LABOUR have narrowly won a Scottish council by-election despite the SNP winning on first preference votes.
Claire Aitken won the councillor position for Keir Starmer’s party after votes were counted in Falkirk South overnight.
The by-election had been held after Euan Stainbank resigned his position on the council. He had been elected as the MP for Falkirk in the July General Election.
SNP candidate Carol Beattie won 1043 first preference votes in the race to replace Stainbank, while Aitken won 1014.
The Tories won 488 votes, Reform 330, the Greens 151, and the LibDems 119. An independent candidate, Sharron McKean, also won 184 votes.
Through the single transferable vote system, the Labour candidate pipped the SNP and won in the seventh round.
Aitken dedicated her win to her daughters, saying: “I want them to realise that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
"I’m not a career politician and that was what people said to me time and again when I was out canvassing – you’re a normal person.”
🚨 Labour WIN! Congratulations Claire Aitken, Scottish Labour's new councillor for Falkirk South! pic.twitter.com/WXfP6PGTB0
— Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) October 18, 2024
Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar celebrated Aitken’s election, writing: “A fantastic result in Falkirk South!
“Congratulations to our new councillor Claire Aitken and the hard-working team.
“Scottish Labour is ready to deliver for the people of Scotland.”
The turnout was reported by Falkirk Council to be 24.9%.
Falkirk Council is led by the SNP's Cecil Meiklejohn.
