2022 Scottish Local Elections

The 2022 Scottish local elections, a significant event in the landscape of Scottish governance, unfolded on the 5th of May 2022. This electoral contest was intrinsically linked to the broader 2022 United Kingdom local elections framework, determining the composition of all 32 Scottish councils. A total of 1,226 seats were contested, presenting a comprehensive snapshot of political sentiment across Scotland. The voter turnout for these elections registered at 44.8%, a figure that saw a slight increase of 2.1% compared to the previous local elections.

The results painted a familiar, yet nuanced, picture. The Scottish National Party (SNP), under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon, emerged once again as the dominant force, securing 453 seats. This represented a gain of 22 seats and solidified their position as the largest party in local government, capturing 36.9% of the seats. Scottish Labour, led by Anas Sarwar, demonstrated a notable resurgence, increasing its seat count by 20 to reach 282 seats, accounting for 22.9% of the total. Conversely, the Scottish Conservatives, headed by Douglas Ross, experienced a substantial setback, losing 63 seats to end up with 214, a figure that placed them as the third-largest party. This shift saw Scottish Labour overtake the Conservatives for the second-largest party position.

Independent candidates, while losing some ground, still managed to secure 149 seats. The Scottish Liberal Democrats, led by Alex Cole-Hamilton, made significant gains, adding 20 seats to their tally for a total of 87. The Scottish Greens, with Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie as prominent figures, also saw an increase, gaining 16 seats to reach 35.

A key development in the 2022 elections was the shift in council control. While the 2017 Scottish local elections concluded with no single party holding an outright majority on any council, the 2022 results saw a change. The SNP achieved an outright majority on Dundee City Council, a notable accomplishment. Similarly, Labour secured overall control of West Dunbartonshire Council. The Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, directly attributed his party's disappointing performance to the lingering effects of the partygate scandal.

Beyond the major parties, other political entities contested the elections with varying degrees of success. The Alba Party and the Scottish Family Party fielded candidates in approximately 100 seats each but failed to win any representation. Smaller parties like the Rubbish Party and the West Dunbartonshire Community Party managed to retain their single seats. The British Unionist Party achieved a notable victory by capturing its first seat from the Conservatives.

Background

The preceding local elections in Scotland took place in 2017. This election was deliberately held five years after the 2012 elections, rather than the customary four, a temporal adjustment made to avoid a direct clash with the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

In preparation for the 2022 elections, Boundaries Scotland undertook a comprehensive review of electoral arrangements for six specific councils. This review was mandated by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. The Local Government Committee of the Scottish Parliament gave its approval to the revised boundaries in Na h-Eileanan an Iar, North Ayrshire, Orkney, and Shetland. However, it recommended against the proposed boundary changes for Argyll and Bute and Highland, indicating a divergence of opinion on the optimal electoral divisions in those regions.

Voting System and Eligibility to Vote

The electoral system employed for these elections, as has been the practice since the 2007 Scottish local elections, was the Single Transferable Vote (STV) method. This system is used to elect councillors to multi-member wards. Prior to these elections, wards were typically structured to elect either three or four councillors. However, the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 and the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 granted Boundaries Scotland greater latitude in determining ward sizes. Consequently, mainland wards could now accommodate between two and five councillors, with the stipulation that single-councillor wards were permissible if they encompassed an inhabited island. For the 2022 elections, wards with one, two, or five councillors were specifically implemented in the four council areas where boundary redrawing had occurred post-2017: Na h-Eileanan an Iar, North Ayrshire, Orkney, and Shetland.

Across the 32 local authorities, the electoral map featured one district with a single seat (Arran), seven districts with two seats, and three districts with five seats (North Ayrshire). The majority of councillors, however, were elected from districts returning three or four members.

The franchise for these local elections was broad. All registered electors residing in Scotland were eligible to vote, provided they were aged 16 or over on polling day. This included British citizens and foreign nationals who had been granted leave to remain, encompassing refugees. A particular provision allowed individuals with two homes, such as students with both a term-time address and a family home, to register and vote in two different local council areas, provided these areas were not the same electoral district.

The deadline for registration to vote was set for midnight on 18 April 2022. Those wishing to vote by post had until 19 April 2022 to register, while the deadline for registering for a proxy vote was 26 April 2022.

Opinion Polling

Leading up to the elections, various opinion polls offered insights into voter intentions. A poll conducted by Survation between 29 April and 3 May 2022, based on a sample of 893 respondents, indicated the SNP leading with 41%, followed by Labour at 23% and the Conservatives at 17%. The Liberal Democrats were at 8%, and the Greens at 5%.

A poll from Survation in collaboration with Ballot Box Scotland between 24–28 March 2022, surveying 1,002 individuals, showed the SNP ahead with 44%, Labour with 23%, and the Conservatives with 18%. The Liberal Democrats garnered 6%, and the Greens 3%.

Earlier, a Panelbase poll for Scot Goes Pop from 20–26 October 2021, with 1,001 participants, projected the SNP at 45%, the Conservatives at 22%, and Labour at 21%. The Liberal Democrats were at 6%, and the Greens at 4%.

For comparative context, the 2017 Scottish local elections saw the SNP secure 32.3% of the vote, the Conservatives 25.3%, and Labour 20.2%.

