Contents

Overall 2022 Result

Council-Wide Results

NOTE: Two wards were uncontested, meaning no vote was held. This will impact vote share significantly, with Labour votes, and lower Green and SNP shares. The uncontested wards were North Isles and Shetland North. North Isles will require a by-election due to a vacancy.

The council second-worst afflicted with uncontested wards this year, with two wards going without elections, and one requiring an immediate by-election to fill a vacancy. In contested wards, Independents naturally reigned supreme, winning a total of 19 seats, down 2 compared to last time. I expect after the by-election in North Isles they’ll only be down by one.

After a taste of party councillors again last term when the SNP got one in via an uncontested ward, Shetland is at its most party-political since the final FPTP election in 2003. The Greens stood most widely, and picked up their first ever Shetland councillor in the same ward the SNP were elected in – I’d say re-elected, if it hadn’t been uncontested last time! Labour also have their first councillor elected since 1994, though we don’t know how he’d have fared at a contested election.

Administration

As a majority-Independent council, it can be assumed an Independent administration will be formed. The following chart does not necessarily reflect the actual composition of that administration, and simply treats Independents as a single bloc.

Interactive Map

Overview

By far the most northern (and eastern) part of Scotland, Shetland is even more renowned than Orkney for the Nordic influence on its identity. Non-Shetlanders will probably be pretty familiar with Up Helly Aa, a festival of fire (and Vikings) held every winter. Folk are also usually keenly aware of the strong ties to the oil industry. Most of the population live on the mainland island, and about half of those in Lerwick.

In political terms, Shetland is part of that combined Westminster constituency with Orkney, that should it ever be won by anyone bar the Lib Dems may indicate sub-zero temperatures in hell. At the Shetland-only seat for the Scottish Parliament the Lib Dems have proven similarly resilient, though the 2021 election saw it become a marginal against the SNP. Anecdata from the 2015 UK election suggested whilst the Lib Dems had a strong lead in Orkney, the SNP had led in Shetland – so whilst the joint constituency may be a watchsign for the apocalypse, Shetland alone may be shakier.

Throughout recent history Shetland, like other islands, has been majority Independent, but it’s also had periods of other strong local groups. Labour tended to be well represented through the 80’s, and from the late 80’s the autonomist Shetland Movement had a sizeable group. By the late 90’s the Lib Dems were winning a fair rake of seats too.

Previous STV Elections

2007
2012
2017

Individual Ward Results

North Isles (Ward 1)

Councillors and Key Stats

3 Councillors, in order elected:
Independent: Duncan Anderson
Independent: Ryan Thomson
Vacant
Change vs 2017: -1 Independent (only Ryan Thomson re-contested of incumbent Independents)
Turnout: N/A
Electorate: N/A
Valid: N/A
Spoiled: N/A
Quota: N/A

Candidates

Independent: Duncan Anderson
Independent: Ryan Thomson

Only two candidates were nominated for the three seats available in this ward. As a result, those candidates was elected unopposed. As no vote was held, the candidates are listed as elected in alphabetical order.

Due to the heavily Independent nature of Islands councils, we can reasonably assume Independents would have won seats, though it is impossible to be certain who would have won at a contested election.

A by-election will be held on the 4th of August 2022 to fill the vacant seat.

Shetland North (Ward 2)

Councillors and Key Stats

3 Councillors, in order elected:
Independent: Emma Macdonald
Independent: Andrea Manson
🔴Labour: Tim Morton
Change vs 2017: +1 Labour, -1 Independent (Alastair Cooper retired)
Turnout: N/A
Electorate: N/A
Valid: N/A
Spoiled: N/A
Quota: N/A

Candidates

Independent: Emma Macdonald
Independent: Andrea Manson
🔴Labour: Tim Morton

As the number of candidates nominated in Shetland North was equal to the number of seats available, all candidates were elected unopposed and no vote was held.

Due to the heavily Independent nature of Islands councils, we can reasonably assume Independents would have won seats, though it is impossible to be certain who would have won at a contested election. In addition, it is impossible to know whether Labour would have won a seat. As no vote was held, the candidates are listed as elected in alphabetical order.

