2017 Local Council Elections Aberdeen City

The Scottish Conservative and Unionist party brought forward absolutely nothing new in the way of local council policies preferring to stick to their tried and tested and rejected mantra of cuts in services.

But Ruth Davidson had a couple of tricks up her sleeve and she introduced them just when the Labour Party was at its most vulnerable, due to continued in-fighting, and Scotland was still digesting the effects of the EU referendum.

First off she changed the same of the party in Scotland re-introducing the “Unionist” element abandoned in the time of Thatcher.

A number of Tory MSP’ e.g. Adam Tomkins then courted the “Orange” vote through the Glasgow Rangers support and Orange Lodges.

The campaign succeeded in persuading the “Orange ” vote to transfer their allegiance from Labour to Tory. That was it.

There was no “surge” since the SNP vote increased over 2012

A second front then was opened against the SNP accusing the government of being blind to the everyday care of Scots being consumed by pursuit of independence when the country was crying out for support.

Any media appearance of a Unionist supporting politician, and there were many on the BBC was accompanied by the same quote “Nicola Sturgeon should get back to the day job”.

The Local Council Elections had nothing to do with independence but the Tories flogged their narrow-minded agenda with a vengeance and the Scottish Unionist media had a field day promoting a load of tripe about the resurgent Tory party.

There was no national SNP campaign the party preference being to honour the spirit of the election and campaign locally. In hindsight this was probably a miscalculation.

 

 

 

Review of Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone Ward

Labour party member Barney Crockett has been a councillor in Aberdeen City for many years.

He is a controversial figure who treats voters with contempt ignoring the expressed wishes of the electorate on a number of occasions.

He was removed from office by the council in 2012 but he keeps bouncing back, using the Labour party as a vehicle to his stay in office.

 

 

Election Results 2017: Quota: 1322

Tory Avril MacKenzie: 30.4%: 2,012

SNP Neil MacGregor: 25.3%: 1,670

SNP Gill Samarai: 11.9%: 785 798.70+13.70 Tory, 1,087.30+288.60 SNP, 1,115.50+ 28.20 Lab, 1,176.80+61.30 LibDem, 1,317.90+141.10 Ind.

Labour Barney Crockett: 11.3%: 744, 806.00+62.00 Tory, 813.50+7.50 , 1,141.60+328.10 Lab, 1,273.40+131.80 LibDem, 1,483.70+210.30 Ind,

Independent Coral Duthie 7.7 509 658.10 669.80 708.90 942.90
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Pearce 6.5 430 614.50 625.50 666.20
Labour Graeme Lawrence incumbent 6.9 458 504.90 514.30

Share of the vote:

SNP: 37.20%, Labour: 18.80%, Tory: 30.40%, LibDem: 6.90%. Councillors: SNP: 2,

Seats:

Tory 1, Labour 1, Labour lost 1 seat to the Tories.

 

 

 

Summary:

The SNP vote increased by 5.30% and 2 councillors were returned bettering the the 2012 performance.

The Labour vote collapsed, dropping by 17.90% and they lost a councillor over 2012.

Barney Crockett rejected by the electorate was gifted the last seat courtesy of Tory, LibDem and Independent preference votes.

The Tories increased their share of the vote by 22.70% and gained 1 councillor over 2012.

The Labour collapse solely benefited the Tories

No evidence of a Tory surge in this ward but Crockett is back in control having been soundly rejected by the voters. Disgraceful.