Results

The overall results of the May 2022 Scottish council elections revealed a complex political landscape. The SNP secured the largest share of first-preference votes at 34.1% (633,251 votes), marking an increase of 1.8%. They won control of one additional council, bringing their total seat count to 453, representing 37.0% of all seats, an increase of 22 seats.

Scottish Labour garnered 21.7% of the first-preference votes (403,243), a modest increase of 1.6%. They also gained control of one council, ending up with 282 seats, or 23.1% of the total, a gain of 20 seats.

The Scottish Conservatives saw a significant decline, receiving 19.6% of the vote (364,824), a drop of 5.7%. They lost 62 seats, ending with 214 councillors, or 17.5% of the total.

Independent candidates collectively received 8.4% of the vote (156,751), a decrease of 2.0%, and lost 19 seats, resulting in 149 councillors, or 12.2% of the total.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats achieved 8.6% of the vote (159,815), a slight increase of 1.7%, and gained 20 seats, bringing their total to 87, or 7.1%.

The Scottish Greens secured 6.0% of the vote (110,791), an increase of 1.9%, and gained 16 seats, reaching 35 councillors, or 2.9%.

Several smaller parties contested the elections. The West Dunbartonshire Community Party retained its single seat. The British Unionist Party (BUP) won one seat, gaining it from the Conservatives. The Rubbish Party also held its sole seat.

Newer parties like the Alba Party and the Scottish Family Party failed to secure any seats, despite running candidates. Other parties, including the Scottish Socialist Party, TUSC, Independence for Scotland Party, Scottish Libertarian Party, Freedom Alliance, Volt UK, Socialist Labour Party, UKIP, Women's Equality Party, Social Democratic Party, Sovereignty, Communist Party of Britain, Pensioner's, and Vanguard Party, received minimal vote shares and no seats.

In total, 1,857,181 first-preference votes were cast across the 32 councils. Of these, 3 seats remained vacant. Twenty-seven councils ended up with no overall control, while two councils achieved majority control.

Councils

The breakdown of council control illustrates the shifting political dynamics:

Aberdeen City: The SNP held onto its position as the largest party, moving from an SNP minority to an SNP with a Liberal Democrat coalition. The previous administration was a Labour, Conservative + Independent coalition.
Aberdeenshire: The Conservative party maintained its status as the largest party, continuing its coalition with the Liberal Democrats and Independents.
Angus: The SNP transitioned from a coalition government (with Independents) to a minority SNP administration.
Argyll and Bute: The SNP remained the largest party, shifting from an Independent, Conservative + Liberal Democrat coalition to a Conservative, Independent + Liberal Democrat coalition.
Clackmannanshire: The SNP retained its minority administration.
Dumfries and Galloway: The Conservative party maintained its position as the largest party, but the administration changed from an SNP + Labour coalition to a more complex grouping of SNP, Labour, Independent, and Liberal Democrat councillors.
Dundee City: A significant victory for the SNP, who moved from a minority administration to achieving an outright majority.
East Ayrshire: The SNP maintained its minority administration.
East Dunbartonshire: The SNP remained the largest party, shifting from a Conservative + Liberal Democrat coalition to an SNP minority administration.
East Lothian: Labour retained its minority administration.
East Renfrewshire: The SNP took control from the Conservatives, forming an administration with Labour and Independents.
City of Edinburgh: The SNP maintained its position as the largest party, shifting from an SNP + Labour coalition to a Labour minority administration.
Falkirk: The SNP maintained its minority administration.
Fife: The SNP retained its position as the largest party, moving from an SNP + Labour coalition to a Labour minority administration.
Glasgow City: The SNP remained the largest party, continuing with a minority administration.
Highland: The SNP took control from the Independents, forming an SNP + Independent coalition. The previous administration was an Independent, Liberal Democrat + Labour coalition.
Inverclyde: Labour retained its minority administration.
Midlothian: The SNP took control from Labour, forming a minority administration.
Moray: The Conservative party gained control from the SNP, forming a minority administration.
Na h-Eileanan Siar: Independent councillors maintained their majority control.
North Ayrshire: The SNP took control from a Labour + SNP arrangement, forming a minority administration.
North Lanarkshire: The SNP maintained its position as the largest party, continuing with a minority administration.
Orkney Islands: Independent councillors maintained their majority control, forming a coalition with the Greens.
Perth and Kinross: The SNP took control from the Conservatives, forming a minority administration.
Renfrewshire: The SNP maintained its minority administration.
Scottish Borders: The Conservative party retained its position as the largest party, continuing its coalition with Independents.
Shetland Islands: Independent councillors maintained their majority control.
South Ayrshire: The Conservative party became the largest party, shifting from an SNP, Labour + Independent coalition to a Conservative minority administration.
South Lanarkshire: The SNP maintained its position as the largest party, shifting from a minority administration to a coalition with Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Independents.
Stirling: The SNP remained the largest party, moving from an SNP + Conservative arrangement to an SNP minority administration.
West Dunbartonshire: A significant shift saw Labour gain overall control from the SNP, forming a majority administration.
West Lothian: The SNP maintained its position as the largest party, continuing with a minority administration.