SCOTTISH LABOUR have won a council by-election in Glasgow which was called after the death of long-serving SNP councillor Kenny McLean.
Voters took to the polls in the Partick East/Kelvindale ward on Thursday with Labour winning the seat from the SNP.
James Adams was elected for Labour at the final stage of voting, having picked up 1723 votes in the first stage.
Partick East and Kelvindale (Glasgow) by-election, first preferences: Labour: 1723 (37.5%, +5.3) SNP: 1062 (23.1%, -5.2) Green: 837 (18.2%, -2.7) Conservative: 632 (13.8%, +0.4) Lib Dem: 339 (7.4%, +3.6) Labour elected stage 4. pic.twitter.com/mBOMfxJjIj
— Ballot Box Scotland (@BallotBoxScot) December 5, 2024
Adams becomes Labour’s third councillor in the ward, alongside Jill Brown and Lilith Johnstone, with turnout for the vote at 21.7%.
The new councillor said he was “really happy the people of Partick East and Kelvindale have put their trust in me to act as their local councillor”.
He said “people want Glasgow City Council and its leadership to focus on actually running an effective council”.
“Public services have been eroded, they are not as functional as people in Glasgow demand.
“Glasgow wants change and it’s about time the SNP stood up and took notice.”
The result means the SNP now have 36 councillors in Glasgow while Labour have 33 and Greens have 11, along with two Scottish Conservatives and two independents
The victory comes on the same day that the SNP gained a seat from Labour on Stirling Council.
It comes the week after Mary McNab, who had won the Glasgow North East by-election, was forced to resign due to a legal blunder.
She had failed to comply with legislation which required her to stand down from her council job the next working day.
Labour’s Philip Braat meanwhile has been suspended by the party pending an investigation after he was charged with stalking offences.
