High-profile Nationalists find themselves without seats

There were several high-profile SNP casualties as the results started to come in at the Saltire Centre in Arbroath.

A surge in support for the Conservatives saw several well established councillors lose their seats.

Kirriemuir and Dean set the tone with Jeanette Gaul losing her seat to Conservative Angus McMillan Douglas.

Then long-serving Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton lost out to Conservative Braden Davy.

Liberal Democrat Richard Moore edged out the SNP’s Donald Morrison, who had swapped from Arbroath East to Arbroath West, before another long-serving councillor, Sheena Welsh, lost her seat in the Arbroath East and Lunan ward.

Meanwhile, eight of the nine Conservatives standing for election won seats. The party’s Carnoustie candidate, Terry O’Halloran, very narrowly failed to take the seat, with only 16 first preference votes fewer than Independent David Cheape.

It was a good day for the Liberal Democrats who previously held one seat. They doubled that, taking seats in Monifieth and Sidlaw and Arbroath West, Letham and Friockheim.

Meanwhile Labour was completely shut out by the electorate. Their only councillor during the last council, Margaret Thompson, stood down from the Monifieth and Sidlaw ward.

There were hundreds of spoilt ballots as some voters struggled to come to grips with the voting system.

Long-serving Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton lost out.