Local election in Scotland
2022 Dumfries and Galloway Council election
A map of Dumfries & Galloway showing the political parties with the most 1st preference votes in each ward.
A pie chart showing the share of 1st preference votes in Dumfries & Galloway.
The 2022 Dumfries and Galloway Council election took place on 5 May 2022 to elect members of Dumfries and Galloway Council representing the Local Authority area of Dumfries and Galloway . It resulted in a council composition with no party receiving a majority of seats. The election used the twelve 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 being elected.
Many prominent elected members stood down at this election, including the Leader of the Council, and former Dumfriesshire MSP, Elaine Murray .[1]
Results [ edit ]
2022 Dumfries and Galloway Council election result[2] [3]
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
Conservative
16
0
0
0
37.21
38.76
21,462
0.06
SNP
11
0
0
0
25.58
28.17
15,602
6.61
Labour
9
0
2
2
20.93
16.55
9,169
1.9
Independent
6
2
0
2
13.95
8.60
4,762
8.66
Scottish Green
0
0
0
0
0.00
4.51
2,496
2.64
Liberal Democrats
1
0
0
0
2.33
3.26
1,810
0.79
Alba
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.12
68
New
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.
Ward results [ edit ]
Stranraer and the Rhins [ edit ]
Stranraer and the Rhins - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Conservative
Andrew Giusti (incumbent)
32.87
1,518
SNP
Ben Dashper
23.26
1,074
Independent
Willie Scobie (incumbent)
22.76
1,051
Labour
John McCutcheon
9.92
458
478.74
511.28
523.0
582.42
660.68
Conservative
Chrissie Hill
7.32
338
804.04
806.97
816.64
833.1
861.45
1,025.86
Scottish Green
Peter Barlow
2.60
120
126.65
180.98
187.14
Independent
Tommy Sloan
1.28
59
98.92
118.89
198.15
239.43
Electorate: 11,398 Valid: 4,618 (41.5%) Spoilt: 108 Quota: 924 Turnout: 4,726
Mid Galloway and Wigtown West [ edit ]
Mid Galloway and Wigtown West - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Conservative
David Inglis
30.81
1,529
SNP
Katie Hagmann
30.33
1,505
Conservative
Jackie McCamon
19.43
964
1,428.50
Labour
Sandy Whitelaw
11.27
559
578.28
681.36
806.35
1,240.1
Scottish Green
Kenny Campbell
8.16
405
415.17
690.72
736.31
Electorate: 10,908 Valid: 4,962 (46.4%) Spoilt: 98 Quota: 993 Turnout: 5,060
Dee and Glenkens [ edit ]
Dee and Glenkens - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
SNP
Andy McFarlane
25.44
1,139
Conservative
John Denerley
20.37
912
912.37
927.43
942.45
963.52
1,603.68
Conservative
Susan Murdoch
17.66
791
791.47
801.52
835.52
859.71
Independent
Dougie Campbell
14.63
655
657.74
721.92
809.37
1,108.76
1,227.96
Scottish Green
Laura Moodie
11.34
508
517.76
556.07
651.93
Labour
Graham Trickey
6.05
271
272.94
320.22
Independent
Anthony Bird
4.51
202
203.05
Electorate: 8,406 Valid: 4,478 Spoilt: 51 Quota: 1,120 Turnout: 4,529
Castle Douglas and Crocketford [ edit ]
Castle Douglas and Crocketford - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Conservative
Pauline Drysdale
30.25
1,220
SNP
John Young
25.09
1,012
Independent
Iain Clark Howie
9.99
403
425.31
425.73
468.15
521.73
582.37
827.87
1,115.45
Independent
Gill Dykes
9.57
386
409.35
409.43
432.59
463.7
550.84
Liberal Democrats
Iain McDonald
7.76
313
329.6
329.94
382.21
495.45
553.27
633.43
Scottish Green
Liz Ashburn
6.03
243
244.21
245.53
Labour
Keith Heron
5.98
241
246.71
247.09
316.52
Conservative
Iain Kennedy-Moffat
5.33
215
341.95
341.97
349.93
361.55
Electorate: 7,751 Valid: 4,033 Spoilt: 59 Quota: 1,009 Turnout: 4,092 (52.8%)
Abbey - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
SNP
Kim Lowe
31.13
1,267
Labour
Davie Stitt
25.87
1,053
Conservative
Ian Blake
24.69
1,005
1,014.24
1,020.15
Conservative
Robin Wishart
12.01
489
493.91
496.38
Liberal Democrats
Matthew Pumphrey
6.29
256
375.09
390.24
Electorate: 8,592 Valid: 4,070 Spoilt: 76 Quota: 1,018 Turnout: 4,146 (48.3%)
North West Dumfries [ edit ]
North West Dumfries - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
SNP
Andy Ferguson
39.52
1,561
Conservative
Graham Bell
28.43
1,123
Labour
Emma Jordan
18.43
728
919.88
Labour
Paula Stevenson
8.78
347
404.22
495.86
607.94
909.1
Scottish Green
Ann Johnstone
4.84
191
526.42
571.95
579.27
Electorate: 10,203 Valid: 3,950 Spoilt: 62 Quota: 791 Turnout: 4,012 (39.3%)
Mid and Upper Nithsdale [ edit ]
Mid and Upper Nithsdale - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
SNP
Tony Berretti
29.23
1,161
Independent
Jim Dempster
27.37
1,087
Conservative
Andrew Wood
15.84
629
631.88
642.83
1,139.94
Conservative
Kyle Thornton
14.88
591
596.61
612.95
Labour
Callum Jamieson
12.69
504
595.34
630.2
664.05
Electorate: 8,242 Valid: 3,972 Spoilt: 46 Quota: 994 Turnout: 4,018 (48.8%)
