Five principal council by-elections were contested last Thursday, with SNP securing two gains and a hold from the four contests in Scotland.
The party polled 59.5% and 55.3% respectively in gaining seats in Moray and Fife from an Independent and Labour. The SNP also saw a stark increase in their vote share in the West Lothian ward of Armadale and Blackridge, as they recorded a 23.5% improvement on their performance in the ward’s 2012 contest to secure a comfortable hold.
In contrast, it was a dissapointing day for Scottish Labour as they relinquished two council seats. The party finished 896 first preference votes adfrift of the SNP in losing their seat in Glenrothes West and Kinglassie ward in Fife and didn’t field a candidate as an Independent saw off a challenge from the SNP in winning a contest in the Western Isles.
In Wales, the Conservatives recorded a narrow gain from the Llantwit Major First Independent party in Llantwit Major ward in the Vale of Glamorgan. The Tories secured an 18.7% vote share increase from 2012 to take the seat by just 12 votes.
Only one Lib Dem candidate was fielded in this week’s round of elections, gaining 1.3% of the vote in the Fife by-election.