2022 East Renfrewshire Council election

The 2022 East Renfrewshire Council election took place on 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. The election used the 5 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 18 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.[3]

For broader coverage of this topic, see 2022 Scottish local elections.
2022 East Renfrewshire Council election
5 May 2022 (2022-05-05)
All 18 seats to East Renfrewshire Council
10 seats needed for a majority
Turnout52.7%
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Leader Tony Buchanan Gordon Wallace[1]
Party SNP Conservative
Leader's seat Newton Mearns North and Neilston Giffnock and Thornliebank
Last election 5 7
Seats won 6 5
Seat change Increase1 Decrease2
Popular vote 11,249 11,599
Percentage 28.6 29.5
  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Owen O'Donnell[2] N/A
Party Labour Independent
Leader's seat Newton Mearns North and Neilston N/A
Last election 4 2
Seats won 5 2
Seat change Increase1 0
Popular vote 7,973 5,571
Percentage 20.2 14.1
Council Leader before election

Tony Buchanan
SNP

 Council Leader after election

Owen O'Donnell
Labour

At the last election in 2017, the Conservatives won the most seats, but a coalition administration was formed between the SNP and Labour.[4]

Background

Composition
Party 2017 result Dissolution
SNP 5 5
Labour 4 4
Conservative 7 5
Independent 2 4

Changes since 2017

Barrhead, Liboside & Uplawmoor Conservative Cllr Paul Aitken resigned from the Scottish Conservatives and became an Independent on 22 January 2018.[5]

Clarkston, Netherlee & Williamwood Conservative Cllr Stewart Miller resigned from the Scottish Conservatives and became an Independent on 10 September 2020.[6]

Results
2022 East Renfrewshire Council election result
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SNP 6 1 0 Increase1 33.3 28.6 11,249 Increase4.3
  Conservative 5 0 2 Decrease2 27.8 29.5 11,599 Decrease8.8
  Labour 5 1 0 Increase1 27.8 20.2 7,973 Increase2.8
  Independent 2 0 0 Steady 11.1 14.1 5,571 Decrease4.9
  Scottish Green 0 0 0 Steady 0 5.4 2,111 Increase4.0
  Alba 0 0 0 0 0.9 341 New
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.5 203 Decrease1.7
  Scottish Family 0 0 0 0 0.5 203 New
  Freedom Alliance 0 0 0 0 0.2 67 New
  ISP 0 0 0 0 0.1 57 New

Ward summary
Results of the 2022 East Renfrewshire Council election by ward (first preferences)
Ward  %
Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
SNP Labour Conservative Independent Others
Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor 33.4 2 20.1 1 10.7 0 31.1 1 4.5 0 4
Newton Mearns North and Neilston 32.1 1 25.4 1 34.5 1 8.0 0 3
Giffnock and Thornliebank 26.1 1 22.2 1 25.1 1 19.9 0 6.7 0 3
Clarkston, Netherlee and Williamwood 29.0 1 16.8 1 23.5 1 20.7 1 10.0 0 4
Newton Mearns South & Eaglesham 24.3 1 19.1 1 48.9 2 7.8 0 4
Total 28.5 6 20.2 5 29.5 5 14.1 2 7.6 0 18

Ward results

Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor
Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor - 4 seats[7][8]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345678
Independent Danny Devlin (incumbent) 26.0% 1,753              
SNP Angela Convery (incumbent) 24.3% 1,639              
Labour Betty Wood Cunningham (incumbent) 20.1% 1,355              
Conservative Greg Turner† 10.7% 722 760 761 762 767 780 898  
SNP Chris Lunday 9.1% 616 691 935 936 968 1,105 1,198 1,282
Independent Paul Aitken (incumbent) 5.1% 345 462 470 472 491 536    
Scottish Green Frank Wilson 3.4% 229 258 272 273 285      
Alba Neil Anderson 1.1% 74 91 96 96        
Electorate: 14,485   Valid: 6,733   Spoilt: 133[9] (1.93%)   Quota: 1,347   Turnout: 47.2%  

    † Greg Turner was suspended from the Conservative Party on 21 April 2022, prior to the election, after being linked to derogatory online remarks against Catholics.[10] His name remained on the ballot paper, as the deadline for nominations had passed.

    Newton Mearns North and Neilston
    Newton Mearns North and Neilston - 3 seats[7]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    1
    SNP Tony Buchanan (incumbent) 32.1% 1,938
    Conservative Andrew Morrison 26.2% 1,579
    Labour Owen O'Donnell 25.4% 1,532
    Conservative Farooq Choudhry 8.3% 501
    Scottish Green Adrian Egglestone 5.3% 322
    Scottish Family Maria Reid 1.4% 84
    Alba Carol McKenzie 0.9% 55
    Freedom Alliance (UK) Derek McMillan 0.4% 23
    Electorate: 12,397   Valid: 6,034   Spoilt: 72[11] (1.2%)   Quota: 1,509   Turnout: 49%  

