Summary
SNP win Bannockburn area by-election.
The SNP candidate, Bob Buchanan won the January 23 by-election for Stirling Ward 7, which covers the Bannockburn area.
The seat became vacant in October 2024 after the passing of Margaret Brisley, the Labour councillor for the ward and the leader of Stirling Council.
Margaret Brisley, who served as a Labour councillor for 44 years, died in October 2024 at the age of 79 after a short illness.
Brisley had served as Stirling Council leader only since September 2024, following her tenure as deputy leader in 2022. She had also previously served as Provost of Stirling.
The By-Election Candidates
The by-election to fill her seat saw a strong slate of candidates from across the political spectrum. Bannockburn is currently represented by two other councillors: SNP’s Brian Hambly and Independent Alasdair MacPherson.
Voter turnout for the by-election was 17.6 per cent, with 1,558 votes cast out of 9,097 registered voters in the region.
Full Results
Moira Benny (Scottish Conservative and Unionist): 169 votes
Bob Buchanan (Scottish National Party): 565 votes
Yvonne Dickson (Scottish Labour Party): 376 votes
William Docherty (Reform UK): 358 votes
William Galloway (Scottish Liberal Democrats): 55 votes
Marie Stadtler (Scottish Greens): 53 votes
There were 22 rejected ballot papers. The quota of votes for a candidate to be elected was 789.
Ms Sinclair, Stirling Council’s Chief Executive, has thanked Council staff and everyone involved in delivering the Bannockburn by-election.
She added: “I would like to extend a huge thanks to all our staff and partners, led by the governance service, for their efforts in delivering the Bannockburn by-election.
“Elections require detailed planning and preparation, and once again, teams across the Council have collaborated to ensure that the processes ran smoothly and successfully.
“Local government decisions affect every aspect of people’s lives, making it essential for citizens to engage in the democratic process. Thank you to everyone who participated in this by-election.”
The by-election results now see Bob Buchanan taking up the mantle as the new councillor for Stirling Ward 7 (Bannockburn). This will help to shape the balance of power at Stirling Council, where there are currently 23 members, comprising 8 Conservatives, 8 SNP members, 4 Labour, 1 Green, and 1 Independent.
Featured Image Credit: Stirling Council.
I am a third-year Politics and Journalism Studies student at the University of Stirling (2022-) and a writer and sub-editor for the Brig for over a year (Nov. 2023-), focusing mainly on political topics.
