2012 Argyll and Bute Council election

2012 Argyll and Bute Council election

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All 36 seats to Argyll and Bute Council 19 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Dick Walsh Roddy McCuish David Fairbairn Kinniburgh Party Independent SNP Conservative Leader's seat Dunoon Oban South and the Isles Helensburgh and Lomond South Last election 16 seats, 44.4% 10 seats, 27.8% 3 seats, 8.3% Seats before 16 11 3 Seats won 15 13 4 Seat change 1 3 1 Popular vote 11,922 9,234 4,811 Percentage 38.4% 29.7% 15.5% Swing 0.7% 7.5% 0.2%   Fourth party   Leader Ellen Morton Party Liberal Democrats Leader's seat Helensburgh and Lomond South Last election 7 seats, 19.4% Seats before 6 Seats won 4 Seat change 3 Popular vote 3,540 Percentage 11.4% Swing 7.8%
Council Leader before election Dick Walsh Independent Council Leader after election Roddy McCuish SNP

Elections to Argyll and Bute Council were held on 3 May 2012 on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. The election used the eleven wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 36 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.

After the 2007 Local Election a coalition was formed between the Alliance for Independents group and the Scottish National Party. This arrangement subsequently broke up and the Independent group formed a minority administration with the support of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

The 2012 election saw Independent Councillors remain the largest grouping on the Council while the Scottish National Party increased their representation again by 3 seats, chiefly at the expense of the Lib Dems. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party gained an additional seat and replaced the Lib Dems in third place according to vote share.

Following the election an administration was formed between the Scottish National Party and the Argyll First Group of Independent Councilors. However, this coalition subsequently broke down, and after the SNP National Executive prevented the SNP group forming a coalition with the Scottish Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, 4 members of the SNP group including Roddy McCuish, Mary Jean Devon, Michael Breslin and Robert MacIntyre left the SNP, and a coalition of Independents, Scottish Conservatives, and Liberal Democrats was subsequently formed in October 2013, led by Dick Walsh. Another member of the SNP Group, Fred Hall, had previously left the SNP in April 2013, and now sits as an independent.