The 2017 Midlothian Council election took place on 4 May 2017 to elect members of Midlothian Council . The election used the six wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , with each ward electing three Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation , with 18 Councillors being elected.
2017 Midlothian Council election
First party
Second party
Third party
Leader
Derek Milligan
Kelly Parry
Peter Smaill
Party
Labour
SNP
Conservative
Leader's seat
Bonnyrigg
Midlothian West
Midlothian East
Last election
8 seats, 39.49%
8 seats, 39.47%
0 seats, 8.51%
Seats before
8
8
0
Seats won
7
6
5
Seat change
1
2
5
Popular vote
9,887
10,038
7,444
Fourth party
Fifth party
Leader
Ian Baxter
Peter de Vink
Party
Scottish Green
Independent
Leader's seat
Bonnyrigg
Midlothian East
Last election
1 seats, 4.49%
1 seats, 3.75%
Seats before
1
1
Seats won
0
0
Seat change
1
1
Popular vote
2,250
2,453
Council Leader before election
Cath Johnstone
SNP
Council Leader after election
Derek Milligan
Labour
It was the first time that the Conservative party had won council seats in Midlothian since the 1995 election.
2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
2012-2017: 1 Con gain from SNP
Penicuik - 3 seats[ 1]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Conservative
Andrew Hardie
26.2
1,517
Labour
Adam Montgomery (incumbent )†
25.6
1,482
SNP
Debbi McCall
21.0
1,212
1,214.5
1,217.9
1,336.4
1,472.8
SNP
Joe Wallace (incumbent )
14.3
828
829.7
832.8
886.1
940.0
Liberal Democrats
Ken Brown
7.3
425
455.7
466.9
571.6
Scottish Green
Jim Garry
5.6
329
333.1
336.5
Electorate: TBC Valid: 5,793 Spoilt: 62 Quota: 1,449 Turnout: 52.3%
2012: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xGreen
2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Green
Bonnyrigg - 3 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Labour
Derek Milligan (incumbent )
29.0
1,901
Conservative
Janet Lay-Douglas
21.6
1,415
1,425.6
1,515.9
1,521.3
1,524.7
1,708.1
SNP
Dianne Alexander
18.4
1,203
1,210.0
1,222.4
1,778.9
Scottish Green
Ian Baxter (incumbent )
10.7
701
713.7
763.8
799.9
870.2
1,037.0
SNP
Colin Lawrie
9.4
617
623.3
632.6
Labour
Louie Lorraine Milliken
7.1
466
665.6
715.8
728.1
741.4
Independent
George McIntyre
3.8
250
257.4
Electorate: TBC Valid: 6,553 Spoilt: 103 Quota: 1,639 Turnout: 48.5%
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2017: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2012-2017 Change: No change
Dalkeith - 3 seats[ 3]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SNP
Colin Cassidy
27.2
1,142
Labour
Stephen Curran
23.2
976
980.7
1,000.9
1,051.6
Labour
Margot Russell (incumbent )
19.1
800
804.2
840.4
884.7
885.9
993.5
1,317.5
Conservative
Robin Traquair
16.8
706
707.3
716.3
779.4
779.4
791.8
Independent
Jim Bryant (incumbent )
5.9
248
249.9
275.1
Scottish Green
Jill Simon
4.0
168
171.9
SNP
Gary Young
3.8
158
229.1
282.0
330.4
330.5
Electorate: TBC Valid: 4,198 Spoilt: 121 Quota: 1,050 Turnout: 41.9%
2012: 2xSNP; 1xLab
2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from SNP
Midlothian West - 3 seats[ 4]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Conservative
Pauline Winchester
26.9
1,503
SNP
Kelly Parry (incumbent )
19.5
1,091
1,092.0
1,106.3
1,159.7
1,679.7
Labour
Russell Imrie (incumbent )
12.2
684
698.8
737.5
817.0
837.3
867.9
1,443.5
Labour
Stephen Blain
11.0
612
620.1
650.1
700.2
707.3
724.1
SNP
David Temple
10.4
581
582.7
587.7
616.9
Scottish Green
Helen Blackburn
8.4
468
473.4
552.3
680.8
715.9
835.8
889.4
Independent
Andrew Coventry (incumbent )
7.4
413
435.8
484.2
Liberal Democrats
Ross Laird
4.2
236
256.6
Electorate: TBC Valid: 5,588 Spoilt: 91 Quota: 1,398 Turnout: 47.2%
2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xIndependent
2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab
2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Independent
Midlothian East - 3 seats[ 5]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Conservative
Peter Smaill
26.9
1,522
Labour
John Hackett
22.7
1,284
1,314.3
1,387.5
1,431.6
Independent
Robert Hogg
18.8
1,064
1,098.0
1,169.1
1,210.2
SNP
Kenneth Baird ††
15.4
872
873.1
928.1
1,485.8
SNP
Louise D'Arcy-Greig
10.8
609
610.4
677.4
Scottish Green
Helen Armstrong
5.3
301
309.1
Electorate: TBC Valid: 5,652 Spoilt: 68 Quota: 1,414 Turnout: 48.3%
2012: 2xLab; 1xSNP
2017: 1xLab; 1xSNP; 1xCon
2012-2017 Change: 1 Con gain from Lab
Midlothian South - 3 seats[ 6]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Labour
Jim Muirhead (incumbent )
24.6
1,218
1,257
SNP
Cath Johnstone (incumbent )
21.6
1,067
1,104
1,104.9
1,164.8
1,295.1
Conservative
Kieran Munro
15.8
781
801
802.0
867.0
1,048.4
1,050.7
1,249.7
SNP
Ellen Scott
13.3
658
721
721.9
748.3
797.5
844.1
Independent
Jason Ferry
9.7
478
541
541.9
625.5
Labour
Bryan Pottinger (incumbent )
9.4
464
497
510.8
Scottish Green
Malcolm Spaven
5.7
283
Electorate: TBC Valid: 4,949 Spoilt: 76 Quota: 1,238 Turnout: 45.2%
Changes since the election
edit
† On 10 January 2018 Penicuik Labour Cllr Adam Montgomery died following a short illness.[ 7] A by-election was held on 22 March 2018 and the seat was gained by the SNP's Joe Wallace.
†† Midlothian East SNP Cllr Kenneth Baird resigned his seat in February 2021.[ 8] A by-election was held on 25 March 2021 and the seat was retained by the SNP's Stuart McKenzie.
By-elections since 2017
edit
Penicuik By-election (22 March 2018)[ 9]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
SNP
Joe Wallace
35.0
1,663
1,803
2,307
Conservative
Murdo MacDonald
30.2
1,433
1,469
1,788
Labour
Vivienne Wallace
27.6
1,310
1,414
Scottish Green
Helen Armstrong
7.2
344
Electorate: TBC Valid: 4,781 Spoilt: 31 Quota: 2,376 Turnout: 4,812 (42.9%)
Midlothian East By-election (25 March 2021) - 1 Seat[ 10]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
SNP
Stuart McKenzie
35.4
1,538
1,547
1,662
1,963
Conservative
Alan Symon
29.4
1,279
1,326
1,364
1,656
Labour
Hazel Flanagan
24.6
1,070
1,114
1,222
Scottish Green
Joy Godfrey
6.5
282
332
Liberal Democrats
Margaret Davis
4.1
178
Electorate: TBC Valid: 4,347 Spoilt: 21 Quota: 2,174 Turnout: 4,368 (35.8%)