Fife by-elections: SNP savour double victory

The SNP won two council by-elections in west Fife last night, holding one ward seat and gaining another.

Derek Glen triumphed in Dunfermline Central, taking the seat from the Tories, while in Rosyth, Sharon Green-Wilson topped the poll.

The by-elections were triggered when serving members Alan Craig and Samantha Steele stepped down for health and personal reasons.

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Turnout in both wards was low – in Rosyth, it was 27.5%, while Dunfermline Central was 29.5%.

Mr Glen’s gain from the Tories saw him claim first place with 1526 votes on first choice preference.

Conservative candidate Chloe Dodds was second on 1142, with Aude Boubaker-Calder (Liberal Democrat) third on 1050. Labour’s Michael Boyd was pushed into fourth position on 621.

Mr Glen said: “As a new councillor, I will need to get up to speed very quickly, but I intend to do that immediately, and with the support and help of my fellow SNP councillors and become as active as I possibly can.

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“It’s truly an honour to represent Dunfermline as a historic city, the ancient capital of Scotland. I pledge to represent all of the residents of the ward as effectively as I can, and to represent all the diverse communities we have.”

Full result (Number of first preference votes): Derek Glen (SNP) 1526; Chloe Dodds (Conservatives) 1142; Aude Boubaker-Calder (Lib Dems) 1050; Michael Boyd (Lab) 621; Fiona McOwan (Green Party) 235; Keith Chamberlain (Scottish Libertarian Party) 28.

in Rosyth, the SNP held their ward seat with Sharon Green-Wilson polling 1347, well ahead of Margaret Fairgrieve (Conservatives) on 768 votes and Billy Pollock (Labour) third on 480.

It marked a return to local politics for Ms Green-Wilson who lost her seat in the 2017 election.

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She said: “I would like to thank the electors of Rosyth and south west Fife villages for putting their trust in me again – I will not let you down and will continue to champion the ward I have been elected to serve.

“I should also wish to acknowledge the contribution to the community by my predecessor, Sam Steele. I hope to be able to live up to the high standards that Sam has set.”

Full result (first preference votes): Sharon Green Wilson (SNP) 1347; Margaret Fairgrieve (Conservative) 768; Billy Pollock (Labour) 480; Jill Blair (Lib Dems) 249; Alastair Macintyre (Ind) 157; Craig McCutcheon (Green Party) 132; Calum Paul (Scottish Libertarian Party) 16

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