 | 'A new cross-party pressure group dedicated to getting proportional representation introduced for local government elections yesterday claimed that nearly half of those voting in Scottish council polls failed to get a councillor of their choice' Frances MacFarlane in the Herald, 23 rd January 2001. |  |
Labour held on to the Prestonfield ward of the City of Edinburgh Council with a majority of 138 over the Lib Dems, down from 740 in 1999. On a low turnout, the Labour percentage majority was down from 19.2 % to 9.4 %
The by-election followed the resignation of Cllr Paul Williamson to take a Education Officers job with Kensington & Chelsea Council. He was Executive Member for Education.
In 1992, Labour lost overall control of Edinburgh District Council. In a swings and roundabouts election six seats changed hands leaving the Lib Dems up two, the Tories up one, the SNP down one and Labour down two. The Tories won Longstone from Labour and Moat and Queensferry from the SNP; the Lib Dems won Marchmont and Morningside from the Tories, and the SNP gained Kirkliston from Labour. This resulted in a hung council with Labour on 30 wards, the Tories on 23, the Lib Dems on seven and the SNP on two. A deal was struck between Labour and the SNP and the veteran SNP councillor Norman Irons was voted in as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
In 1992, Labour's Alan Tweedie held Prestonfield with 1,205 votes (40.8 %) giving him a 107 majority over Tory I. Whyte who polled 1,098 votes (37.2 %). In third place was Lib Dem H. Gunning with 367 votes (12.4 %) followed by the SNP's S. Cowley with 284 votes (9.6 %).
Following local government reorganisation the number of Edinburgh wards was reduced from 62 to 58. In 1995, Labour won an overall majority of the wards in Edinburgh, taking 34 seats compared to 14 for the Tories, and 10 for the Lib Dems. The SNP, despite polling 17.2 % of the vote in the capital, just 0.9 % less than the Lib Dems, found themselves without representation on the council until Rob Munn won the Harbour ward from Labour in a by-election in 1996 and held it in 1999.
In the new City of Edinburgh Council ward of Prestonfield, Labour were represented by Paul Williamson in 1995. He took 1,210 votes (57.7 %) giving Labour a 778 majority (37.1 %) over Robin Slack of the Conservatives who took 432 votes (20.6 %). In third place was the SNP's William Telford who polled 258 votes (12.3 %) followed by Lib Dem Richard Pinnock with 136 votes (6.5 %) and Mark Williamson for the Natural law Party with 62 votes (3.0 %).
The 1999 election saw Paul Williamson's vote fall by 15.1 % to 42.6 % giving him a majority of 740 (19.2 %) over the Lib Dems. Finn Pollard increased the Lib Dem vote by 16.9 % to 23.4 %, and moved from fourth to second place. William Telford contested the ward again for the SNP, increasing his vote by 4.8 % to 17.1 % while Tory Eleanor Oliver came last with 17.0 %, down 3.6 %.
In the by-election, the Labour candidate is Alan Tweedie who was the Labour District Cllr for Prestonfield until 1996. The SNP Candidate is Alex Orr and the Lib Dems are fielding Gordon Mackenzie. No other candidates were known on the 22 nd of June, with the closing date for nominations Tuesday 26 th June.
The turnout was low as the by-election was held on 12 July, during Edinburgh Trades holiday. This ward also has high student electorate and the by-election was held at a time when most students were away.
Labour's Alan Tweedie held the ward with a 138 (9.4 %) majority over the Lib Dems. The swing from labour to Lib Dem was 4.9 %. The Tories moved into third place with 14.7 % while the SNP fell to fourth with 10.7 %, and the SSP polled 3.1 %.
Pending the two by-elections in the wards of Broughton (Labour), and South East Corstorphine (Lib Dem), the political composition of the City of Edinburgh Council is 30 Labour, 13 Conservatives, 12 Lib Dems and one Scottish National Party councillor.
I am grateful to Cllr Rob Munn for information on the by-election and to Eddie Truman for sending the result.
| 12 th July 2001 | 6 th May 1999 | ||||||
| Alan Tweedie |  |
600 | 40.7 % | Paul Williamson | |
1640 | 42.6 % |
| Gordon Mackenzie |  |
462 | 31.3 % | Finn Pollard | |
900 | 23.4 % |
 |
217 | 14.7 % | William Telford |  |
660 | 17.1 % | |
| Alex Orr | |
149 | 10.1 % | Eleanor Oliver | |
654 | 17.0 % |
 |
46 | 3.1 % | |||||
| Lab hold | Lab maj. | 138 | 9.4 % | Lab win | Lab maj. | 740 | 19.2 % |
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