Previous election

At the previous election in 2017, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won the most seats for the first time in a Fife election after gaining three seats to hold 29. Labour lost 11 seats to hold 24 as they were replaced as the largest party. The Conservatives made a net gain of 12 to hold 15 seats while the Liberal Democrats lost three seats to hold seven.^[1]

Source: ^[1]

Electoral system

The election used the 22 wards created by the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements, with 75 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system – a form of proportional representation – where candidates are ranked in order of preference.^[2]

Composition

Several changes in the composition of the council occurred between the 2017 and 2022 elections. Most were changes to the political affiliation of councillors including SNP councillor Kate Stewart who left the party to become an independent, Conservative councillor Linda Holt who resigned from the party to become an independent^[3][4] and SNP councillor John Docherty who stood as an independent in the 2022 elections.^[5] Three by-elections resulted in a Conservative gain from Labour, an SNP hold and an SNP gain from the Conservatives.^[6][7]

Retiring councillors

Source: ^[1][5]

Candidates

The total number of candidates fell from 185 in 2017 to 179. As was the case five years previous, the SNP fielded the highest number of candidates at 39 (six less than in 2017) across the 22 wards. Both Labour and the Conservatives also fielded at least one candidate in every ward but the 32 candidates fielded by Labour were four less than in 2017 whereas the Conservatives increased their total number of candidates from 22 to 23. The Liberal Democrats contested all but one ward, fielding a total of 26 candidates (up two from 2017). The Greens also contested all but one ward however, the 21 candidates fielded by the party were three less than the previous election. The number of independent candidates contesting the election fell from 29 in 2017 to just eight. As with the previous election, both the Libertarians and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) fielded a single candidate. For the first time, the Scottish Family Party (14), the Alba Party (11), the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP) (one), the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) (one) and Sovereignty (one) fielded candidates in a Fife election. Neither Solidarity nor the British Unionist Party (BUP), who had contested the 2017 election, fielded any candidates.^[1][5]

Ward summary

Source: ^[8]

Seats changing hands

Below is a list of seats which elected a different party or parties from 2017 in order to highlight the change in political composition of the council from the previous election. The list does not include defeated incumbents who resigned or defected from their party and subsequently failed re-election while the party held the seat.

Notes

Source:^[1][8]

West Fife and Coastal Villages

Labour, the SNP and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[11][12]

Dunfermline North

Labour, the SNP and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[13][14]

Dunfermline Central

Labour retained one of the two seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP and Conservatives retained their seats and the Liberal Democrats gained one seat from Labour.

Source:^[15][16]

Dunfermline South

The Liberal Democrats, Labour and the SNP retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP also gained one seat from the Conservatives.

Source:^[17][18]

Rosyth

The SNP and Labour retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP also gained one seat from the Conservatives.

Source:^[19][20]

Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay

The SNP (2), Labour (1) and the Conservatives (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[21][22]

Cowdenbeath

The SNP and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election while Labour retained one of their two seats and the SNP gained one seat from Labour.

Source:^[23][24]

Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty

The SNP (2) and Labour (2) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[25][26]

Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy

The SNP, Labour and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[27][28]

Kirkcaldy North

The SNP retained the seat they had won at the previous election while Labour held one of their two seats and the Conservatives gained one seat from Labour.

Source:^[29][30]

Kirkcaldy Central

Labour (2) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[31][32]

Kirkcaldy East

The SNP and Labour retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP also gained one seat from the Conservatives.

Source:^[33][34]

Glenrothes West and Kinglassie

The SNP (2) and Labour (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[35][36]

Glenrothes North, Leslie and Markinch

The SNP (2), Labour (1) and the Conservatives (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[37][38]

Glenrothes Central and Thornton

The SNP (2) and Labour (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[39][40]

Howe of Fife and Tay Coast

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats also gained one seat from the Conservatives.

Source:^[41][42]

Tay Bridgehead

The Liberal Democrats (2) and the SNP (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[43][44]

St Andrews

The Liberal Democrats, the SNP and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats also gained one seat from Labour.

Source:^[45][46]

East Neuk and Landward

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats also gained one seat from the Conservatives. Independent candidates Linda Holt and John Docherty were elected as Liberal Democrat and SNP candidates respectively in 2017.^[4][5]

Source:^[47][48]

Cupar

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats also gained one seat from the Conservatives.

Source:^[49][50]

Leven, Kennoway and Largo

The SNP (2) and Labour (1) retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats gained one seat from the Conservatives.

Source:^[51][52]

Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages

The SNP (2) and Labour (2) retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Source:^[53][54]