# 2012 South Ayrshire Council election

The 2012 South Ayrshire Council election took place on 3 May 2012 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.
The election saw the Conservatives remain as the largest party on the council despite losing two seats. The Scottish National Party (SNP) gained one seat and were second on the popular vote as they tied with Labour as the second largest party. Labour retained their nine seats despite their vote share decreasing by 3.4% and after suffering three defections during the last term. The number of independent candidates elected doubled to two seats.
Following the election, the Conservatives formed a minority administration working in a partnership agreement with Labour and both independents. This replaced the previous Conservative minority administration.

## Results

2012 South Ayrshire Council election result :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Conservative | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 33.3 | 31.51 | 12,050 | 5.7 |
| | SNP | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 30.0 | 29.3 | 11,203 | 4.0 |
| | Labour | 9 | 0 | 0 | | 30.0 | 25.0 | 9,563 | 3.4 |
| | Independent | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6.7 | 13.5 | 5,166 | 5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.7 | 255 | New |
| Total | Total | 30 | | | | | | 38,237 | |
Source:
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.

### Summary by ward

Results of the 2012 South Ayrshire Council election by ward :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | Conservative | Conservative | SNP | SNP | Labour | Labour | Independents | Independents | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Troon | 39.6 | 2 | 26.9 | 1 | 21.0 | 1 | 12.4 | 0 | | | 4 |
| Prestwick | 38.9 | 2 | 32.9 | 1 | 25.9 | 1 | | | 2.3 | 0 | 4 |
| Ayr North | 15.9 | 1 | 38.2 | 1 | 45.9 | 2 | | | | | 4 |
| Ayr East | 33.0 | 1 | 31.4 | 2 | 23.4 | 1 | 12.2 | 0 | | | 4 |
| Ayr West | 48.2 | 2 | 25.0 | 1 | 15.3 | 1 | 9.3 | 0 | 2.2 | 0 | 4 |
| Kyle | 23.5 | 1 | 28.7 | 1 | 32.8 | 1 | 15.1 | 0 | | | 3 |
| Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton | 21.3 | 1 | 30.3 | 1 | 22.9 | 1 | 25.6 | 1 | | | 4 |
| Girvan and South Carrick | 15.8 | 0 | 19.7 | 1 | 17.0 | 1 | 47.4 | 1 | | | 3 |
| Total | 31.5 | 10 | 29.3 | 9 | 25.0 | 9 | 13.5 | 2 | 0.7 | 0 | 30 |

## Ward results
### Troon

The Conservatives (2), Labour (1) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.
Troon - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Conservative | Peter Convery (incumbent) | 22.0 | 1,289 | | | | |
| | Labour | Philip Saxton (incumbent) | 21.0 | 1,233 | | | | |
| | Conservative | Bill McIntosh (incumbent) | 17.6 | 1,035 | 1,130 | 1,137 | 1,160 | 1,207 |
| | SNP | Nan McFarlane (incumbent) | 17.5 | 1,026 | 1,033 | 1,043 | 1,495 | |
| | Independent | Pat Brown | 12.4 | 730 | 734 | 750 | 801 | 912 |
| | SNP | Elaine McBean Little | 9.4 | 551 | 553 | 557 | | |
| Electorate: 12,146 Valid: 5,864 Spoilt: 59 Quota: 1,173 Turnout: 48.3% |||||||||
Source:

### Prestwick

The Conservatives (2), Labour (1) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.
Prestwick - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Labour | Helen Moonie (incumbent) | 25.9 | 1,458 | | | | |
| | SNP | Ian Cochrane | 24.9 | 1,399 | | | | |
| | Conservative | Hugh Hunter (incumbent) | 23.1 | 1,296 | | | | |
| | Conservative | Margaret Toner (incumbent) | 15.9 | 892 | 933 | 941 | 1,089 | 1,154 |
| | SNP | John Wallace | 8.0 | 448 | 513 | 754 | 760 | 806 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Allan MacBain | 2.3 | 128 | 185 | 193 | 199 | |
| Electorate: 12,238 Valid: 5,621 Spoilt: 102 Quota: 1,125 Turnout: 45.9% |||||||||
Source:

### Ayr North

Labour (2), the SNP (1) and the Conservatives (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election. In 2007, Cllr Campbell was elected as a Labour candidate but subsequently resigned from the party and later joined the SNP.
Ayr North - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Labour | Ian Cavana (incumbent) | 34.0 | 1,481 | | | | |
| | SNP | Douglas Campbell (incumbent) | 31.2 | 1,361 | | | | |
| | Conservative | John Hampton (incumbent) | 15.9 | 692 | 715 | 744 | 762 | 975 |
| | Labour | Rita Miller | 11.9 | 519 | 1,003 | | | |
| | SNP | Tom Slider (incumbent) | 7.0 | 305 | 332 | 724 | 751 | |
| Electorate: 12,643 Valid: 4,358 Spoilt: 115 Quota: 872 Turnout: 34.5% |||||||||
Source:

