Arran by-election: North Ayrshire Council confirms winner

The local authority revealed this morning that Labour's Charlies Currie has been elected as the island's new councillor.

The islander won 748 first preference votes in the poll held on Thursday, with independent candidate James McMaster taking second place on 402 votes.

Charles Currie (Image: Supplied) Green candidate Neil Wilkinson came third on 340 votes, with Conservative Mackenzie Smith on 90, Reform UK's Carole Thomson on 55 and Liberal Democrat Matt Taylor on 12.

The turnout was 41.3 per cent - with 1,668 ballot papers received and 21 of those rejected.

The result leaves North Ayrshire Council with 12 SNP councillors, 11 Labour, eight Conservatives and two independents.

At today's count (Image: NAC)

The result was a hammering for the Conservatives, who had held the seat since the 2022 election when their candidate Timothy Billings won convincingly with 1,335 votes.

However, Mr Billings stood down - and left the island - a few months ago. 

There was no SNP candidate for Arran this time round. It is believed the selected candidate had to withdraw from the poll at the last moment for family reasons.

At the last council election in 2022, Mr Billings won, with the SNP's Steve Garraway in second place, with 951 votes.

Independent Tom Young came third with 519 votes, with Green Ronna Park on 321, Labour's Aaran McDonald on 260 and independent Ellen McMaster on 221.

Last week, the council reassured residents that the vote would go ahead despite recent problems with the island ferry service. Engine failure and bad weather meant Arran has been without a service for a number of days in recent weeks.

Thankfully, the weather stayed kind for polling day on Thursday, as well as today's election count.

The next full North Ayrshire Council election will be held in 2027.