Local By-elections

'A former Moray fishing skipper has become Scotland's newest local councillor - at the tender age of 75.'
Frank Urquhart in the Scotsman, 3 rd July 2004.

Buckie West (Moray) 1 st July 2004

Buckie West - ward 18

Independent Cllr Joseph MacKay

A by-election was held in Buckie West on the 1 st of July 2004 following the death of council Vice Convener Cllr Bill Jappy in April 2004. Cllr Jappy was elected as an SNP Councillor in 1995, but stood as an Independent in 1999. Cllr Joseph MacKay, who won Buckie West as an Independent in the 2004 by-election had stood as a Labour candidate in the ward in 1999.

Buckie West is in the Moray Westminster parliamentary seat (held by the Scottish National Party's Angus Robertson MP) and in the Moray Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Scottish National Party Margaret Ewing MSP).

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
1 st July 2004 By-election Turnout 35.1 % (- 6.2 %)
Joseph MacKay	Independent	552	63.6 %	(+ 63.6 %)
Gordon McDonald	Scottish National Party	196	22.6 %	- 9.7 %
A. Ian Moir	Conservative	89	10.3 %	(+ 10.3 %)
Gordon D. Holm	Liberal Democrat	31	3.6 %	(+ 3.6 %)
Independent hold	Independent majority	356	41.0 %	+ 5.6

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
1 st May 2003 Turnout 41.3 % (- 15.5 %)
Cllr William Jappy	Independent	682	67.7 %	+ 30.0 %
Ian Hamilton	Scottish National Party	326	32.3 %	+ 1.1 %
Independent hold	Independent majority	356	35.4 %	+ 28.9 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
6 th May 1999 Turnout 56.8 % (+ %)
Cllr William Jappy	Independent	549	37.7 %	+ %
Kevin McKay	Scottish National Party	455	31.2 %	%
Joseph MacKay	Labour	454	31.1 %	+ 7.6 %
Independent gain from Scottish National Party	Independent majority	94	6.5 %

Buckie West - ward 11

William Jappy was elected as an SNP councillor in 1995 but resigned some time the 1999 election to stand as an Independent

Candidate	Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
6 th April 1995 Turnout 0 %
William Jappy		Scottish National Party	Elected unopposed

Tories Gain in First Poll since June 10

By Chris Mead, Elections Editor, PA News in the Scotsman, 2 nd July 2004

Tories gained the first council by-election since the main contests on June 10.

Candidate Clive Francis won from independent at Cullompton South, Mid Devon District in a ward his party failed to fight in last year's main polls.

The result has no political significance other than on Tory morale.

Independents easily kept the Buckie West seat at Scotland's Moray Council.

RESULTS:

Mid Devon District - Cullompton South: C 255, Lib Dem 219, Ind 101, Ind 82. (May 2003 - Two seats Ind 359, 344, Lib Dem 225, 217, Ind 185). C gain from Ind.

Moray Council - Buckie West: Ind 552, Scottish National Party 196, C 89, Lib Dem 31. (May 2003 - Ind 682, SNP 326). Ind hold.

Retired fishing skipper wins seat on Moray Council

By Frank Urquhart in the Scotsman, 3 rd July 2004

A FORMER Moray fishing skipper has become Scotland's newest local councillor - at the tender age of 75.

Joe Mackay has secured a seat on Moray Council after winning a by-election for the Buckie West ward, triggered by the death in April of Councillor Bill Jappy, the authority's vice-convener.

The sprightly pensioner, who recently abseiled down a ravine to help clean up a burn in the town, romped to victory at the polls. Standing as an independent candidate, Mr Mackay polled 552 votes, a 356 majority over Gordon McDonald, a former convener of Moray Council, who was standing for the Scottish National Party.

Ian Moir, the Conservative candidate, was third with 89 votes, while Gordon Holm, the Liberal Democrat candidate, finished last with 31 votes.

It was a case of third time lucky for Mr Mackay, who had previously contested council elections both as a Labour and independent candidate.

Mr Mackay, a retired seine-net boat skipper, was second at the council elections in May last year when contesting the Buckie Central seat as an independent. He was also unsuccessful as a Labour candidate at a previous election.

Mr Mackay, a member of Buckie Community Council for seven years and the town's Citizen of the Year, said he was looking forward to taking his seat on the council, despite his advancing years.

He said: "I am a very active 75 and I have kept working since I retired. I intend to do my best for the community and to get results. I shall follow my own conscience and work from my own morals and principles."

Mr Mackay said he stood as an independent because of "internal friction and personal conflicts" within the Moray branch of the Labour Party but he remained a card-carrying Labour Party member.