### Ayr East

Labour and the SNP retained the seats they had won at the previous elections while the Conservatives retained one seat and lost one seat to the SNP.
Ayr East - 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 | Ian Douglas (incumbent) | 24.2 | 1,238 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Brian McGinley | 23.4 | 1,199 | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Mary Kilpatrick (incumbent) | 22.2 | 1,135 | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Patricia McKeand | 10.8 | 554 | 557 | 571 | 665 | 691 | 758 | |
| | SNP | Corri Wilson | 7.2 | 371 | 552 | 583 | 586 | 664 | 788 | 902 |
| | Independent | Andrew Bryden | 6.5 | 331 | 337 | 364 | 367 | 495 | | |
| | Independent | Eddie Bulik (incumbent) | 5.7 | 291 | 298 | 323 | 326 | | | |
| Electorate: 11,669 Valid: 5,119 Spoilt: 84 Quota: 1,024 Turnout: 43.9% |||||||||||
Source:

### Ayr West

The Conservatives (2), Labour (1) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.
Ayr West - 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 | Bill Grant (incumbent) | 33.8 | 1,992 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Kirsty Darwent | 15.3 | 901 | 929 | 939 | 976 | 1,007 | 1,049 | 1,267 |
| | Conservative | Robin Reid (incumbent) | 14.4 | 846 | 1,456 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Allan Dorans | 14.2 | 836 | 858 | 867 | 874 | 1,410 | | |
| | SNP | Roddy MacDonald | 10.8 | 638 | 660 | 673 | 688 | | | |
| | Independent | Brian McKinlay | 9.3 | 549 | 607 | 671 | 734 | 781 | 846 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicola Prigg | 2.2 | 127 | 143 | 177 | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,401 Valid: 5,889 Spoilt: 57 Quota: 1,178 Turnout: 47.5% |||||||||||
Source:

### Kyle

The SNP, Labour and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election.
Kyle - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 |
| | Labour | Andy Campbell (incumbent) | 32.7 | 1,207 | |
| | SNP | John Allan (incumbent) | 28.7 | 1,057 | |
| | Conservative | Hywel Davies (incumbent) | 23.5 | 865 | 923 |
| | Independent | Arthur Spurling | 15.1 | 556 | 647 |
| Electorate: 8,918 Valid: 3,685 Spoilt: 43 Quota: 922 Turnout: 41.3% ||||||
Source:

### Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton

Labour, the SNP, the Conservatives and independent councillor Brian Connolly retained the seats they had won at the previous election.
Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 |
| | Independent | Brian Connolly (incumbent) | 25.5 | 1,100 | |
| | Labour | Sandra Goldie (incumbent) | 22.9 | 986 | |
| | Conservative | Ann Galbraith (incumbent) | 21.3 | 916 | |
| | SNP | William James Grant | 18.8 | 810 | 894 |
| | SNP | Mairi Low (incumbent) | 11.4 | 493 | 527 |
| Electorate: 8,918 Valid: 4,305 Spoilt: 57 Quota: 862 Turnout: 38.8% ||||||
Source:

### Girvan and South Carrick

The SNP and Labour retained the seats they had won at the previous election while independent candidate Alec Clark gained a seat from the Conservatives.
Girvan and South Carrick - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | Independent | Alec Clark | 47.4 | 1,609 | | |
| | SNP | Alec Oattes (incumbent) | 19.7 | 670 | 822 | 985 |
| | Labour | John McDowall (incumbent) | 17.0 | 579 | 766 | 956 |
| | Conservative | Iain Fitzsimmons (incumbent) | 15.8 | 538 | 741 | |
| Electorate: 7,920 Valid: 3,396 Spoilt: 31 Quota: 850 Turnout: 42.9% |||||||
Source:

## By-election

Ayr East SNP councillor Corri Wilson was elected as MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on 7 May 2015. She resigned her council seat on 23 June 2015 and a by-election was held on 17 September 2015. The seat was held by the SNP's John Wallace.
Ayr East by-election (17 September 2015) - 1 seat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Conservative | Dan McCroskrie | 38.5 | 1,527 | 1,534 | 1,589 | 1,740 | |
| | SNP | John Wallace | 38.0 | 1,507 | 1,540 | 1,600 | 1,775 | ??? |
| | Labour | Susan Wilson | 16.2 | 642 | 654 | 708 | | |
| | Independent | Andrew Bryden | 5.5 | 218 | 227 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Boyd Murdoch | 1.9 | 76 | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,638 Valid: 3,970 Spoilt: 36 Quota: 1,986 Turnout: 34.4% |||||||||
Source: