East Renfrewshire Council Elections 2012
Published 4 May 2012 15:30
SENIOR SNP councillor Douglas Yates was the biggest casualty as Labour dominated Barrhead, Neilston and Uplawmoor.
All four of Labour's candidates for the two wards won seats, while independent councillor Danny Devlin retained his seat - picking up the most votes in Barrhead.
Devlin and long serving Labour councillor Betty Cunningham both won through in the first round of voting - and they will be joined in the new East Renfrewshire Council by first time councillors Kenny Hay, Labour, and Tommy Reilly, SNP.
Reilly, currently chairman of Barrhead Community Council, beat running mate Yates to the seat after both picked up 716 first preference votes in the election.
Hay had 629 votes in the first round of votes, but fought back in the lower preference picks to overhaul Yates, who had been the SNP group leader in the previous administration.
The other Barrhead councillor to lose his seat was independent candidate Eddie Phillips - who had served as a Labour councillor in the last administration.
In the Neilston, Uplawmoor and Newton Mearns North ward Charlie Gilbert, Conservative, Elaine Green, Labour and Tony Buchanan, SNP all held their seats, while Labour's Paul O'Kane claimed the final seat, displacing long serving Conservative representative Leslie Rosin.
Barrhead saw a turnout of 47.5 per cent, while 44.16 per cent turned out in the Neilston ward.
With one ward to declare, East Renfrewshire Council has seven Labour , five Conservative, three SNP and two independent councillors.
This article appeared in Barrhead News 04 May 12
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