An early doors resignation from an Independent opens the door for another Independent who only narrowly missed out. Rarely for Islands elections, there are more party candidates on the ballot than Independents – though only three candidates overall.
By-elections
By-Election Preview: Linn (Glasgow) 17th of November 2022
A shock by-election following the death of Labour’s former local group leader brings a jam-packed ballot paper, though his party hold the advantage for retaining the seat.
By-Election Result: Kintyre and the Islands
Strong support on his home island led an Independent to make a quick return to the council, having previously been elected in 2017 as a Conservative.
By-Election Preview: Buckie (Moray) 3rd of November 2022
A surprise Lib Dem elected uncontested in May resigned over the summer, triggering both this by-election and some deeply unedifying behaviour that it would do well to reflect on.
By-Election Preview: Kintyre and the Islands (Argyll and Bute) 29th of September 2022
The sad passing of an Independent councillor triggers the first “ordinary” by-election of the 2022-27 council term. What looks on the face of it to be an SNP-Lib Dem-Independent contest may be less rosy for the Lib Dems if their councillor of three decades has become reliant on his personal vote.
By-Election Preview: North Isles (Shetland) 4th of August 2022
An early by-election to fill a seat left vacant in May is guaranteed to go to an Independent.
By-Election Results: Eilean Siar Double
The first by-elections of 2022, unfinished business from May, easily elected two Independents, though the Lib Dems emerged with a surprise second place in their first CNES appearance since 2007.
By-Election Preview: Eilean Siar Double 30th of June 2022
The first by-elections of the term take us to the Western Isles, where a shocking number of uncontested wards meant many voters didn’t even get to go to the polls in May.
By-Election Result: Preston, Seton and Gosford
The very final by-election of the 2017-2022 term delivers an unsurprising Labour victory and, perhaps more surprisingly, a suite of only very small swings.
By-Election Result: Lomond North
The last by-election of the year, and second last of the term, gives an expected Conservative victory in a largely rural ward, where Independents rather than the SNP were their main challengers.