirling West - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Conservative | Neil Benny (incumbent) | 39.5 | 2,076 | | | | |
| | Labour | Christine Simpson (incumbent) | 17.8 | 936 | 1,151.4 | 1,210.8 | 1,456.0 | |
| | SNP | Scott Farmer (incumbent) | 20.9 | 1,096 | 1,116.6 | 1,156.6 | 1,193.2 | 1,213.1 |
| | SNP | Morag Fulton | 12.8 | 671 | 676.5 | 755.2 | 786.5 | 805.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Skilleter | 4.2 | 221 | 411.4 | 480.9 | | |
| | Scottish Green | Kevin Ralston | 4.8 | 251 | 287.0 | | | |
| Electorate: 9,637 Valid: 5,251 Spoilt: 74 Quota: 1,313 Turnout: 55.3% |||||||||

### Stirling East

* 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
* 2017: 1xCon; 1xLab; 1xSNP
* 2012-2017: Change: 1 Con gain from Lab
Stirling East - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | SNP | Alison Laurie | 24.2 | 916 | 920 | 962 | | | |
| | Labour | Chris Kane | 19.8 | 751 | 768 | 797 | 797.7 | 1,153.8 | |
| | Conservative | Bryan Flanagan | 21.3 | 806 | 825 | 833 | 833.2 | 848.2 | 883.0 |
| | SNP | Gerry McLaughlan (incumbent) | 17.9 | 678 | 680 | 705 | 717.9 | 739.0 | 774.8 |
| | Labour | Corrie McChord (incumbent) | 11.0 | 416 | 427 | 440 | 440.3 | | |
| | Scottish Green | Linda Hendry | 3.3 | 125 | 150 | | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Galloway | 2.5 | 94 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 8,479 Valid: 3,786 Spoilt: 93 Quota: 947 Turnout: 45.7% ||||||||||

### Bannockburn

* 2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
* 2017: 2xSNP; 1xLab
* 2012-2017 Change: 1 SNP gain from Lab
Bannockburn - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | SNP | Alasdair MacPherson (incumbent) | 24.9 | 871 | 880 | | | | |
| | Labour | Margaret Brisley (incumbent) | 23.9 | 837 | 854 | 854.3 | 871.3 | 1,093.3 | |
| | SNP | Maureen Bennison‡‡ | 20.5 | 718 | 722 | 725.2 | 765.3 | 779.3 | 813.1 |
| | Conservative | Paul Henke | 18.3 | 640 | 653 | 653.1 | 662.1 | 683.1 | 723.4 |
| | Labour | Violet Weir (incumbent) | 7.7 | 271 | 274 | 274.1 | 292.2 | | |
| | Scottish Green | Jennifer Tollemache | 3.0 | 104 | 113 | 113.1 | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gordon Bruce | 1.8 | 62 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 8,672 Valid: 3,503 Spoilt: 124 Quota: 876 Turnout: 41.8% ||||||||||

## Aftermath

On 17 May 2017, Forth and Endrick Conservative councillor Robert Davies was suspended from the Scottish Conservative party over potentially offensive Twitter posts. He was reinstated on 21 August 2017. However, on 29 September 2017, Davies resigned from the Conservative group at a council meeting and subsequently had his Conservative party membership terminated. He sat as an independent councillor for the remainder of the term.
On 5 August 2020, it was reported that Bannockburn SNP councillor Bennison had resigned from the Scottish National Party, due to bullying, sexism and party in-fighting, to become an Independent. It was reported in her letter to her former group leader and current council leader, Stirling West councillor Scott Farmer that: “This has been an extremely difficult decision, but it is the only principled course of action left to me in regrettable circumstances.
On 12 February 2021, Forth and Endrick SNP councillor Graham Lambie died suddenly. A by-election was held in due course, where Conservative Jane Hutchison was elected.