THE SNP have won a seat from Scottish Labour in a by-election in Stirling.
Councillor Bob Buchanan has been elected to represent the Bannockburn ward, with the by-election having been called after the death of former council leader Margaret Brisley.
Buchanan was elected at stage six under the single transferable vote system with the SNP’s candidate having picked up 565 first preference votes.
SNP WIN : The first Council by-election of 2025 is won by @theSNP. Well done to Bob Buchanan and the team in Stirling. Great electoral start to 2025. https://t.co/6XksFkl3Na
— John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) January 23, 2025
Scottish Labour’s Yvonne Dickson meanwhile picked up 376 while it was a strong showing for Reform UK’s William Docherty, who received 358 first preference votes.
First Minister John Swinney said in a post on Twitter/X: “The first council by-election of 2025 won by @theSNP.
“Well done to Bob Buchanan and the team in Stirling. Great electoral start to 2025.”
The turnout at the election was 17.6% with 1598 people turning out to vote.
Returning officer Caroline Sinclair said: “Congratulations to Bob Buchanan on his success. Everyone at Stirling Council looks forward to working with him over the coming years.
“I would like to extend a huge thanks to all our staff and partners, led by the governance service, for their efforts in delivering the Bannockburn by-election.
“Elections require detailed planning and preparation, and once again, teams across the Council have collaborated to ensure that the processes ran smoothly and successfully.
“Local government decisions affect every aspect of people’s lives, making it essential for citizens to engage in the democratic process. Thank you to everyone who participated in this by-election.”
