Following the resignation of an Independent, the Lib Dems would appear on 2017 results to be favourites in this by election. But can they count on a party vote, or is their serving councillor elected on a personal basis?
Articles
Poll Analysis: Panelbase 16th – 24th of June 2021
The first full Scottish poll since May’s election has very little to get excited about. All swings are within margin of error, as is the constitutional question, though the trend is now consistently pro-Union.
By-Election Preview: East Livingston and East Calder (West Lothian) 5th of August 2021
A second Livingston by-election of the year follows the passing of a long-serving Labour councillor. 2017 results here look very similar to that other by-election – so will the outcome here follow with an SNP win despite Labour winning the 2017 recalc?
By-Election Result: Murdostoun
A by-election saw an Independent keeping the seat in the family, as a son succeeded his late father in a storming victory that left the SNP and Labour in the dust.
By-Election Result: East Garioch
An expected victory for the Conservatives in a ward they’d led in 2017, against a backdrop of Greens and Lib Dems unable to rely on their candidate’s personal votes this time.
SP21 – Reforming AMS
Sure, Holyrood is unlikely to vote for my hyper-proportional, FPTP-free preferred voting system. But there are some solid, yet mild, reforms to AMS that could vastly improve it.
SP21 – A Host of Hypotheticals
With analysis of the real election results out of the way, BBS now turns to one of my pet topics – hypothetical electoral reforms to improve proportionality!
SP21 – Mapping the Marginals
Scotland came into the election with 16 marginal seats, and has left with the same number – though only 12 are the same seats. Tactical voting was a story of the election, and seems to have benefitted Labour and Lib Dems more than Conservatives.
By-Election Preview: Murdostoun (North Lanarkshire) 24th of June 2021
The sad passing of a very well respected local Independent triggers an unpredictable contest, with his son seeking to keep the seat in the family, against relatively evenly matched SNP and Labour candidacies.
SP21 – Swings and Roundabouts
An election that saw very few seats change hands nonetheless exposed fascinating patterns of shifting party support across Scotland.