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Labour has held a seat on Fife Council after winning a by-election - by just two votes.

The narrow margin saw Karen Beaton win the West Fife and Coastal Villages ward, to succeed Graham Downie who stepped down after being elected as MP for Dollar and Dunfermline in the July General Election.

Voting was held on Thursday with the voted counted this morning, and the result means no change to the minority administration run by Labour. The turnout was just 19%.

Ms Beaton received 881 votes from local residents, beating SNP runner up Paul Steele by just two votes.

Karen Beaton held the ward for Labour (Pic: Fife Council)

Seven candidates stood. Fife Council counted a total of 2,658 votes, and Ms Beaton won with approximately 33% – or 881 – of total votes. Paul Steele (SNP),got 879, Paul Quigley (Lib Dems) 227; Fiona McOwan, (Scottish Greens) 128; George Morton (Independent) 64; David Ross, (Tories) 426, Daniel Smith (Scottish Family Party) 53.

“Congratulations to our new Scottish Labour Councillor for West Fife & Coastal Villages, Karen Beaton,” the Scottish Labour Party said after the announcement.

Fife Council by-election produces a winner by just two votes

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