Analysis of the result of last week’s local by-election shows that the Conservatives were the only major party to increase their percentage share of the vote with a 3.1% increase. The Conservatives also achieved a swing of 4.7% from SNP to Conservative. The Independent candidate clearly took votes from across the ward, but while SNP and Labour suffered with a decline in their vote share, Toni Dawson, our Conservative candidate, increased our share, which is testament to a great deal of hard work and an excellent local candidate.
In 2012, the ward elected two SNP councillors, one Labour councillor and one Conservative councillor. At that election, the SNP polled 2,795 votes (44.9%), Labour polled 1,133 votes (18.4%) and the Conservative polled 1,143 (18.4%). There was no Lib Dem candidate.
At the by-election held on Thursday, the SNP polled 2021 (38.7%), the Labour candidate polled 691 (13.2%) and the Conservative polled 1,125 (21.5%). The by-election also featured a UKIP candidate who polled 192 (3.6%) and the independent candidate who polled 1,190 (22.8%).
The change on last time was that the SNP were down 6.2%, Labour were down 5.2% and the Conservatives were the only major party to increase their percentage share, with a 3.1% increase.
Conservatives in North Ayrshire can take heart from Toni’s result as we move forward now to choose a parliamentary candidate for the General Election next year.