SNP leads the way in Fife but no majority

The SNP has hailed its best-ever result in Fife, finishing just four short of an overall majority. The party took 34 of the 75 seats – five more than in 2017.

Labour, which has co-led the council with the SNP for the last five years, finished second with 20 councillors, a loss of four.

And the Liberal Democrats cheered as they gained an extra six councillors, racking up 13 seats in total.

But it was a dismal day for the Conservatives, who lost seven of their 2017 seats and finished with just eight.

Tory leader Dave Dempsey said the scandals which have dogged the party at a national level – including the so-called partygate affair – had undoubtedly had an effect.

SNP leader David Alexander is now in a prime position to lead talks regarding possible coalitions. And he said he was prepared to speak to every party – except the Conservatives.

“We want to work to mitigate the cost-of-living crisis,” he said.

“But it’s the Tories who have created that.”

However, he added: “We have to speak to people if they’re prepared to speak to us because it’s not healthy trying to run a place the size of Fife in a minority situation.

“We have to have a workable majority to get a programme through.”

The SNP has made huge breakthroughs in one of Labour’s former strongholds in recent years.

When Mr Alexander was elected to Kirkcaldy District Council 36 years ago, 34 of the 40 councillors were Labour.

“I’m astounded at how things have changed,” he said.

However, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar ruling out any coalition with the SNP, it is unclear how matters will now progress in Fife.

The council’s Labour leader David Ross said: “We’ve ruled out any formal coalitions but we’ll have to look at the overall result and see what it means.

“There will have to be some kind of arrangement.”

Aside from the overall picture, Fife Council has lost some well-known and experienced councillors.

In the East Neuk, former Conservative then All4Unity member Linda Holt and ex-SNP John Docherty were defeated after standing as independents.

Conservatives Tony Miklinski, Graham Ritchie and Andy Heer all lost their seats, along with the SNP’s Zoe Hisbent in Kirkcaldy.

But some councillors have made a comeback, with Labour’s Tom Adams and the SNP’s Sam Steele both returning.

The candidates line up to hear the results in Leven, Kennoway and Largo.