# 2017 East Lothian Council election

2017 Elections to East Lothian Council were held on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election consisted of 6 wards electing three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 22 councillors elected.
This election featured revised ward boundaries to three wards resulting in the reduction of the number of East Lothian councillors from 23 to 22. Two former Musselburgh wards were merged, while losing Wallyford and Whitecraig with 4 councillors being elected. The bulk of the previous Fa'side ward became Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry. Haddington and Lammermuir ward expanded with the addition of Ormiston and Pencaitland and gained a councillor.
Following the elections, Labour announced that they would form a minority administration. This replaced the previous coalition between Labour, the Conservatives and the one Independent councillor.

## Election result

2017 East Lothian Council election :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 9 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 40.9 | 33.1 | 13,723 | -10.0 |
| Conservative | 7 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 31.82 | 27.4 | 11,382 | +13.0 |
| SNP | 6 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 27.27 | 27.9 | 11,584 | -2.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4.75 | 1,971 | -0.85 |
| Scottish Green | 0 | - | - | - | - | 4.49 | 1,862 | New |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 2.17 | 900 | -3.73 |
| TUSC | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0.15 | 63 | -0.15 |
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 2012. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

## Ward results
### Musselburgh

* 2012:
** Musselburgh West (2xSNP; 1xLab)
** Musselburgh East and Carberry (1xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xLab)
* 2017: 2xSNP 1xConservative 1xLab
* 2012-2017 Change: 2 wards combined due to ward change resulting in one less councillor for Musselburgh. Conservative gain one seat.
Musselburgh - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | SNP | Stuart Currie (incumbent) | 22.12 | 1,683 | | | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Katie Mackie | 19.34 | 1,472 | 1,473 | 1,478 | 1,570 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Andy Forrest (incumbent) | 15.48 | 1,178 | 1,187 | 1,192 | 1,266 | 1,274 | 1,362 | 1,924 | | |
| | SNP | John Williamson (incumbent) | 11.04 | 840 | 960 | 967 | 1,007 | 1,008 | 1,241 | 1,278 | 1,322 | 1,583 |
| | Independent | John Caldwell (incumbent) | 10.56 | 804 | 809 | 843 | 896 | 907 | 985 | 1,015 | 1,107 | |
| | Labour | Katherine Sangster | 7.47 | 568 | 570 | 579 | 637 | 644 | 742 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Jason Rose | 6.53 | 497 | 506 | 520 | 630 | 633 | | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clare Graham | 6.17 | 470 | 473 | 487 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Theresa Sives | 1.26 | 96 | 96 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 15,874 Valid: 7,608 Spoilt: 139 Quota: 1,522 Turnout: 48.8% |||||||||||||

### Preston, Seton and Gosford

* 2012: 2xLabour 2xSNP
* 2017: 2xLabour 1xSNP 1xCON
* 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain one seat from SNP
Preston, Seton and Gosford - 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 | Willie Innes (Incumbent) †† | 24.3 | 1,801 | | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Lachlan Bruce | 24.1 | 1,784 | | | | | | | |
| | SNP | Neil Gilbert | 16.2 | 1,197 | 1,208 | 1,215 | 1,260 | 1,288 | 1,294 | 1,322 | 2,201 |
| | Labour | Fiona O'Donnell | 12.6 | 932 | 1,164 | 1,226 | 1,261 | 1,369 | 1,818 | | |
| | SNP | Janis Wilson | 11.4 | 844 | 852 | 854 | 922 | 936 | 951 | 975 | |
| | Labour | Brian Weddell | 5.8 | 429 | 471 | 485 | 501 | 520 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Lesley Orr | 3.11 | 230 | 234 | 250 | | | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ghill Donald | 2.4 | 180 | 184 | 260 | 300 | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,702 Valid: 7,397 Spoilt: 178 Quota: 1,480 Turnout: 51.5% ||||

### Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry

* 2012: 3xLabour 1xSNP (as Fa'side ward)
* 2017: 2xLabour 1xSNP 1xConservative
* 2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from Labour
Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry - 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 | Kenny McLeod (incumbent) | 24.5 | 1,540 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Fiona Dugdale | 20.3 | 1,272 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Colin McGinn | 15.3 | 958 | 969 | 972 | 978 | 1,000 | 1,102 | 1,893 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Mackett | 15.7 | 986 | 987 | 988 | 994 | 1,054 | 1,089 | 1,142 |
| | Labour | Jim Gillies (incumbent) | 13.3 | 837 | 844 | 854 | 864 | 897 | 1,014 | |
| | SNP | Linda Watson | 7.4 | 464 | 713 | 713 | 725 | 746 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alexander Graham | 2.5 | 159 | 162 | 162 | 176 | | | |
| | TUSC | Jimmy Haddow | 1.0 | 63 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,699 Valid: 6,279 Spoilt: 127 Quota: 1,256 Turnout: 43.6% ||||

