 | 'Aberdeen's ruling Lib Dems last night failed to strengthen their power in the Town House as the Tories edged to victory in the Queen's Cross by-election.' Henry Hepburn in the Press & Journal, 2 nd April 2004. |  |
| 'Aberdeen's ruling Lib Dems last night failed to strengthen their power in the Town House as the Tories edged to victory in the Queen's Cross by-election.' Henry Hepburn in the Press & Journal, 2 nd April 2004. | |
There was a by-election with an electronic count for the Queen's Cross ward of the City of Aberden Council on the 1 st of April 2004 following the death of Cllr John Dempsey on 15 th January 2004.
Queen' Cross is in the Aberdeen South Westminster parliamentary seat (held by Labour's Anne Begg MP) and in the Aberdeen Central Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Tory Dr Lewis MacDonald MSP).
| 1 st April 2004 By-election Turnout 40.0 % (- 9.6 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brenda Craig |  |
Conservative | 669 | 46.8 % | + 2.6 % |
| Jennifer Stewart |  |
Liberal Democrat | 611 | 42.8 % | + 6.8 % |
| James King |  |
Labour | 63 | 4.4 % | - 6.1 % |
| Mark McDonald |  |
Scottish National Party | 51 | 3.6 % | - 5.5 % |
| Howard Chandler |  |
Scottish Socialist Party | 25 | 1.8 % | (+ 1.8 %) |
| Christopher Willet |  |
National Front | 9 | 0.6 % | (+ 0.6 %) |
| Conservative hold | |
Conservative majority | 58 | 4.0 % | - 4.2 % |
| 1 st May 2003 Turnout 49.6 % (- 9.0 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr John Dempsey | |
Conservative | 792 | 44.2 % | - 0.3 % |
| Elizabeth Brown | |
Liberal Democrat | 644 | 36.0 % | + 5.3 % |
| James King | |
Labour | 192 | 10.7 % | - 2.8 % |
| Fred Nimmo | |
Scottish National Party | 163 | 9.1 % | - 2.1 % |
| Conservative hold | |
Conservative majority | 148 | 8.2 % | - 5.6 % |
| 6 th May 1999 Turnout 58.6 % (+ 27.5 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr John Dempsey | |
Conservative | 993 | 44.5 % | - 2.3 % |
| John Stewart | |
Liberal Democrat | 685 | 30.7 % | - 2.1 % |
| James King | |
Labour | 301 | 13.5 % | + 2.8 % |
| James Milton | |
Scottish National Party | 250 | 11.2 % | + 1.5 % |
| Conservative hold | |
Conservative majority | 308 | 13.8 % | - 0.2 % |
| 26 th November 1998 by-election Turnout 31.1 % (- 1.8 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas G. Mason | |
Conservative | 454 | 46.8 % | - 5.4 % |
| John D. Stewart | |
Liberal Democrat | 318 | 32.8 % | + 11.3 % |
| Sandra M. MacDonald | |
Labour | 10.7 | 10.7 % | - 15.6 % |
| Fred Nimmo | |
Scottish National Party | 94 | 9.7 % | (+ 9.7 %) |
| Conservative hold | |
Conservative majority | 136 | 14.0 % | - 11.9 % |
| 6 th April 1995 Turnout 32.9 % | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr Robert Anderson | |
Conservative | 579 | 52.2 % | |
| Ian Bell | |
Labour | 292 | 26.3 % | |
| James Alexander | |
Liberal Democrat | 238 | 21.5 % | |
| Conservative win | |
Conservative majority | 287 | 25.9 % | |
Prominent Conservative City Councillor Jack Dempsey died on Saturday, aged 72.
Councillor Dempsey had been ill for some time, but his health had deteriorated in recent weeks.
Conservative group leader John Porter today paid tribute to his friend and fellow Councillor.
"I'm deeply saddened by the loss of a dear friend and colleague," he said.
"Jack's death is a grievous loss not only for his friends and family, but also the Conservative Party and those he represented with such dedication at Council.
"Jack was respected and admired across political boundaries as a man of great wisdom and humour - but also as someone who was quite terrier-like in his pursuit of what those he represented wanted.
"He did a tremendous amount for Aberdeen and the North-east of Scotland and he will be sorely missed."
Born in Inverurie, Councillor Dempsey was a former president of the Conservative Party in Scotland and was in his 30th year in local government.
