Local Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019 1

MODEL
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

Local Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill

SP Bill 74

(as introduced)

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to amend the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 to make
provision for the election of councillors by the mixed-member proportional system; and for
connected purposes.

PART 1
MIXED-MEMBER PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM

1 Mixed-member proportional system

For sections 1 and 2 of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, substitute—
“1 Electoral wards and regions
(1) Each local government area is to be divided into—
(a) electoral regions, and
(b) electoral wards.
(2) The number of electoral regions and electoral wards into which a local government
area is to be divided is to be determined by reference to the table in schedule 2.
(3) There is to be a separate election for each electoral region and each electoral ward.
(4) The number of councillors to be returned is—
(a) in an electoral region, a number determined by order under section 17 (order
giving effect to proposals made by Boundary Commission) of the Local
Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (“the 1973 Act”);
(b) in an electoral ward, one.
(5) Different numbers may be determined in relation to different electoral regions.
(6) The aggregate number of councillors returned in the electoral regions in a local
government area is the number specified for the area in the table in schedule 2.

2 Mixed-member proportional system

(1) In each electoral region and each electoral ward where there is a contested election,
a poll is to be held at which each person entitled to vote as an elector may vote.
2 Local Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019

(2) In an election in an electoral ward, the voter is to mark on the ballot paper the
candidate who is the voter’s preference from among the candidates to be councillor.
(3) In an election in an electoral region, the voter is to mark on the ballot paper—
(a) a registered political party which has submitted a regional list, or
(b) an individual candidate to be a councillor for the region.
(4) A regional list is a list of at least one and not more than twelve persons who are to
be the registered political party’s candidates in that region.”

2 “Registered political party”

In section 6 of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (interpretation of Part 1), insert
at the appropriate place—
““registered political party” means a party registered under Part 2 of the Political Parties,
Elections and Referendums Act 2000,”

3 Numbers of wards, regions, and regional councillors

(1) The Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 is amended as follows.
(2) The existing schedule becomes schedule 1.
(3) In subsection (6) of section 13, for “The schedule” substitute “Schedule 1”.
(4) After schedule 1, insert schedule 2 contained in the schedule to this Act.

4 Consequential repeals and modifications

(1) In the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004—
(a) in subsection (3) of section 3 (power to make further provision about local government
elections), after paragraph (a) insert—
“(aa) make different provision in relation to elections in electoral regions and
elections in electoral wards,”
(b) in subsection (1) of section 4 (reviews of electoral arrangements), for the words “the
commencement of this section” substitute “the commencement of Part 1 of the Local
Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019”.
(2) In the Local Government (Boundaries and Special Powers) (Scotland) Act 2017, section
6 (electoral system) is repealed.

PART 2
GENERAL

5 Saving
Nothing in Part 1 has effect for the purposes of any election to be held on or before 4 May
2022 under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.

6 Commencement
This Act comes into force on the day after Royal Assent.

7 Short title
The short title of this Act is the Local Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019.
Local Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019 3

SCHEDULE

“SCHEDULE 2
NUMBERS OF ELECTORAL WARDS AND REGIONS

Notes
1. The table in this schedule is to be interpreted in accordance with these notes.
2. For the purposes of section 1(1) and (2), a local government area is to be divided into—
(a) the number of electoral wards specified in column 2, and
(b) the number of electoral regions specified in column 3.
3. For the purposes of section 1(6), the aggregate number of councillors to be returned in
the electoral regions in a local government area is the number specified in column 4.

Table
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4
Local government area Wards Regions Councillors
Aberdeen City 20 4 25
Angus 15 3 15
Argyll and Bute 20 2 16
Banffshire and Gordon 15 2 10
Caithness and Sutherland 15 2 10
Clackmannanshire 10 2 10
Clydeside 15 2 20
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth 20 1 20
Dumfries and Galloway 20 4 20
Dundee City 20 1 10
Dunfermline 10 1 5
East Ayrshire 15 3 15
East Dunbartonshire 10 2 10
East Kilbride 10 1 10
East Lothian 12 2 12
East Renfrewshire 10 1 8
City of Edinburgh 30 6 30
Na h-Eileanan an Iar 15 3 15
Falkirk 15 3 15
Glasgow City 50 4 40
4 Local Governance (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4

Local government area Wards Regions Councillors
Inverclyde 10 2 10
Inverness 15 3 15
Kincardine and Deeside 10 2 10
Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes 10 2 10
Midlothian 9 1 9
Monklands 10 2 10
Moray 15 2 10
Motherwell and Wishaw 10 2 10
North Ayrshire 15 3 15
Orkney Islands 10 2 10
City of Perth 15 1 10
Perthshire 10 2 20
Renfrewshire 20 4 20
Ross and Cromarty 10 2 10
Rutherglen and Cambuslang 10 2 10
Scottish Borders 20 4 20
Shetland Islands 10 1 10
Skye and Lochaber 10 2 10
South Ayrshire 10 3 15
St Andrews 10 1 5
Stirling 12 2 10
West Dunbartonshire 10 3 12
West Lothian 15 3 15”