Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 2022

Significant boundary changes to the isles creating smaller wards with the provisions in the Islands Act allowing them to be two-member, and reducing the number of councillors by two, didn’t prevent a shocking trio of uncontested wards from arising. Two of those will need immediate by-elections to fill vacancies. Democratically speaking, a concerning situation to arise.

In terms of contested seats, in keeping with islands tradition, Independents were overwhelmingly dominant, though dropping three seats to 20 (after by-elections this will likely be 22). The SNP nonetheless retained a group of 6 councillors, down one due in part to a retirement in Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh and not standing a replacement.

The Conservatives also held their seat by default due to being in an undercontested ward. Both the Greens and Alba had incumbent defecting councillors standing in the same ward, with the Greens coming much closer to success but not quite getting there, making this the only (Highlands and) Islands council they are absent from.

Uncontested wards aside, more happily after achieving notoriety for failing to elect a single woman in 2017, two women were returned as councillors this time. CNES is still one of, if not the, most male-dominated councils in Scotland, but progress is progress.