A former member of Aberdeen District Council and Grampian Regional Council, he represented the Harlaw ward and then its replacement, Queens Cross, when Aberdeen City Council was formed in 1996.
In recent times, he served as Vice-Convener of the Licensing Committee and was also a member of the Planning and Appeals Committees.
He was awarded the OBE in 1994 for services to politics and the public.
Lord Provost John Reynolds said the thoughts of the Council were with Councillor Dempsey's family.
"Jack was a man of great integrity who was known for 'fighting his corner' with great respect for his colleagues; something that is not always easy to accomplish.
"He will be greatly missed, both in the Town House and in his constituency."
Chief Executive Douglas Paterson said that Councillor Dempsey was "highly respected" by City Council staff.
Cllr Dempsey's wife, Hazel, died in 1995. He is survived by his son Bruce, daughter Joan and one grandson.
The far right National Front party has announced it intends to field a candidate in the by-election for the Queen's Cross ward on Aberdeen City Council.
The party's local spokesman, Dave MacDonald, confirmed yesterday that the National Front would "definitely" be putting someone forward.
"We have the candidate," he added. "Now it's just a case of getting clearance from head office."
Mr MacDonald refused to say who would be representing the party in Queen's Cross or what issues they would be fighting the election on.
However, he ruled out a personal return to the campaign trail. He stood for the National Front in the Seaton ward at the full council election last May, and trailed in last out of seven candidates with only 44 votes.
More recently, the National Front has stirred up controversy in Aberdeen by campaigning outside Pittodrie Stadium.
Grampian Police said they are powerless to stop the group selling papers and handing out leaflets at Aberdeen FC matches, but the club has warned volunteers will be ejected if they try to enter the ground.
Mr MacDonald said the party would continue to target football supporters and has already begun raising its profile in the Queen's Cross and Harlaw areas ahead of the by-election on April 1. Members have been out in the neighbourhood this week, distributing leaflets which raise concerns about asylum seekers and immigration.
"It's been a Conservative stronghold for a while," he added. "I would say we'll be picking up a few votes there."
But John Porter, leader of the Conservative group on Aberdeen City Council and a long-time friend of the late councillor Jack Dempsey, whose death prompted the by-election, predicted the National Front would only appeal to a few "fringe" supporters.
"Our democratic process gives all factions the opportunity to display their wares," he said. "And that's as it should be. But the people of Queen's Cross like to see things for what they are - warts and all - and once they see the warts on the National Front, I don't think they'll be inclined to vote for them.
"They will have some kind of following among a fringe of voters, but from the point of view of democracy I wish they were less inflammatory in their approach."
Brenda Craig, of Queen's Cross and Harlaw Community Council, said the issue had not cropped up among members when they met on Tuesday night. "Scotland is a free country and everyone is entitled to their views," she added.
"Immigration is quite an emotive issue and they may get some support on that, but I wouldn't like to predict how many votes they can expect."
Barney Crockett of the Grampian Racial Equality Council said he did not wish to comment. Nor did Kemi Abedayo of Multi-Ethnic Aberdeen, which was set up to promote inter-racial tolerance and diversity in the north-east.
The Scottish Socialist Party confirmed it too would be fighting the Queen's Cross by-election.
A POLITICAL row has erupted in the run-up to an Aberdeen city council by-election.
The Scottish National Party has hit the roof after discovering that the ultra-right-wing National Front is describing itself as "the real Nationalists".
The Scottish National Front added the phrase to its party title on nomination papers for the April 1 Queen's Cross by-election.
Aberdeen City Council SNP group leader councillor Kevin Stewart angrily accused the NF of trying to hoodwink voters.
Mr Stewart said the "real Nationalists" claim could confuse SNP supporters.
Mr Stewart is demanding the NF drop the phrase, but has been told by city council legal bosses and returning officer Douglas Paterson that nothing can be done.
Mr Stewart has now taken up the matter with national SNP officials and the Electoral Commission.
Mr Stewart said: "The National Front are trying to con people into voting for them by putting forward a name almost completely the same as ours.
"My nationalism and that of the SNP is very much civic nationalism and not racist like theirs.
"It is extremely worrying these people are making a play for power in this city, which has no real race-hate."
Aberdeen NF spokesman Dave MacDonald said there was no chance of his party dropping the "real Nationalists" tag.
