2017 Fife Council election

Elections to Fife Council were held on 4 May 2017, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 22 wards created as a result of the Local Government Commission for Scotland's 5th review which was published in September 2016,[1] with each ward electing three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 75 councillors elected; a decrease of three seats from 2012 as one ward, The Lochs, was abolished.

Main article: 2017 Scottish local elections
2017 Fife Council election
4 May 2017 (2017-05-04)
All 75 seats to Fife Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader David Alexander David Ross Dave Dempsey
Party SNP Labour Conservative
Leader's seat Leven, Kennoway and Largo Kirkcaldy North Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay
Last election 26 seats, 33.33% 35 seats, 44.87% 3 seats, 3.85%
Seats before 26 34 3
Seats won 29 24 15
Seat change Increase3 Decrease11 Increase12
Popular vote 42,674 30,078 26,577
Percentage 33.8% 23.9% 21.1%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Elizabeth Riches Andrew Rodger
Party Liberal Democrats Independent
Leader's seat Cowdenbeath Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages
Last election 10 seats, 12.82% 4 seats, 5.13%
Seats before 10 5
Seats after 7 0
Seat change Decrease3 Decrease4
Popular vote 16,556 5,507
Percentage 13.1% 4.4%
2017 Fife Council Election Results Map
Council Leader before election

David Ross
Labour

 Council Leader after election

David Alexander & David Ross
SNP and Scottish Labour

The Scottish National Party replaced Scottish Labour as the largest party for the first time in the Fife region, although they did not gain enough seats to form a majority, and both the group leader and deputy leader lost their seats.[2] The Scottish Conservatives made the most gains, replacing the Scottish Liberal Democrats as the third biggest party. The election also returned no Independent councillors, marking the first time the area will be without any Independent representation since the creation of Fife Regional Council in 1974.

On 18 May, the two largest parties of the new council, the SNP and Scottish Labour, signed a Power Sharing Agreement to co-run an administration. David Alexander (SNP) and David Ross (Labour) were made co-leaders, and Jim Leishman remained in his role as Provost.[3]

Election results
Fife Local Election Result 2017
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SNP 29 - - +3 38.67 33.8 42,674 +2.7
  Labour 24 - - -11 32.00 23.9 30,078 -14.6
  Conservative 15 - - +12 20.00 21.1 26,577 +13.3
  Liberal Democrats 7 - - -3 9.33 13.1 16,556 0.0
  Independent 0 - - -4 0.0 4.4 5,507 -1.8
  Scottish Green 0 - - - 0.0 3.4 4,316 +2.4
  A Better Britain - Unionist Party 0 - - - 0.0 0.2 249 New
  UKIP 0 - - - 0.0 0.05 63 -0.9
  Solidarity 0 - - - 0.0 0.05 61 New
  Libertarian 0 - - - 0.0 0.01 16 New

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.

Changes since 2017
  • † On 8 June 2018, Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay Labour Councillor Lesley Laird resigned her seat as she won the MP seat for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Shadow Scottish Secretary, and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party.[4] A by-election was held on Thursday, 6 September 2018. The seat was won by Conservative candidate Dave Colman.[5]
  • †† On 13 September 2019 Rosyth SNP Councillor Samantha Steele resigned her seat citing health reasons and family problems.[6] A by-election was held on 14 November 2019 and Sharon Green-Wilson held the seat for the SNP.
  • ††† In September 2019 Dunfermline Central Conservative Cllr Alan Craig resigned his seat. A by-election was held on 14 November 2019 and Derek Glen gained the seat for the SNP
  • †††† On 2 December 2019 East Neuk and Landward Conservative Cllr Linda Holt resigned from the party and became an Independent calling the Tories dysfunctional.[7]
  • ††††† West Fife and Coastal Villages SNP Cllr Kate Stewart decided to leave the SNP and become an Independent on 25 March 2020.[8]
  • †††††† East Neuk and Landward SNP John Docherty decided to leave the SNP and become an Independent as he was not selected to stand for the SNP

By-elections since 2017
Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay By-election (6 September 2018)[9]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1234567
Conservative Dave Coleman 37.3% 2,309 2,312 2,316 2,330 2,455 2,615 2,839
SNP Neale Hanvey 28.1% 1,741 1,741 1,744 1,840 1,950 2,076 2,327
Labour Billy Pollock 12.0% 744 746 747 794 867 1,058  
Liberal Democrats Callum John Hawthorne 9.1% 566 568 573 631 738    
Independent Peter Collins 8.4% 521 524 545 565      
Scottish Green Mags Hall 4.2% 257 257 258        
Independent Alastair Amundsen MacIntyre 0.6% 40 41          
Libertarian Calum Paul 0.2% 13            
Electorate: 14,484   Valid: 6,191   Spoilt: 48   Quota: 3,096   Turnout: 6,239 (43.1%)  
    Dunfermline Central By-election (14 November 2019)[10]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    123456
    SNP Derek Glen 33.16 1,526 1,528 1,628 1,761 1,798 2,297
    Conservative Chloe Dodds 24.82 1,142 1,150 1,150 1,202    
    Liberal Democrats Aude Boubaker-Calder 22.82 1,050 1,053 1,117 1,343 1,796  
    Labour Michael Boyd 13.49 621 624 656      
    Scottish Green Fiona McOwan 5.11 235 237        
    Libertarian Keith Chamberlain 0.61 28          
    Electorate: 15,698   Valid:   Quota: 2,302   Turnout: 4,602 (29.5%)  
      Rosyth By-election (14 November 2019)[10]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      123456
      SNP Sharon Green-Wilson 42.8% 1,347 1,347 1,406 1,429 1,486 1,639
      Conservative Margaret Fairgrieve 24.4% 768 771 774 822 885 976
      Labour Billy Pollock 15.2% 480 480 498 526 591  
      Liberal Democrats Jill Blair 7.9% 249 250 275 291    
      Independent Alastair MacIntyre 5.0% 157 162 168      
      Scottish Green Craig McCutcheon 4.2% 132 133        
      Libertarian Calum Paul 0.5% 16          
      Electorate: 11,554   Valid:   Quota: 1,575   Turnout: 3,149 (27.5%)  

        References
        1. "Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland - Fifth Electoral Reviews - Fife". www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
        2. "Local Elections: Ex-SNP leader loses seat". www.fifetoday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
        3. "Fife Council agree to SNP and Labour joint partnership". Dunfermline Press. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
        4. "Kirkcaldy MP Lesley Laird resigns as councillor". www.fifetoday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
        5. "Tory candidate Dave Coleman wins Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay by-election". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
        6. "Rosyth councillor Sam Steele resigns". Dunfermline Press. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
        7. Henderson, Neil. "Prominent Fife Tory councillor resigns amid claims party is dysfunctional". Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
        8. "West Fife councillor leaves SNP".
        10. "Dunfermline Central and Rosyth by-elections | Fife Council". Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
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