The Aberdeenshire Council election of 2017 was held on 4 May 2017, on the same day as the other Scottish local governmentelections. The election will use the 19 wards created as a result of the Local Governance Act 2004, with each ward electing three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system a form of proportional representation, with 70 councillors being elected, an increase of one member compared to 2012. The Scottish Conservatives returned the most councillors, the first time it has been the largest party in the region since the 1982 election, when the area was under the Grampian Regional Council, although they were stopped short of an overall majority. The number of Scottish National Party councillors fell by a quarter but remained the second largest group. The Scottish Liberal Democrats picked up a couple of seats while the other parties gained roughly the same results as the previous election. On 18 May, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Aligned Independents formed an administration, with Jim Gifford elected as council leader and Bill Howatson was made Provost.
Results
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.
Ward results
Banff and District
2012: 2 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2017: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
2012-2017: 1 x Independent gain from SNP
Troup
2012: 1 x SNP, 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative
2017: 1 x SNP, 1 x Independent, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017 Change: No Change
Fraserburgh and District
2012: 2 x SNP, 2 x Independent
2017: 2 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from Independent
Central Buchan
2012: 2 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
2017: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Independent
2012-2017: Change: 1 x Liberal Democrat gain from SNP
Peterhead North and Rattray
2012: 2 x SNP, 2 x Independent
2017: 2 x Independent, 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative gain from SNP
Peterhead South and Cruden
2012: 2 x SNP, 1 x Independent
2017: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from SNP
Turriff and District
2012: 1 x SNP, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Independent
2017: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Independent
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Conservative win due to one additional seat compared to 2012
= Sitting Councillor for Banff and District Ward.
Mid-Formartine
2012: 2 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Independent
2017: 1 x SNP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Liberal Democrat, 1 x Independent
2012-2017 Change: 1 x Liberal Democrat gain from SNP
Ellon and District
2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2017: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2012-2017 Change: no change
West Garioch
2012: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
2017: 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
2012-2017 Change: no change
Inverurie and District
2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2017: 1xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLibDem; 1xIndependent
2012-2017 Change: Independent gain one seat from SNP
East Garioch
2012: 1xSNP; 1xGRN; 1xLib Dem
2017: 1xSNP; 1xGRN; 1xLib Dem; 1xCon
2012-2017 Change: One additional seat in the assembly, gained by Conservatives
Westhill and District
2012: 2xSNP; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLibDem
2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from SNP
2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from Independent
Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside
2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2012-2017 Change: no change
Banchory and Mid-Deeside
2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2017: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem
2012-2017 Change: no change
North Kincardine
2012: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2017: 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xCon; 1xLib Dem
2012-2017 Change: no change
Stonehaven and Lower Deeside
2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLab; 1xLib Dem
2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLibDem
2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from Labour
Mearns
2012: 1xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLib Dem; 1xIndependent
2017: 2xCon; 1xSNP; 1xLibDem
2012-2017 Change: Conservatives gain one seat from Independent
Changes since 2017
† Inverurie & District Conservative Cllr Colin Clark was elected as an MP for Gordon on 8 June 2017. He resigned his Council seat on 28 June 2017. A by-election was held on 12 October 2017 and Lesley Berry of the Conservatives won.
†† West Garioch Conservative Cllr Sebastian Leslie was suspended from the party on 18 September 2018 and became an Independent having refused to pay his Council Tax.
††† Stonehaven and Lower Deeside Conservative Cllr Sandy Wallace resigned from the party and became an Independent on 12 December 2018 citing he had no faith in either the Prime Minister or the Conservative controlled Coalition in Aberdeenshire.
†††† Ellon & District SNP Cllr Richard Thomson was elected an MP for Gordon in the 2019 UK General Election. He resigned his Council seat in April 2020. A by-election will be held on 1 October 2020.
††††† Mearns SNP Cllr Leigh Wislson resigned from the party and became an Independent on 15 May 2020 citing professional circumstances.
†††††† North Kincardine SNP Cllr Alistair Bews resigned from the party and became an Independent on 17 May 2020 citing personal and professional reasons.