### North Berwick Coastal

* 2012: 1xLabour 1xConservative 1xSNP
* 2017: 2xCon 1xLabour
* 2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from SNP
North Berwick Coastal - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Conservative | Jeremy Douglas Findlay | 27.16 | 1,703 | | | | |
| | Labour | Jim Goodfellow (incumbent) | 23.73 | 1,488 | 1,497 | 1,573 | | |
| | Conservative | Jane Henderson | 21.38 | 1,341 | 1,454 | 1,474 | 1,475 | 1,589 |
| | SNP | Laura Lowe Forrest | 17.97 | 1,127 | 1,128 | 1,233 | 1,234 | 1,335 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert O'Riordan | 5.07 | 318 | 323 | 388 | 389 | |
| | Scottish Green | Eurig Scandrett | 4.67 | 293 | 294 | | | |
| Electorate: 10,752 Valid: 6,270 Spoilt: 114 Quota: 1,568 Turnout: 59.4% |||||||||

### Haddington and Lammermuir

* 2012: 1xConservative 1xLabour 1xSNP
* 2017: 1xConservative 2xLabour 1xSNP
* 2012-2017 Change: No change
Haddington and Lammermuir - 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 | Brian Small† | 29.03 | 2,262 | | | | | | |
| | Labour | John McMillan (incumbent) | 18.71 | 1,458 | 1,593 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Shamin Akhtar (incumbent) | 15.00 | 1,169 | 1,234 | 1,256 | 1,316 | 1,627 | | |
| | SNP | Tom Trotter (incumbent) | 14.66 | 1,142 | 1,153 | 1,155 | 1,236 | 1,327 | 1,333 | 2,227 |
| | SNP | Ruth Currie | 11.41 | 889 | 894 | 895 | 947 | 1,007 | 1,017 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kelvin Pate | 7.29 | 568 | 791 | 795 | 889 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Cris Thacker | 3.88 | 302 | 329 | 330 | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,095 Valid: 7,790 Spoilt: 108 Quota: 1,559 Turnout: 56.0% |||||||||||

### Dunbar and East Linton

* 2012: 1xLabour 1xConservative 1xSNP
* 2017: 1xLabour 1xConservative 1xSNP
* 2012-2017 Change: No change
Dunbar and East Linton - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Sue Kempson | 29.86 | 1,834 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Norman Hampshire (incumbent) | 26.59 | 1,633 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Paul McLennan (incumbent) | 17.04 | 1,047 | 1,054 | 1,064 | 1,094 | 1,199 | 2,216 |
| | SNP | Isobel Knox | 13.2 | 811 | 819 | 828 | 852 | 1,177 | |
| | Scottish Green | Sarah Beattie-Smith | 8.79 | 540 | 569 | 584 | 761 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elisabeth Wilson | 4.49 | 276 | 392 | 421 | | | |
| Electorate: 10,995 Valid: 6,141 Spoilt: 43 Quota: 1,536 Turnout: 56.4% ||||||||||

## Retiring councillors

| Council ward | Departing councillor | Party |
| Dunbar and East Linton | Michael Veitch | Conservative |
| Fa'side | Donald Grant | Labour |
| Haddington and Lammermuir | Ludovic Broun-Lindsay | Conservative |
| Musselburgh | John McNeil | Labour |
| Musselburgh | Fraser McAllister | Scottish National Party |
| North Berwick Coastal | David Berry | Independent |
| North Berwick Coastal | Tim Day | Conservative |
| Preston/Seton/Gosford | Margaret Libberton | Labour |
| Preston/Seton/Gosford | Steven Brown | Scottish National Party |
| Preston/Seton/Gosford | Peter Robert MacKenzie | Scottish National Party |

## Changes since 2017

* † On 26 February 2019, Haddington and Lammermuir Councillor Brian Small resigned his seat. A by-election followed was held on 9 May 2019. The seat was won by Craig Hoy of the Conservative Party.
* †† On 24 October 2021, Preston, Seton and Gosford Councillor and Leader of East Lothian Council, Willie Innes, died after a long illness.

## By-elections since 2017

Haddington and Lammermuir by-election 9 May 2019 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Conservative | Craig Hoy | 35.01 | 2,212 | 2,249 | 2,428 | 2,759 | 3,277 |
| | SNP | Lorraine Glass | 29.53 | 1,866 | 1,874 | 2,044 | 2,469 | |
| | Labour | Neal Black | 21.51 | 1,359 | 1,370 | 1,589 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Crawford | 12.25 | 774 | 782 | | | |
| | UKIP | David Sisson | 1.71 | 108 | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,396 Valid: 6,319 Spoilt: 44 Quota: 3,160 Turnout: 44.2% |||||||||
Preston, Seton and Gosford by-election 20 January 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Labour | Colin Yorkston | 38.53 | 1,793 | 1,815 | 1,861 | 1,927 | 2,390 |
| | SNP | Janis Wilson | 26.16 | 1,217 | 1,242 | 1,258 | 1,391 | 1,458 |
| | Conservative | Andy Ovens | 24.80 | 1,154 | 1,173 | 1,204 | 1,212 | |
| | Scottish Green | Tim Porteus | 4.96 | 231 | 241 | 266 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ben Morse | 2.92 | 136 | 154 | | | |
| | Independent | Calum Miller | 2.62 | 122 | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,952 Valid: 4,696 Spoilt: 43 Quota: 2,327 Turnout: 31.4% |||||||||