This year’s council elections have already had a significant impact on the face of local politics in Scotland.
With Labour suffering significant losses and the Tories making inroads in new corners of the country, a number of big names have come off worse for wear.
Here are the biggest losses so far…
Willie Young
Aberdeen City Council finance chief Willie Young has lost his Bridge of Don seat.
Aliston Alphonse (SNP), Brett Hunt (Conservative), John Reynolds (Independent) and Sandy Stuart (SNP) have been returned as councillors in the ward.
The result is a major scalp, with Mr Young previously being seen as a senior Labour figure in the Granite City.
Speaking at the account, the 56-year-old ruled out any return to politics.
He said: “My days of politics are now gone.”
For more on why Mr Young lost his seat, click here.
Angela Taylor
Aberdeen City Council’s education convener has also lost her seat.
The council faced backlash last year over a recruitment crisis that left north of Scotland schools short of 206 teachers just days before the new term started.
Although the city council was not the only local authority to experience such issues, it is possible this scandal was one factor leading to Angela Taylor losing her seat.
Overall, Labour have suffered significant losses across Scotland leading to one of the most significant defeats in the party’s history…
Glasgow
Labour have lost control of Glasgow City Council ending 40 years in charge of the authority.
The party needed every one of their 43 candidates in the city to retain their majority.
Their spell in charge ultimately came to an end as Anne Simpson failed to win in Shettleston, with the ward electing two SNP, one Labour and one Tory councillors.
The SNP are now widely expected to take the largest share of the authority.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said earlier this week it would be “hugely significant” if her party takes control at Scotland’s largest local authority.
Independents (plus everyone else but the SNP) in the Highlands
The Conservatives have taken an incredible 10 seats in the Highlands after more than two decades in the electoral wilderness.
The party were able to take support from independent candidates (who made up the majority of the council), Labour, UKIP and the Lib Dems.
Senior SNP officials in the north say the results show how politics has become polarised in the region while critics say it amounts to a rebellion against a second independence vote.
Gary Robinson
Shetland Islands Council leader Gary Robinson has lost his seat after five years at the helm.
The independent candidate said he was “disappointed” but “that’s politics”.
He added: “I think Shetland West was always going to be a tough ward. It’s where my heart was, and is, and I’d rather have fought and lost the Shetland West ward than move anywhere else, so it was chance I took at the end of the day.
“I think it has been a difficult council. If you’ve led a council that’s been able to offer a lot to the inhabitants then its always an easier election to go into.
“We’ve had to make savings over the last five years, I expect that is going to continue into this council as well. That doesn’t always provide the best springboard going into an election.”