Lochar - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
SNP
Tracey Little
33.68
1,787
Conservative
Ivor Hyslop
25.41
1,348
Labour
Linda Dorward
21.60
1,146
Conservative
Maureen Johnstone
14.55
772
810.33
1,058.85
1,078.40
Scottish Green
Sandy Rogerson
4.77
253
733.92
740.62
Electorate: 11,299 Valid: 5,306 Spoilt: 60 Quota: 1,016 Turnout: 5,386 (47.7%)
Nith - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SNP
John Gillespie Campbell
33.35
1,670
Conservative
Malcolm Johnstone
18.05
904
920
923
937.74
1,386.79
Labour
Keith Walters
16.68
835
949.4
1,291.2
Conservative
Alastair Muir
10.29
515
521.0
523.4
539.12
Independent
David Slater
9.75
488
546
562.8
621.97
642.89
785.24
1,029.72
Labour
Angie Whitelaw
7.09
355
409
Scottish Green
Ann McLauchlan
4.79
240
540.4
559
624.58
629.76
655.28
Electorate: 10,573 Valid: 5,007 Spoilt: 72 Quota: 1,002 Turnout: 5,079 (48.0%)
Annandale South [ edit ]
Annandale South - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Conservative
Ian Carruthers
21.90
1,118
SNP
George Jamieson
21.63
1,104
Labour
Sean Marshall
19.10
975
982.4
1,003.12
1,063.84
Liberal Democrats
Richard Brodie
17.67
902
911.2
924.35
995.49
1,017.45
1,396.61
Conservative
Alan Weild
16.44
839
909.1
910.97
921.46
926.58
Scottish Green
Cameron Garrett
3.25
166
166.7
195.86
Electorate: 11,245 Valid: 5,104 Spoilt: 94 Quota: 1,021 Turnout: 5,198 (46.2%)
Annandale North [ edit ]
Annandale North - 4 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
SNP
Stephen Thompson (incumbent)
30.05
1,725
Conservative
Gail MacGregor
20.08
1,153
Conservative
Lynne Davis
19.40
1,114
1,134.03
1,135.51
1,142.51
1,165.86
Labour
Carolyne Wilson
13.88
797
951.27
951.42
973.11
1,266.7
Conservative
Doug Fairbairn
10.82
621
634.5
636.25
638.92
647.94
Scottish Green
Jennifer Norris
4.58
263
487.72
487.76
548.49
Alba
Marion Collins
1.18
68
123.1
123.2
Electorate: 11,910 Valid: 5,741 Spoilt: 74 Quota: 1,149 Turnout: 5,815 (48.8%)
Annandale East and Eskdale [ edit ]
Annandale East and Eskdale - 3 seats
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Conservative
Karen Carruthers
27.75
1,140
Labour
Archie Dryburgh
21.42
880
888.45
908.65
973.11
1,260.22
Independent
Denis Male
15.41
633
639.1
649.1
687.47
724.95
875.1
1,190.62
Conservative
Ron Tait
14.95
614
693.1
699.67
712.75
724.95
751.84
SNP
Sylvia Willmot
14.53
597
597.88
640.98
660.98
Liberal Democrats
Kirsten Herbst-Gray
3.33
137
141.62
159.81
Scottish Green
Stephen Mattock
2.60
107
108.28
Electorate: 8,699 Valid: 4,108 Spoilt: 82 Quota: 1,028 Turnout: 4,190 (48.2%)
Aftermath [ edit ]
Over the 2017–2022 term, the SNP and Labour ran a coalition, while the Conservatives were the largest party. Following this election, the SNP under Cllr Stephen Thompson, Labour under Cllr Linda Dorward and the Independent Group (including 6 Independents and 1 Liberal Democrat ) under Cllr Richard Brodie agreed to work together and form a "Rainbow Coalition ".[4] Thompson and Dorward became co-leaders of the council.
Despite the collaboration between the SNP and Labour, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar claimed that the deal was an interim arrangement and "not for the duration of the entire council term".[5] Ultimately, the coalition agreement lasted only 8 months[6] and the Conservatives (with Independent support) took control of the administration.
Changes since 2022 [ edit ]
Mid Galloway and Wigtown West by-election [ edit ]
In October 2022, Labour councillor Sandy Whitelaw resigned, triggering a by-election in Ward 2 - Mid Galloway and Wigtown West, which was held on 8 December 2022.[7]
Mid Galloway and Wigtown West – 1 seat[8]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
Conservative
Richard Marsh
52.86
1,787
SNP
Ian Gibson
26.00
879
Labour
John Peter McCutcheon
9.64
326
Liberal Democrats
Iain McDonald
5.62
190
Scottish Green
Daniel Hooper-Jones
5.08
172
Electorate: 10,981 Valid: 3,354 Spoilt: 26 Quota: 1,678.00 Turnout: 3,380
Change in Council Leadership [ edit ]
In February 2023, Labour councillors agreed to terminate their formal coalition with the SNP and Independent Councillors.[9] The resulting agreement led to Councillor Stephen Thompson (SNP ) being declared Leader of Dumfries & Galloway Council and Councillor Richard Brodie (Lib Dem ) declared as Deputy Leader.
In March 2023, Labour abstentions and Independent Councillors' support allowed a Conservative budget to pass. As a result, the SNP leadership resigned, including Councillor Thompson.[10] One week later, the Conservatives (with Independent Group support) elected Gail MacGregor as Council Leader, resulting in Dumfries & Galloway Council coming under Conservative administration.[11]
References [ edit ]