[1] The previous elections in 2007 had returned no one party with enough councillors to create majority single-party governance as there had been in East Lothian up until that point.

After the election, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats entered into a coalition, throwing Labour out of office, having previously controlled the council with a large majority for many years before that.

This was also the Scottish Liberal Democrats' second election since the entering coalition with the Conservative Party in the UK Parliament.

He was joined by 3 other independent candidates who were standing in other wards, none of whom, it was felt, who stood a realistic chance of being elected.

Two minor parties also took part in the election, UKIP and Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, each standing 2 and 1 candidates respectively.

This was the first time that both of these parties were standing candidates in the East Lothian Council elections since the introduction of the current voting system.

This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.