Shetland West (Ward 3)

Councillors and Key Stats

2 Councillors, in order elected:
Independent: Liz Boxwell
Independent: John Leask
Change vs 2017: -1 Independent (decrease of one seat due to boundary changes, elected Independents replace retiring Theo Smith and Steven Coutts)
Turnout: 56.5%
Electorate: 1364
Valid: 758 (98.3%)
Spoiled: 13 (1.7%)
Quota: 253

Candidates

Independent: Liz Boxwell
Independent: Peter Fraser
Independent: Andrew Holt
Independent: John Leask
🟢Green: Debra Nicolson
🟡SNP: Zara Pennington
Independent: Mark Robinson
Independent: Ian Tinkler

Shetland West: First Preferences
Shetland West: Transfers
Shetland West: Results by Polling District

Due to the small size of the ward and its polling districts, no districts exceeded the 200 votes necessary to be recorded individually. As such, this chart simply shows the separate totals for in person and postal votes.

Shetland West: Second Preferences
Shetland West: Two-Candidate Preferred
Shetland West: Two-Party Preferred

Due to the heavily Independent nature of Islands councils, comparisons between parties are much less useful than they are on the mainland. For this ward, this measure is provided purely for interest.

Shetland Central (Ward 4)

Councillors and Key Stats

4 Councillors, in order elected:
⚪Independent: Moraig Lyall
Independent: Davie Sandison
⚪Independent: Catherine Hughson
Independent: Ian Scott
Change vs 2017: +1 Independent (increase of one seat due to boundary changes, all incumbents re-elected, Moraig Lyall initially at a 2019 by-election and Catherine Hughson representing Shetland West on old boundaries)
Electorate: 3168
Turnout: 44.9%
Valid: 1414 (99.4%)
Spoiled: 8 (0.6%)
Quota: 283

Candidates

⚪Independent: Catherine Hughson
⚪Independent: Moraig Lyall
🟤Sovereignty
: Brian Nugent
🟢Green: Martin Randall
Independent: Davie Sandison
Independent: Ian Scott

Shetland Central: First Preferences
Shetland Central: Transfers
Shetland Central: Results by Polling District
Shetland Central: Second Preferences
Shetland Central: Two-Candidate Preferred

Lerwick North and Bressay (Ward 5)

Councillors and Key Stats

3 Councillors, in order elected:
Independent: Stephen Leask
Independent: Gary Robinson
Independent: Arwed Wenger
Change vs 2017: No partisan change (Stephen Leask only 2017 Independent to re-contest)
Turnout: 39.0%
Electorate: 2410
Valid: 928 (98.6%)
Spoiled: 13 (1.4%)
Quota: 233

Candidates

Independent: Stephen Ferguson
Independent: Stephen Leask
Independent: Gary Robinson
Independent: Arwed Wenger
Independent: Marie Williamson

Lerwick North and Bressay: First Preferences
Lerwick North and Bressay: Transfers
Lerwick North and Bressay: Results by Polling District

Due to the small size of the ward and its polling districts, no districts exceeded the 200 votes necessary to be recorded individually. As such, this chart simply shows the separate totals for in person and postal votes.

Lerwick North and Bressay: Second Preferences
Lerwick North and Bressay: Two-Candidate Preferred

Lerwick South (Ward 6)

Councillors and Key Stats

4 Councillors, in order elected:
Independent: Dennis Leask
Independent: John Fraser
Independent: Cecil Smith
Independent: Neil Pearson
Change vs 2017: No partisan change (Dennis Leask and Neil Pearson replace defeated Amanda Hawick and retiring Peter Campbell, John Fraser elected at 2019 by-election)
Turnout: 44.8%
Electorate: 3036
Valid: 1344 (98.8%)
Spoiled: 17 (1.2%)
Quota: 269

Candidates

Independent: Peter Coleman
Independent: John Fraser
Independent: Amanda Hawick
Independent: Dennis Leask
Independent: Shayne McLeod
Independent: Neil Pearson
Independent: Cecil Smith

Lerwick South: First Preferences
Lerwick South: Transfers
Lerwick South: Results by Polling District

This ward consists of a single polling district. As such, this chart simply shows the separate totals for in person and postal votes.

