The 2012 Aberdeen City Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Aberdeen City Council. The election used the 13 wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 43 Councillors elected.
Local political activist Renee Slater caused controversy when she nominated a mannequin doll as 'Helena Torry' in the Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross ward. This was withdrawn after being spotted and a report issued to Grampian Police. Slater was subsequently prosecuted.[1]
The election saw the Scottish Liberal Democrats lose two-thirds of their councillors. The Scottish National Party made 3 gains, securing their by-election gains during the 2007–2012 term. However, it was Scottish Labour Party who proved the biggest winners with 7 gains and 17 total seats. Independents gained 2 seats while the Tories lost 2 seats.
On 9 May an agreement was reached to form a coalition. The coalition was formed between the Scottish Labour Party (17 seats), the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (3) and three Independent councillors.
Note: The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.
https://web.archive.org/web/20120508053322/http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/council_government/councillors/elections_unit/election_results_2012.asp