2012 Aberdeen City Council election

2012 Aberdeen City Council election

← 2007 3 May 2012 (2012-05-03) 2017 →
All 43 seats to Aberdeen City Council 22 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Barney Crockett Callum McCaig Aileen Malone Party Labour SNP Liberal Democrats Leader's seat Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone Kincorth/Loirston Lower Deeside Last election 10 seats, 23.3% 12 seats, 27.9% 15 seats, 34.9% Seats before 8 15 11 Seats won 17 15 5 Seat change 7 3 10 Popular vote 16,264 17,131 8,293 Percentage 29.7% 31.3% 15.1% Swing 6.4% 3.4% 19.8%   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Marie Boulton Fraser Forsyth Party Independent Conservative Leader's seat Lower Deeside Midtsocket/Rosemount Last election 1 seats, 2.3% 5 seats, 11.6% Seats before 7 2 Seats won 3 3 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 6,117 5,285 Percentage 11.2% 9.7% Swing 8.9% 1.9%
The 13 multi-member wards
Council Leader before election Callum McCaig SNP Council Leader after election Barney Crockett Labour

The 2012 Aberdeen City Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Aberdeen City Council. The election used the 13 wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 43 Councillors elected.

Local political activist Renee Slater caused great controversy when she registered a mannequin doll as 'Helena Torry' in the Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross ward. This was withdrawn soon after being spotted and a report has been issued to Grampian Police.^[1]

The election saw the Scottish Liberal Democrats decimated as they lost two-thirds of their Councillors. The Scottish National Party secured 3 gains copper-fastening their by-election gains during the 2007–2012 term. However, it was Labour who proved to be the biggest winners with 7 gains and 17 total seats as they secured first place. Independents gained 2 seats while the Tories lost 2 seats.

On 9 May an agreement was reached to form a coalition. The coalition was formed between the Scottish Labour Party, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and three Independent councillors. Labour had 17 seats, the Tories contributed three and there were three independent members.