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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Stuart Sommerville

West Lothian Council Election 2022: Lib Dems claim Tory seat as Conservatives squeezed

The Liberal Democrats claimed their first ever seat on West Lothian Council in a shocking first result for the local Conservatives group fighting to retain the the seats they won in 2017.

Local bookshop owner Sally Pattle was elected alongside Labour veteran Tom Conn and Pauline Orr for the SNP.

Tory candidate Chris Horne, a councillor for Broxburn for the last five years and an active local resident, who had hoped for a majority of retiring Provost Tom Kerr’s 3,000 votes, was slowly eased out of the frame after a strong initial showing in first preference.

READ MORE: West Lothian Council slam planning 'lottery' after rejected farmland development wins appeal

He was soon followed by Bathgate's Charles Kennedy and Whitburn's Bruce Fairbairn after promising starts.

Bruce Fairbairn lost by two votes after the SNP secured two of the four seats in that ward, with Jim Dickson re-elected and his wife, Mary, a former councillor, returning to the chambers after five years absence.

In East Livingston and East Calder Frank Anderson, the council’s longest serving member, lost out to long time friend and fellow SNP councillor Carl John who was joined by Veronica Smith for the party. Tory group leader Damian Doran-Timson was returned as was Angela Doran-Timson in the Broxburn ward and Peter Heggie for the Conservatives in Livingston South.

Labour group leader and depute Lawrence Fitzpatrick and Kirsteen Sullivan were both re-elected.

Bathgate’s Conservative Charles Kennedy was the third Conservative to see his seat disappear, by only 10 votes as his vote was squeezed by a strong showing from the SNP's Pauline Stafford and preference voting for Labour’s Tony Pearson. Mr Kennedy’s first preference votes were over 1,000. Harry Cartmill, easily re-elected for Labour, with more than 2,000 votes paid tribute to Mr Kennedy’s work as a councillor in the last five years.

Mr Doran-Timson said he was disappointed by the numbers but said that the results showed that the "Boris factor" had not really been an issue, as Conservative councillors had received strong support as first choice candidiates.

Newly returned SNP group leader Janet Campbell was delighted at the strong showing of the party and said that she was keen to talk with progressive parties.

Turnout across the wards was a healthy 40% or above. The poll leaves the SNP with 15 seats. Labour has 12 seats, the Tories four seats, Lib Dems one, Independent one.

First Preference votes for those councillors elected, by ward:

Linlithgow

Tom Conn, Labour: 1,391

Sally Pattle, Lib Dem: 1,447

Pauline Orr, SNP: 1,869

Broxburn Uphall and Winchburgh

Diane Calder, SNP: 1990

Janet Campbell, SNP: 880

Ann Davidson, Labour: 1,305

Angela Doran-Timson Conservative: 1,215

Livingston North

Robert De Bold, SNP: 2,133

Andrew Miller SNP: 1,380

Ann McMillan, Labour: 1,347

Alison Adamson, Conservative: 1,256

Livingston South

Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Labour: 2,028

Maria MacAulay, SNP: 2,252

Peter Heggie, Conservative: 884

Moira McKee Shemilt, SNP: 698

East Livingston and East Calder

Carl John, SNP: 1,741

Damian Doran-Timson, Conservative:1,205

Veronica Smith, SNP: 622

Danny Logue, Labour: 1,079

Fauldhouse and the Breich Valley

Pauline Clark, SNP: 1,292

Cathy Muldoon, Labour: 1,113

Craig Meek, Labour: 924

Whitburn and Blackburn

Jim Dickson, SNP: 1,734

Mary Robertson Dickson, SNP: 636

George Paul, Labour: 1,237

Kirsteen Sullivan, Labour:1,055

Bathgate

William Hannah Boyle, SNP: 1,806

Harry Cartmill, Labour: 2,496

Tony Pearson, Labour: 375

Pauline Stafford, SNP: 1,190

Armadale and Blackridge

Stuart Borrowman, Independent: 2,571

Lynda Kenna, SNP: 1,159

Andrew McGuire, Labour: 742

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