Labour take Doon Valley seat

Oct 9 2009 by Cheryl McEvoy

LABOUR is now the biggest party on East Ayrshire Council.

But their success in the Doon Valley by-election won’t change a thing.

For SNP will cling to power with one fewer seat because of their alliance with the three serving Tories.

Moira Pirie was elected as a councillor on Thursday night after taking more than 50 per cent of the vote.

However, less than 27 per cent of voters bothered to turn up at polling stations.

The election comes just weeks after the death of East Ayrshire’s only Independent councillor, Jim Sutherland.

The grandad lost his battle with cancer in July.

Ms Pirie revealed that she’s looking forward to representing the community.

She said: “I am delighted that local people have put their trust in me.

“People are furious at the way the local SNP run council are making a mess of things.

“I promise to work hard and stand up for our area.”

Ms Pirie received 1221 votes in the first stage under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.

Her nearest rival was John Bell of the SNP with 891 followed by Tory Nicholas Martin with 176, Independent Yvonne Hamilton with 84 and Independent Robert Shennan with 44.

The result means Labour now have two councillors in the ward and the SNP just one.

But SNP MSP Adam Ingram praised his party’s candidate Mr Bell for achieving 10.5 per cent swing in his favour, insisting that Labour are losing their grip in the area.

He said: “First of all I would like to congratulate John Bell on his superb campaign.

“He was an outstanding candidate and it is a great shame the big swing he achieved from Labour to the SNP was not enough to carry him to victory.”