SCOTTISH Labour have lost a seat on Edinburgh Council in a shock by-election loss.
Louise Spence of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has been elected to serve as councillor for the city's Colinton and Fairmilehead ward with a comfortable winning total of 2683 votes.
The turnout was 37.4%.
The by-election came after former councillor Scott Arthur resigned after being elected as a Scottish Labour MP for Edinburgh South West.
Louise Watson Spence of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has been duly elected to serve in the City of Edinburgh Council for the Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward #EdinByElection pic.twitter.com/9cpX4TzmVb
— The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) November 15, 2024
He’d been a councillor since 2017, and held a prominent role in Labour’s fragile minority administration after 2022 as the transport and environment convenor.
Scottish Labour's Sheila Gilmore ran to replace him and ultimately came in a shock third place, thirteen votes behind Scottish Tory candidate Neil Cuthbert – who had 1454 votes.
The shock loss comes after the party won three other by-elections today, also all seats that were resigned by former councillors turned new Scottish Labour MPs.
