2017 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election

Elections to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) were held on 4 May 2017, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election was the third one using the nine wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.[1] Each ward elected three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system: a form of proportional representation. A total of 31 Councillors were elected.

2017 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election

4 May 2017
All 31 seats to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 16 seats needed for a majority
Leader Roddie MacKay Donald Manford Ranald Fraser Party Independent SNP Conservative Last election 25 seats, 71.6 7 seats, 23.8 N/A Seats before 21 7 0 Seats won 23 7 1 Seat change 2 1 Popular vote 9,248 2,287 402 Percentage 77.5% 19.2% 3.4%
Council Leader before election Angus Campbell Independent Council Leader after election Roddie MacKay Independent

In the previous election in 2012, Independent Councillors retained a large majority of the seats on the Council, and retained control of the administration.

Previous election result

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Local Election Result 2017[2]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	23	2		2	74.2	77.5	9,248	5.9
	SNP	7	1	1		22.6	19.2	2,287	4.7
	Conservative	1	1		1	3.2	3.4	402	3.4
	Labour	0	0	3	3	0.0	0.0	0	4.6

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes compare with the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. These figures may differ from other published sources showing gains/losses in comparison with the seats held at the dissolution of the council in 2012.

Ward results

The wards are listed below in English.

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas

• 2012: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017: 2xIndependent; 2 SNP
• 2012-2017 Change: SNP gain 1 seat from Labour

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas - 4 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	SNP	Donald Manford (incumbent)	38.28	531
	SNP	Calum MacMillan	9.95	138	278.08
	Independent	Iain MacNeil	15.65	217	240.82	240.84	246.32	264.13	290.99
	No Label	Paul Steele	11.61	161	170.05	170.06	172.06	192.06	253.83	258.95	324.47
	Independent	David Blaney (incumbent)	8.07	112	121.05	121.06	129.06	155.49	175.26	177.61
	Independent	Donnie Steele (incumbent)	7.93	110	129.53	129.54	132.55	155.4
	Independent	Ronald Joseph MacKinnon (incumbent)	6.42	89	101.86	101.87	109.35
	Independent	Gerry MacLeod	2.09	29	30.91	30.91
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,387   Spoilt: 44   Quota: 278   Turnout: 1,431 (57.1%)

Beinn Na Foghla agus Uibhist a Tuath

• 2012: 2xIndependent; 1xLab
• 2017: 3xIndependent
• 2012-17 Change: Independent gain 1 seat from Labour

Beinn Na Foghla agus Uibhist a Tuath - 3 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	Independent	Uisdean Robertson (incumbent)	28.77	355
	Independent	Iain MacLeod	19.21	237	242.96	247.22	261.13	275.04	318.67
	Independent	Roddy MacKay	15.96	197	202.44	209.44	215.57	236.48	261.72	264.61	342.41
	SNP	Roslyn MacPherson	12.64	156	159.76	162.76	170.89	180.3	201.12	202.13
	Independent	Andrew Walker (incumbent)	8.27	102	115.22	126.61	139.26	161.36
	Independent	Neil MacDonald Beaton (incumbent)	5.75	71	79.42	89.42	97.94
	Independent	John MacLeod	5.27	65	67.72	74.72
	Conservative	Ken MacBrayne	4.13	51	51.65
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,234   Spoilt: 26   Quota: 309   Turnout: 1,260 (53.8%)

Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas Nan Loch

• 2012: 1xIndependent; 1xSNP; 1xLab
• 2017: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2012-2017 Change: Independent gain 1 seat from Labour

Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas Nan Loch - 3 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	Independent	Finlay Cunningham	33.19	381
	Independent	Paul Finnegan	16.46	189	214.87	215.87	219.87	224.11	239.11	261.53	359.36
	SNP	John Mitchell	14.98	172	179.81	179.81	181.81	220.27	228.76	236	278.44
	Independent	Catherine McDonald (incumbent)	14.46	166	187.72	187.72	191.96	195.45	199.67	218.35
	Independent	Sheena MacLeod	6.98	80	91.47	91.71	95.71	98.95	126.2
	Independent	Denise Wilson	5.58	64	66.68	70.17	72.41	73.41
	SNP	Fiona MacLeod	4.09	47	50.91	51.91	55.96
	Independent	D.J. MacRae (incumbent)	3.66	42	43.22	45.22
	Independent	Alex Smith	0.61	7	7.73
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,148   Spoilt: 28   Quota: 288   Turnout: 1,176 (63.2%)

Sgir’ Uige agus Ceann a Tuath Nan Loch

• 2012: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2017: 2xIndependent; 1xCon
• 2012-2017 Change: Conservative gain 1 seat from SNP

Sgir’ Uige agus Ceann a Tuath Nan Loch

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4
	Independent	Angus Morrison (incumbent)	48.36	679
	Independent	Norman Alexander MacDonald (incumbent)	19.3	271	352.87
	Conservative	Ranald Fraser	19.09	268	332.05	332.22	471.66
	Independent	Cudig MacLeod (incumbent)	13.25	186	283.28	283.74
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,404   Spoilt: 25   Quota: 352   Turnout: 1,429 (59.1%)

