Local and Holyrood elections to be held on separate days

Published on Wednesday 4 February 2009 14:02

SCOTTISH voters will be asked to go to the polls on separate dates to elect councillors and MSPs under measures announced today.

The change was a key proposal of an independent report by international elections expert Ron Gould into the fiasco which saw more than 140,000 ballots spoiled in the 2007 Scottish elections.

The local government elections Bill will extend current and subsequent council terms of office by one year.

This means the next local council elections may be held in 2012, again in 2017 and then every fourth year.

Future local government elections will be held at the midpoint of the parliamentary cycle.

Bruce Crawford, minister for parliamentary business, said: "Local government elections are an important part of the democratic system in Scotland.

"Our councils do a vital job and it is right that elections to these bodies are given their proper place, rather than overshadowed by national elections on the same day.

"Holding the elections on different dates will help eliminate the voter confusion that was experienced in 2007 and give Scottish local government elections the prominence they deserve."

MSPs have already backed a motion to accept the recommendations of the Gould report, including "decoupling" the council and Holyrood election dates.

Holyrood's local government committee backed the measure in a report it compiled into the elections fiasco, while the Electoral Commission also accepts there is a strong case for change.

The Scottish Government last year published a consultation on the creation of a chief returning officer to oversee much of the process of elections, in line with the Gould report's recommendations.

Ministers are also expected to consult on more administrative changes stemming from Gould later this year.

SNP MSP Keith Brown, a former deputy returning officer, used today's announcement to urge the UK Government's Scotland Office to transfer powers regarding Scottish elections to Holyrood.

Mr Brown said: "We all experienced the chaos London control caused in 2007.

"Now is the right time for Labour in London to face up to their responsibility and let Scotland have responsibility for Scotland's elections."