Lerwick South: Second Preferences
Lerwick South: Two-Candidate Preferred

Shetland South (Ward 7)

Councillors and Key Stats

4 Councillors, in order elected:
Independent: Allison Duncan
Independent: Bryan Peterson
🟢Green: Alex Armitage
🟡SNP: Robbie McGregor
Change vs 2017: +1 Green (increase of one seat due to boundary changes, Bryan Peterson replaces retiring George Smith)
Turnout: 55.4%
Electorate: 1842
Valid: 1842 (99.2%)
Spoiled: 14 (0.8%)
Quota: 369

Candidates

🟢Green: Alex Armitage
Independent: Stewart Douglas
Independent: Allison Duncan
🟡SNP: Robbie McGregor
Independent: Bryan Peterson

Shetland South: First Preferences
Shetland South: Transfers
Shetland South: Results by Polling District
Shetland South: Second Preferences
Shetland South: Two-Candidate Preferred
Shetland South: Two-Party Preferred

Due to the heavily Independent nature of Islands councils, comparisons between parties are much less useful than they are on the mainland. For this ward, this measure is provided purely for interest.

Data Notes

By-Elections

North Isles (Ward 1) - 4th of August 2022

Councillors and Key Stats

1 Councillor Elected:
⚪Independent: Robert Thomson
Change vs 2022 (notional): +1 Independent (vacant at full election)
Change vs vacating: +1 Independent (vacant at full election)
Turnout: 46.2%
Electorate: 2156
Valid: 997 (99.4%)
Spoiled: 6 (0.6%)
Quota: 496
2 Continuing Councillors:
Independent: Duncan Anderson
Independent: Ryan Thomson

Candidates

⚪Independent: Gary Cleaver
⚪Independent: Stewart Douglas
⚪Independent: Sonia Robertson
⚪Independent: Robert Thomson
⚪Independent: Marie Williamson

North Isles By-Election: Context

Ward was undercontested at the 2022 Local Elections, necessitating an immediate by-election to fill the vacancy.
Read the BBS pre-election preview here.
Note that due to the entirely Independent slate of candidates and the first round victory, no long-form analysis of this by-election result was published.

North Isles By-Election: First Preferences
North Isles By-Election: Transfers

As the successfully elected councillor received more than 50% of the vote, he was elected without the need for any transfer rounds.

North Isles By-Election: Results by Polling District

Due to the small size of the ward and its polling districts, no districts exceeded the 200 votes necessary to be recorded individually. As such, this chart simply shows the separate totals for in person and postal votes.

North Isles By-Election: Second Preferences
North Isles By-Election: Two-Candidate Preferred

Shetland West (Ward 3) - 17th of November 2022

Councillors and Key Stats

1 Councillor Elected:
Independent: Mark Robinson
Change vs 2022 (notional): No partisan change
Change vs vacating: No partisan change
Turnout: 36.5% (-20.0)
Electorate: 1350
Valid: 491 (99.6%)
Spoiled: 2 (0.4%)
Quota: 246
1 Continuing Councillor:
Independent: Liz Boxwell

Candidates

🟢Green: Debra Nicolson
🟡SNP: Zara Pennington
Independent: Mark Robinson

Shetland West By-Election: Context

Independent Councillor John Leask announced his resignation, to take effect from the 29th of August 2022. Leask had been elected for the first time in May’s election, and stated that changes in his main job meant he was no longer able to fulfil the role. 
Read the BBS pre-election preview here.
Note that due to the first round victory and limited partisanship, no long-form analysis of this by-election result was published.

Shetland West By-Election: First Preferences
Shetland West By-Election: Transfers

As the successfully elected councillor received more than 50% of the vote, he was elected without the need for any transfer rounds.