Mr MacDonald said: "Kevin Stewart can say what he wants. We're the real Nationalist party in Britain and the SNP isn't."
Mr MacDonald, who came last in last May's Seaton council election with 44 votes, confirmed that his party was committed to ejecting anyone who wasn't white from the UK.
He said "non-whites" were not allowed to join the NF.
The NF candidate is Christopher Sean Willett, 21. He and seven other Dons supporters have been charged by police with mobbing and rioting at a fuel station in Dundee after the Dons match against Dundee United on January 17.
He denies the charges.
Other candidates are: Howard William Chandler (Scottish Socialist Party), Brenda Craig (Conservative), James M King (Labour), Mark McDonald (SNP) and Jennifer Stewart (Liberal Democrat).
The far-right National Front has been accused of attempting to confuse voters at next month's Queen's Cross council by-election in Aberdeen.
The Scottish National Party is concerned that people will mistakenly vote for the NF because the name under which it is running is similar to its own.
The NF will appear on ballot papers as the Scottish National Front The Real Nationalists.
SNP chief executive Peter Murrell said the NF was being opportunistic and exploiting a loophole that allows political parties to stand under titles different from their officially-registered names.
He said a similar case in a previous election saw Lib Dem voters mistakenly mark a cross next to a candidate for the so-called Scottish Literal Democrats.
Mr Murrell, however, was less unhappy about the use of the phrase "the real nationalists".
He said: "They are trying to draw a differentiation between us and them, and we're not too unhappy about that because their politics are extreme and pretty abhorrent."
Aberdeen NF spokesman Dave MacDonald said the same name would be used for all future Scottish elections contested by the NF, and suggested that the SNP should change its name if it was concerned about confusion among voters.
Mr MacDonald, who confirmed that his party is committed to ejecting "non-whites" from Scotland, said: "The SNP are trying to con people - we are the only national party in Scotland."
The full list of candidates for the by-election is: Howard William Chandler (Scottish Socialist Party); Brenda Craig (Conservative); James M. King (Labour); Mark McDonald (SNP); Jennifer Stewart (Liberal Democrat); and Christopher Sean Willet (Scottish National Front The Real Nationalists).
The SNP made an objection to the City of Aberdeen council's returning officer over the name 'Scottish National Front' that the National Front were using in the Queen's Cross by-election. The objection failed, as did their appeal.
Aberdeen's ruling Lib Dems last night failed to strengthen their power in the Town House as the Tories edged to victory in the Queen's Cross by-election.
Although they clawed back some of the 148-vote deficit from the last election, Conservative Brenda Craig held on to win the seat by 58 votes.
But whatever the result it could not have affected the balance of power, as the Lib Dems would still have been one ward short of an overall majority even with victory last night.
The seat was formerly held by long-serving Conservative councillor Jack Demspey, whose death in January led to the election.
Mrs Craig dedicated her victory to him, and said she would try to carry on where he left off and base her actions on what constituents wanted.
She will now step down as chairwoman of the area's community council and move straight into the city's ruling administration with the Lib Dems and her two Tory colleagues, John Porter and Jill Wisely.
Mrs Craig is originally from Portnockie but lives in the Queen's Cross area. She runs an engineering business with her husband and has two children.
She said: "I feel very good - it's been a very tense evening."
She added that the 40% turnout - down from 49% at last May's election - was good for a by-election on a day of consistently poor weather. Council and Lib Dem leader Kate Dean said she was not too disappointed because her party had increased its share of the vote.
She also said the two-party administration's combined share of the vote had gone up 10%, which she described as a ringing endorsement of the partnership.
Every other party was left languishing with less than 5% of the vote, and the far-right National Front could only scrape together a paltry nine votes.
The only note of controversy all evening came after the official announcement of the result, for which the SNP and Socialist candidates did not join the stage with the National Front.
City SNP leader Kevin Stewart said the Labour, Lib Dem and Tory candidates were wrong to stand next to National Front's Christopher Willett, as it gave his party a semblance of credibility.
The full result was: Howard William Chandler (Scottish Socialist Party) - 25; Brenda Craig (Conservative) - 669; James M. King (Labour) - 63; Mark McDonald (SNP) - 51; Jennifer Stewart (Liberal Democrat) - 611; Christopher Sean Willett (Scottish National Front The Real Nationalists) - 9.