Sgire an Rubha

• 2012: 3xIndependent
• 2017: 3xIndependent
• 2012-2017 Change: No change

Sgire an Rubha - 3 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6
	Independent	Norrie MacDonald	31.95	354
	Independent	Alasdair MacLeod (incumbent)	29.69	329
	Independent	Finlay Stewart	13.63	151	169.68	191.53	213.01	267.29	338.43
	Independent	Tony Robson	8.21	91	113.54	124.08	141.93	162.55
	Independent	John MacMillan	9.03	100	113.31	120.75	133.81
	Conservative	Don MacDonald	7.4	83	88.58	92.61
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,108   Spoilt: 26   Quota: 278   Turnout: 1,134 (59.5%)

Steòrnabhagh a Deas

• 2012: 3xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2017: 3xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2012-2017 Change: No change

Steòrnabhagh a Deas - 4 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	Independent	Charlie Nicolson (incumbent)	49.25	755
	SNP	Rae MacKenzie (incumbent)	16.31	250	345.53
	Independent	Angus McCormack (incumbent)	10.76	165	290.54	299.3	308.8
	Independent	Keith Dodson	10.18	156	207.03	214.16	215.46	215.74	229.3	276.02	338.01
	Independent	Shonnie MacRitchie	5.02	77	161.85	165.56	170.93	171.07	190.7	196.55
	Independent	Caroline Brick	5.02	76	81.34	84.48	86.07	86.4	92.63
	Independent	Derek McPherson	3.07	47	63.61	66.7	68.36	68.42
	Independent	Campbell McKenzie	0.46	7	17.68	18.19
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,533   Spoilt: 43   Quota: 307   Turnout: 1,576 (52.8%)

Steòrnabhagh a Tuath

• 2012: 3xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2017: 3xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2012-2017 Change: No change

Steòrnabhagh a Tuath - 4 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5
	SNP	Gordon Murray (incumbent)	34.42	486
	Independent	Roddie MacKay (incumbent)	28.19	398
	Independent	Iain MacLean MacAulay (incumbent)	17.63	249	321.26
	Independent	Neil MacKay	10.27	145	190.11	251.37	269.71	357.66
	Independent	Lesley McKenzie	9.49	134	163.66	176.37	183.17
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,412   Spoilt: 28   Quota: 283   Turnout: 1,440 (48.1%)

Loch a Tuath

• 2012: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2017: 2xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2012-2017 Change: No change

Loch a Tuath - 3 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5
	Independent	Donald Finlayson Crichton (incumbent)	46.02	590
	Independent	Calum MacLean	17.94	230	344.89
	SNP	John A. MacIver (incumbent)	17.94	230	271.03	276.54	298.67	335.76
	Independent	Iain MacIver	6.08	78	115.39	119.21	137.64	170.27
	Independent	Ruaraidh Ferguson	6.24	80	110.55	113.55	132.74
	Independent	Allan MacLachlan	5.77	74	98.16	104.99
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,282   Spoilt: 35   Quota: 321   Turnout: 1,317 (58.4%)

An Taobh Siar agus Nis

• 2012: 3xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2017: 3xIndependent; 1xSNP
• 2012-2017 Change: No change

An Taobh Siar agus Nis - 4 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6
	Independent	John N. MacLeod (incumbent)	23.72	339
	SNP	Kenneth MacLeod (incumbent)	19.38	277	286.85
	Independent	Kenny John MacLeod	16.72	239	260.89	261.11	310.99
	Independent	John MacKay (incumbent)	15.4	220	224.38	224.63	254.81	261.75	339.88
	Independent	Alistair MacLennan (incumbent)	13.51	193	200.82	201	238.49	247.3
	Independent	Malcolm McTaggart	11.27	161	164.44	164.52
Electorate: TBC   Valid: 1,429   Spoilt: 35   Quota: 286   Turnout: 1,464 (57.6%)

Changes Since 2017

On 23rd July 2020, Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas Nan Loch Independent Councillor Finlay Cunningham stepped down from the Council. A by election to replace him was held on 8th October 2020 and was won by Independent candidate Grant Fulton.[3]

By Elections since 2017

Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas Nan Loch By-election (8th October 2020)[4]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1
	Independent	Grant Fulton	74.9	536
	Independent	Annie MacDonald	22.1	158
	Independent	Kris O'Donnell	3.1	22
Electorate: 1,913 (approx)   Valid: 716   Spoilt: 5   Quota: 359   Turnout: 37.7%

Ward areas in English

• Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas (ward): Barra, Vatersay, Eriskay and South Uist
• Beinn Na Foghla agus Uibhist a Tuath (ward): Benbecula and North Uist
• Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas Nan Loch (ward): Harris and South Lewis
• Sgir' Uige agus Ceann a Tuath Nan Loch (ward): Mid Lewis
• Sgire an Rubha (ward): Eye Peninsula (locally known as "Point")
• Steòrnabhagh a Deas (ward): Stornoway South
• Steòrnabhagh a Tuath (ward): Stornoway North
• Loch a Tuath (ward): Broad Bay
• An Taobh Siar agus Nis (ward): North West Lewis (West Side & Ness)

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-20. Retrieved 2008-09-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. SLGE2017 Summary Results Data
3. https://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/politics/western-isles-councillor-steps-down-2922310
4. Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. "Local Government By-Election - 8 October 2020 Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas nan Loch Ward Results". www.cne-siar.gov.uk.

External links

• Council website
• Candidates list