THE SNP have taken a council seat from the LibDems after a by-election.
Anne Horn was elected to represent the SNP in the Kintyre and the Islands ward on Argyll and Bute Council.
Horn had served as a councillor in the ward for 15 years, but opted not to stand in the full local elections in May 2022.
Now, she will again sit as a councillor after winning a seat made vacant following the death of former LibDem councillor Robin Currie.
Currie, a former leader of the council, had served for almost 40 years before passing “suddenly” in May.
Horn beat four other candidates in the by-election to replace Currie, which was held on Thursday.
The new SNP councillor won 728 votes, while independent candidate Donald Kelly and Tory candidate Elizabeth Redman came joint second with 322 votes each.
Douglas MacDonald, standing for the LibDems, won 281 votes, while Freedom Alliance candidate Alan McManus won 25 votes.
In all, 1695 votes were cast giving a percentage turnout of 31.4%.
Fantastic result. Warmest congratulations to Anne Horn and the team in Kintyre and the Islands. https://t.co/PvB4NKwmQ2
— John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) July 19, 2024
SNP First Minister John Swinney celebrated the win, writing on social media: “Fantastic result.
“Warmest congratulations to Anne Horn and the team in Kintyre and the Islands.”
Argyll and Bute MSP Jenni Minto added: "Just a fabulous result for a great community representative. A massive congratulations to Anne on this stunning win."
In April, the SNP succeeded in a bid to take power over Argyll and Bute Council after it had been run by the Unionist-led Argyll, Lomond and Islands Group (Talig), comprised of Tory, LibDem and independent councillors, for 11 years.
After a tied vote, the SNP took control thanks to the cut of a deck of cards. The new SNP councillor will help the party hold power over the local authority.