The state of the parties is: Liberal Democrats 20 seats; Labour 14; SNP 6 and Conservatives 3.
The Tories held off a strong Lib Dem challenge to keep power in an Aberdeen West End ward.
The party clung on to Queen's Cross after a narrow victory in yesterday's by-election.
Brenda Craig took the traditionally Tory area with a majority of 58.
The win brings the strength of the city council Conservative group back up to three councillors.
The poll was sparked by the death in January of long- serving Tory member Jack Dempsey.
Mr Dempsey won with a 148-vote majority when he beat the Lib Dems in the local elections last May.
The Tory win will have no effect on the balance of power in the Town House.
The ruling Lib Dem/Tory coalition is back to the strength it achieved last May, with a total of 23 seats.
Labour is still sitting on 14 and the SNP at six.
Mrs Craig, who announced she would now step down as the chairwoman of Queen's Cross Community Council, won yesterday with 669 votes.
Lib Dem candidate Jennifer Stewart came a close second with 611.
Labour was a distant third, with 63 votes, pipping the SNP into fourth place with 53.
The Scottish Socialists took 25 votes.
The Scottish National Front candidate won the support of just nine electors.
Mrs Craig, who hails from Portnockie and lives in Queen's Cross, said she was delighted with her victory after a tense count.
Lib Dem city council leader Councillor Kate Dean said her party had increased its share of the vote and claimed the result showed firm public support for the year-old coalition.
The turnout was 40%, down from 49% in last May's local elections, but well above the levels achieved in recent Aberdeen by-elections.
An electronic vote-counting system was piloted at the by-election for the first time in Scotland, running side-by-side with the manual count.
Election officials admitted there had been teething troubles - with the hand count proving faster than the electronic - but said the system could be tried out again at the June Euro-elections.
Technology expected to contribute to the abolition of traditional polling stations was pioneered in Aberdeen last night.
City council election chiefs tried out an electronic voting system as they counted votes cast in the Queen's Cross by-election.
Although votes were officially counted by hand, they were also fed through an electronic scanner.
The machine was set too slow for the full results to be matched against the official result, but election officers said the early indications were that the equipment had proved successful - albeit with some "teething problems".
The technology, developed by contractor Opt2Vote, could now be tried out in the north-east in June's European parliament elections.
And election officials said yesterday that, if they are convinced about the benefits of the system, the technology could be used for official counts.
Representatives from several other Scottish councils - as far as Glasgow - attended the count last night to assess the performance of the system.
Deputy returning officer Crawford Langley said: "This is a first for a Aberdeen, for Scotland, and, in terms of the system, a first for the UK."
Although other electronic counting systems have been piloted in England, they all required a change to the form of the ballot paper, unlike the one tried out in Aberdeen.
Roy Hill, Opt2Vote's technical director, was also in the city yesterday.
He said the technology could help eliminate the need for traditional polling stations within a few years.
He pointed out that four English areas with 14million voters - the north-east, the north-west, Yorkshire and Humberside and East Midlands - would be relying on postal voting only at the European elections this summer.
Mr Hill predicted that a big push to find alternatives to polling stations would get under way after the next general election.
Opt2Vote is also developing other voting methods using technology such as the internet and mobile phones.
Local authority and Scottish Executive officials are keen to see the scanning technology in place across the country by 2007.
By that time, the likely introduction of the single transferable vote system for council elections will make manual counts more complex and time-consuming.
Scotland faces added complications because council and Scottish Parliament elections take place on the same day.
Mr Langley said the electronic scanning system would allow votes to be counted within a matter of hours, rather than days.
Papers are emptied into a machine without being sorted or placed in neat bundles.
It then matches papers - if necessary - to the correct elections by assessing bar codes, while votes are counted by scanning the traditional cross in the box.
In April 2004, we carried out the first electronic count (e-count) of ballot papers in Scotland at the Queens Cross by-election. This differed from any other e-count carried out to date in the UK, as it involved the counting of "traditional" ballot papers complete with ballot paper numbers, as opposed to the use of bar codes tried elsewhere. We are continuing to develop the use of e-counting and plan to carry out a large scale e-counting test using STV marked ballot papers during 2005. If successful, we aim to do an e-count at the Local Government elections in 2007.
I am grateful to Fiona Musk of Aberdeen City Council Archives for the names of the candidates in 1998.
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