2017 Shetland Islands Council election

Last updated

2017 Shetland Islands Council election
Flag of Shetland.svg
  2012 4 May 2017 (2017-05-04) 2022  

All 22 seats to Shetland Islands Council
12 seats needed for a majority
Registered15,025
Turnout49.1% (Decrease2.svg5.6)
 First partySecond party
 
LeaderGary RobinsonRobbie McGregor
Party Independent SNP
Leader's seatShetland West
(defeated)
Shetland South
Last election22 seats, 96.9%0 seats, 1.9%
Seats before220
Seats after211
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg1
Popular vote7,1320
Percentage97.8%0.0%
SwingIncrease2.svg0.9%Decrease2.svg1.9%

2017 Shetland Islands Council election, parties.svg
2017 Shetland Islands Council election, incumbency.svg

Council Leader before election

Gary Robinson
Independent

Council Leader after election

Cecil Smith
Independent

Elections to Shetland Islands Council were held on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election was the third using seven wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 22 Councillors elected.

Contents

With the Shetland South ward going uncontested, the SNP elected its first councillor in Shetland.

Several members of the pro-Shetland Autonomy Wir Shetland group stood in the election; Ian Tinkler in Shetland West, and Alec Priest and Duncan Simpson in North Isles. [1] [2] Former Wir Shetland member Ryan Thomson also stood in North Isles. Whilst having left the group, it was claimed by the Wir Shetland Chairman that Thomson still supported the group's core aims. [1] Other candidates with political positions of note included socialist Ian Scott and former Yes Scotland and Scottish Leave Left campaigner Brian Nugent in central ward. [3] Nugent is an SNP member and claimed to be standing as an independent solely due to having applied too late to use the SNP party name in the election. [4] Two paper candidates for the Conservatives also stood. [5]

Election results

Shetland Islands Local Election Result 2017
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Independent 2101Decrease2.svg195.597.87,132Increase2.svg0.9
  SNP 110Increase2.svg14.50.00Decrease2.svg1.9
  Independent Nationalist 000Steady2.svg00.01.284New
  Conservative 000Steady2.svg00.01.074New

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2012. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

Ward results

North Isles

North Isles - 3 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12
Independent Duncan Simpson31.2453 
Independent Ryan Thomson26.3372 
Independent Alec Priest23.1327375.08
Independent Cecil Hughson13.1185210.57
Independent Lynsay Cunningham5.47681.68
Valid: 1413  Spoilt: 16  Quota: 354  Turnout: 63.7%  

    Shetland North

    Shetland North - 3 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12
    Independent Andrea Manson (incumbent)42.7509 
    Independent Alastair Cooper (incumbent)33.1395 
    Independent Emma Macdonald20.1240379.04
    Conservative Isobel Johnson4.04870.28
    Quota: 

      Shetland West

      Shetland West - 3 seats
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234
      Independent Theo Smith (incumbent)42.5521   
      Independent Catherine Hughson15.8194255.61 274.72 320.47
      Independent Gary Robinson (incumbent)14.6179204.47 209.29 217.57
      Independent Steven Coutts (incumbent)14.3175251.40 275.92 325.47
      Independent Debra Nicolson6.681107.29 132.81  
      Independent Ian Tinkler6.17590.61   
      Quota: 

        Shetland Central

        Shetland Central - 3 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        1234
        Independent Davie Sandison (incumbent)32.9320   
        Independent Mark Burgess (incumbent)26.7260   
        Independent Ian Scott19.6191214.04 217.18 263.52
        Independent Julie Buchan12.1118139.61 146.87 169.40
        Independent Nationalist Brian Nugent8.68493.26 95.79  
        Quota: 

          Shetland South

          Shetland South - 3 seats
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          1
          Independent Allison Duncan (incumbent)uncontesteduncontested
          SNP Robbie McGregoruncontesteduncontested
          Independent George Smith (incumbent)uncontesteduncontested
          Quota: 

            Lerwick North

            Lerwick North - 3 seats
            PartyCandidateFPv%Count
            123
            Independent Malcolm Bell (incumbent)71.9715  
            Independent Stephen Leask13.2130337.25 
            Independent John Fraser12.4124243.92 287.73
            Conservative Thomas Williamson2.62654.68 68.93
            Quota: 

              Lerwick South

              Lerwick South - 4 seats
              PartyCandidateFPv%Count
              1234
              Independent Cecil Smith (incumbent)28.8429   
              Independent Beatrice Wishart 26.4394   
              Independent Peter Campbell (incumbent)20.0299   
              Independent Amanda Westlake (incumbent)12.7190242.42 271.12 408.83
              Independent Frances Valente12.1180220.61 268.35  
              Quota: 

                Retiring Councillors

                Council WardDeparting CouncillorParty
                Shetland NorthGary Cleaver Independent
                Shetland SouthBilly Fox Independent
                North IslesRobert Henderson Independent
                Shetland NorthDrew Ratter Independent
                Shetland WestFrank Robertson Independent
                Lerwick NorthMichael Stout Independent
                Shetland CentralVaila Wishart Independent
                Lerwick NorthAllan Wishart Independent
                Lerwick SouthJonathan Wills Independent

                Changes Since 2017

                By-elections since 2017

                Shetland Central By-election (7 November 2019)
                PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                123
                Independent Moraig Lyall47.0344366 379
                Independent Julie Buchan15.8116131 170
                SNP Stewart Douglas15.2111119 125
                Independent Gordon Laverie11.58493  
                Independent Johan Adamson10.577  
                Quota: Turnout: 732 (31.0%)  
                  Lerwick South By-election (7 November 2019)
                  PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                  1234
                  Independent Gary Robinson35.1374385 407 451
                  Independent Stephen Flaws32.8350368 403 498
                  Independent Frances Valente14.4154172 204  
                  Independent Arwed Wenger10.9116126   
                  Independent Caroline Henderson6.873   
                  Quota: Turnout: 732 (31.2%)  

                    Footnotes

                    1. 1 2 "Candidate Tinkler steps down from Wir Shetland committee". The Shetland Times. 9 December 2016.
                    2. "Two more candidates declare". Shetland News.
                    3. Riddell, Neil (29 March 2017). "Names of 32 SIC election candidates unveiled". Shetland News.
                    4. Nugent, Brian (4 April 2017). "Brian Nugent". Shetland News . Archived from the original on 27 April 2017.
                    5. Murray, Keegan (21 April 2017). "'Don't back me,' says Tory SIC 'paper candidate' for Lerwick North". The Shetland Times . Archived from the original on 22 April 2017.
                    6. Cope, Craig (20 September 2019). "Council / Second council by-election after Burgess steps down". Shetland News . Archived from the original on 13 October 2021.

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