Labour’s Susan Manion wins Armdale and Blackridge by-election narrowly beating the SNP

Labour’s Susan Manion has won the Armdale and Blackridge by-election, narrowly beating the SNP.  

Councillor Manion beat the SNP’s candidate Keith Barclay by just 18 votes with the final first preference vote tally of 795 to 777. 

Reform candidate David McLennan, the first for the new party contesting a Scottish local council poll, collected 519 votes, coming third pace ahead of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens. 

Cllr Manion will join Councillor Lynda Kenna (SNP) and Councillor Andrew McGuire (Independent)  as representative of the   western-most ward of the council. 

The result bolsters the ruling Labour group’s numbers on the council, taking the group back up to the nine members they had before Councillor McGuire left the party to sit as an Independent earlier this year. 

Poll turnout was low at only 20.7.  Councillor Manion was elected at stage 7 of the poll count. 

Full breakdown of results: 

Keith Barclay (SNP) – 777 

Douglas Butler (Liberal Democrats) – 122 

John Hannah (Independence for Scotland Party) – 236 

Susan Manion (Scottish Labour Party) – 795 

David McLennan (Reform UK) – 519 

Adam Rafferty (Scottish Greens) – 73 

Douglas Smith (Scottish Conservative & Unionist) – 226 

By Stuart Sommerville Local Democracy Reporter