      Giffnock and Thornliebank
      Giffnock and Thornliebank - 3 seats[7]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345
      SNP Colm Merrick (incumbent) 26.1% 1,888        
      Conservative Gordon Wallace (incumbent) 25.1% 1,816        
      Labour Mary Montague 22.2% 1,608 1,629 1,630 1,662 1,863
      Independent Allan Steele 13.5% 978 983 986 998 1,033
      Independent Alice Roy 6.4% 464 469 470 488 576
      Scottish Green Karen Sharkey 5.4% 387 418 418 439  
      Alba George Gebbie 1.3% 92 97 97    
      Electorate: 12,996   Valid: 7,233   Spoilt: 80[12] (1.1%)   Quota: 1,809   Turnout: 56.2%  

        Clarkston, Netherlee and Williamwood
        Clarkston, Netherlee and Williamwood - 4 seats[7]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        12345678
        SNP Annette Ireland (incumbent) 21.6% 2,119              
        Conservative Kate Campbell 17.2% 1,692 1,692 1,694 1,710 2,254      
        Labour Katie Victoria Pragnell 16.8% 1,647 1,654 1,657 1,728 1,743 1,798 1,908 2,116
        Independent David Macdonald (incumbent) 14.3% 1,407 1,415 1,425 1,448 1,471 1,541 1,868 2,017
        SNP David Tam McDonald 7.4% 724 838 852 863 864 867 895 1,233
        Scottish Green Gordon Keenan 7.3% 717 737 745 780 787 796 846  
        Independent Stewart Miller (incumbent) 6.4% 624 626 634 656 673 718    
        Conservative Gerald Edwards 6.3% 622 622 622 627        
        Liberal Democrats Daphne Vlastari 2.1% 203 204 206          
        ISP Colette Walker 0.6% 57 58            
        Electorate: 16,612   Valid: 9,812   Spoilt: 165[13] (1.6%)   Quota: 1,963   Turnout: 60.2%  

          Newton Mearns South and Eaglesham
          Newton Mearns South and Eaglesham - 4 seats[7][8]
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          123456789
          SNP Caroline Bamforth[14] (incumbent) 24.3% 2,325                
          Conservative Paul Edlin[14] 21.1% 2,016                
          Labour Andrew Anderson[14] 19.1% 1,831 1,938              
          Conservative Jim McLean[14] (incumbent) 16.6% 1,584 1,600 1,685 1,690 1,691 1,721 1,733 1,823 2,888
          Conservative Paul Smith 11.2% 1,067 1,070 1,082 1,083 1,087 1,106 1,113 1,154  
          Scottish Green Victoria Palmer-Dyer 4.8% 456 649 650 658 665 688 738    
          Alba Amer Siddiqui 1.3% 120 146 147 147 152 164      
          Scottish Family Luke Reid 1.2% 119 123 123 124 133        
          Freedom Alliance (UK) Mark Niven Turnbull[8] 0.5% 44 45 45 46          
          Electorate: 18,174   Valid: 9,562   Spoilt: 139[15] (1.4%)   Quota: 1,913   Turnout: 53.1%  

            Aftermath

            After this election, a minority coalition was formed with the five Labour councillors and the two Independent councillors, David Macdonald and Danny Devlin. The SNP accused Labour of a 'backroom deal' with the Conservatives.[16]

            On 4 July 2022, Macdonald left the coalition, and the council's administration.[17] Responding to a query on social media, he said: "The agreement I reached with the Labour group leader for my support to install a minority Labour, Independent administration was not going to be delivered. I lost trust and confidence and for that reason I could not, in good faith, continue."[18]

            References
            1. "Cllr Gordon Wallace". East Renfrewshire Conservatives.
            2. Sandelands, Drew (19 May 2022). "Labour plans minority administration in East Renfrewshire". Glasgow World.
            3. "Scottish Local Government Elections - 5 May 2022". East Renfrewshire Council. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
            4. Brawn, Steph (20 May 2017). "SNP and Labour set to form coalition on East Renfrewshire Council". Barrhead News. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
            5. Gordon, Tom (22 January 2018). "Barrhead's first Tory in 25 years quits over "party diktat"". The Herald.
            6. "Welcome to the US Petabox". GlasgowTimes. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
            7. "Notice of poll and situation of polling stations" (PDF). East Renfrewshire Council. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
            8. "East Renfrewshire Council : Candidate Votes Per Stage Report" (PDF). Eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
            9. "East Renfrewshire Council : Declaration of Results" (PDF). Eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
            10. McCall, Chris (21 April 2022). "Scots Tory candidate dropped after branding Catholic school a 'bigot factory'". Daily Record.
            11. "East Renfrewshire Council : Declaration of Results" (PDF). Eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
            12. "East Renfrewshire Council : Declaration of Results" (PDF). Eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
            13. "East Renfrewshire Council : Declaration of Results" (PDF). Eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
            14. "Local government election results 2022". East Renfrewshire Council.
            15. "East Renfrewshire Council : Declaration of Results" (PDF). Eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
            16. Sandelands, Drew (26 May 2022). "Labour to run East Renfrewshire amid accusations of 'backroom deal with Tories'". Glasgow Live.
            17. Sandelands, Drew (4 July 2022). "Independent member quits East Renfrewshire Council's minority administration". Barrhead News. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
            18. Sandelands, Drew (4 July 2022). "East Renfrewshire councillor quits administration just weeks after election". GlasgowLive. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
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