By-election fever is set to hit East Ayrshire in November after two of the county’s new Labour MPs resigned their council seats.
Lillian Jones, MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, and Elaine Stewart, MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, were both elected to Westminster at the general election in July and will be replaced on the council following by-elections on Thursday, November 14.
Ms Jones was first elected as councillor for Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse on East Ayrshire Council at the 2012 elections and retained her seat in 2017 and 2022.
Ms Stewart was first elected as a councillor for Dalmellington at the 2003 elections but was unsuccessful at the 2007 elections following the introduction of the single transferable vote system and multi-member wards.She stood again in Doon Valley at the 2017 elections but was again unsuccessful before regaining her council seat at the 2022 elections in the same ward.Labour will be confident of retaining both seats on the council following their success at the general election which saw them claim 37 of the 57 seats in Scotland.At the 2022 elections, the SNP polled highest in Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse at 38.4 per cent to Labour’s 28.2 per cent while independent councillor Drew Filson gained the most support in Doon Valley at 27.9 per cent, ahead of Labour on 23.1 per cent and the SNP on 20.8 per cent. Read next: Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter
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