Scottish council elections: SNP and Labour make gains across Scotland

THE overall picture emerging this afternoon was that of a two party race, with both Labour and the SNP making gains in councils across Scotland.

The SNP has made gains in Falkirk as well as becoming the largest party on Stirling council as a clearer picture of Scotland’s local government political map began to emerge this afternoon.

The party is confident of recapturing Falkirk from the Labour dominated Coalition amid local disenchantment over the revelations surrounding MP Eric Joyce’s assault scandal in the House of Commons bar.

There were more SNP gains in Aberdeenshire with two councillors – Jim Ingram and Lenny Pirie - both returned in the Central Buchan ward on First Minister Alex Salmond’s doorstep.

But Labour has made gains from the SNP in East Lothain, with Shamin Akhtar, Jim Gillies and Donald Grant all returned for the party in Fa’side. Only Kenny McLeod is elected for the Nationalists who had two seats in the ward last time. Widespread anger over a mass cull of local bus services dominated the campaign in the SNP/Lib Dem council area.

There were also Labour gains in Aberdeen, where Labour took Hilton and Stockethill . Their candidate failed to hold on to the place made vacant by departing Lib Dem councillor Neil Fletcher, the civil partner of former administration leader John Stewart .

In Edinburgh there were victories for Karen Keil of the Scottish Labour party, Ron Cairns for the SNP and Robert Aldridge for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who have been elected to represent the ward of Drum Brae/Gyle

The Lib Dem are suffering heavy losses on a similar scale to last year’s Holyrood elections, with prominent figures in the party such as Kate Dean, former leader of the council, lost her seat in Kincorth and Loirston ward in Aberdeen.

The party has lost all of its three councillors in Stirling, as well as being completely wiped out in Clackmannanshire, where the party failed to hold onto its only seat.