Location of the ward
Location of the ward [1]

Fortissat is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council.[2] Created in 2007, it originally returned three councillors; a 2017 national review resulted in no changes in the boundaries but an extra seat being added. The ward's territory covers the town of Shotts and surrounding areas (including Allanton, Bonkle, Harthill, Hartwood, Morningside and Salsburgh) with a population of 15,730 in 2019.[3]

Councillors

Election Councillors
2007 Jim Robertson
(Labour) 		Charles Cefferty
(Ind.) 		Malcolm McMillan
(SNP) 		3 seats
2012 Thomas Cochrane
(SNP, then Ind.)
2017 Martin McCulloch
(Labour) 		Kenneth Stevenson
(Labour) 		Sandy Thornton
(Conservative)
2017 by- Clare Quigley
(Labour)
2021 by- Peter Kelly
(Labour)
2022 Margaret Hughes
(SNP) 		John Jo Leckie
(BUP)

Election results

2022 election

Main article: 2022 North Lanarkshire Council election
Fortissat - 4 seats[4][5]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Labour Martin McCulloch (incumbent) 22.5 1,028          
SNP Margaret Hughes 20.8 949          
British Unionist Party John Jo Leckie 18.8 859 864 864 870 1,136  
Labour Kenneth Stevenson (incumbent) 14.0 636 729 730 753 867 957
Conservative Ben Callaghan 11.2 512 514 515 523    
SNP Sarah Quinn 10.0 457 463 494 547 561 571
Scottish Green Emma Rachel Cuthbertson 2.6 118 119 121      
Electorate: 12,104   Valid: 4,559   Spoilt: 123   Quota: 912   Turnout: 4,682 (38.7%)  

2017 election

Main article: 2017 North Lanarkshire Council election
Fortissat - 4 seats[6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Labour Martin McCulloch 29.29 1,477          
SNP Thomas Cochrane (incumbent) 20.15 1,016          
Conservative Sandy Thornton 13.29 670 678 678 691 948 1,121
A Better Britain – Unionist Party Jeffrey McDonald 11.08 559 574 574 591    
Independent Charlie Cefferty (incumbent) 10.09 509 527 527 661 754  
SNP Mags Murphy 8.9 449 469 475      
Labour Kenneth Stevenson 7.2 363 715 715 806 891 1,117
Electorate: 12,051   Valid: 5,043   Spoilt: 139   Quota: 1,009   Turnout: 5,182 (43.0%)  

2017 by-election

Conservative candidate Sandy Thornton refused to sign his acceptance of office, resulting in the seat becoming vacant on 28 June 2017. A by-election took place on 7 September 2017 and was won by Clare Quigley of the Scottish Labour Party.[7][8]

Fortissat By-election (7 September 2017) - 1 Seat[9]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Labour Clare Quigley 38.5 1,420 1,421 1,426 1,466 1,546 1,827 2,117
A Better Britain - Unionist Party John Jo Leckie 23.3 858 865 867 913 1,088 1,139  
SNP Mags Murphy 20.6 761 762 770 791 804    
Conservative Norma McNab 11.5 424 427 428 459      
Independent Charlie Cefferty 5.0 184 184 188        
Scottish Green Kyle Davidson 0.7 24 26          
UKIP Daryl Gardner 0.5 18            
Electorate: 12,163   Valid: 3,689   Spoilt: 47   Quota: 1,845   Turnout: 3,736 (30.7%)  

2021 by-election

On 8 May 2018, councillor Tommy Cochrane resigned from the SNP and became an Independent, citing lack of SNP support in the area.[10] He resigned his seat on 18 March 2020 saying he was increasingly unable to manage personal and work commitments.[11] A by-election was held in 2021 (delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland), won by Labour's Peter Kelly.

Fortissat by-election (4 March 2021) - 1 Seat[12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Labour Peter Kelly 38.4% 1,071 1,073 1,093 1,408
SNP Sarah Quinn 34.6% 965 970 994 1,026
Conservative Ben Callaghan 23.5% 656 664 679  
Scottish Green Kyle Davidson 2.5% 69 74    
UKIP Neil Wilson 1.1% 31      
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 2,792   Spoilt: 29   Quota: 1,397   Turnout: 23.3%  

2012 election

Main article: 2012 North Lanarkshire Council election
Fortissat - 3 seats[13]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Labour Francis Fallan 23.0% 983 988 1,022 1,023.4  
Labour Jim Robertson (incumbent) 22.9% 982 1,000 1,046 1,048.3 1,843.2
Independent Charlie Cefferty (incumbent) 22.9% 981 1,023 1,079    
SNP Thomas Cochrane 16.2% 695 700 1,062 1,063.4 1,136.6
SNP Malcolm McMillan (incumbent) 12.4% 529 543      
Conservative Sandy Thornton 2.6% 111        
Electorate: 11,314   Valid: 4,281   Spoilt: 94   Quota: 1,071   Turnout: 4,375 (38.67%)  

2007 election

Main article: 2007 North Lanarkshire Council election
North Lanarkshire council election, 2007: Fortissat
Party Candidate 1st Pref % Seat Count
Labour Jim Robertson 1,596 28.3 1 1
Independent Charles Cefferty 1,529 27.1 1 1
SNP Malcolm McMillan 1,396 24.7 1 2
Labour Clare Margaret Quigley 1,125 19.9

References

  1. ^ "5th Reviews - ward maps | Scottish Boundary Commission". www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  2. ^ "United Kingdom: Scotland | Council Areas and Electoral Wards". City Population. 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  3. ^ Electoral Ward: Fortissat Archived 3 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Scottish Government Statistics
  4. ^ "Notice of Poll". North Lanarkshire Council. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Election Results". North Lanarkshire Council. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  6. ^ "North Lanarkshire Council - Scottish council elections". Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. ^ Aitken, Mark (9 July 2017). "Tory 'ghost councillor' dodged job and sparked by-election costing £50,000". dailyrecord. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  8. ^ Temlett, Michael (8 September 2017). "Labour win Fortissat by-election as Clare Quigley grabs two times SNP vote". dailyrecord. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Fortissat ward by-election result". www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Councillor quits the SNP over alleged 'toxic bullying'". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Shotts councillor calls it quits after eight years as elected member". 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  12. ^ "North Lanarkshire Council Ward 13 Fortissat | North Lanarkshire Council". www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  13. ^ "North Lanarkshire Council - 3 May 2012 - North Lanarkshire Council - results". Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
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