2022 Orkney Islands Council election
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21 seats to Orkney Islands Council 11 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections to the Orkney Islands Council were held on 5 May 2022on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.
The elections were the first held since the passage of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 which allowed wards in Scottish councils containing islands to be reduced to single- and dual-member wards. Changes were made to the boundaries in the Orkney Islands but the six wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 remained.
As with previous elections in the area, independent councillors retained a large majority of the seats on the council and retained control of the administration. The Greens – who won their first representation on the council in 2017 – increased their number of seats to two.
Background
[edit]Previous election
[edit]At the previous election in 2017, independent councillors retained control of the council after taking all but three seats. The Orkney Manifesto Group won their first representation on the council at a full election as they took two seats while the Greens won their first seat in the region.[1]
Party | Seats | Vote share | |
---|---|---|---|
Independents | 18 | 83.2% | |
Orkney Manifesto Group | 2 | 12.1% | |
Green | 1 | 4.7% |
Source: [1]
Composition
[edit]There were no official changes to the political composition of the council in the preceding term. However, independent councillor John Ross Scott did announce he had joined the Greens in 2021, which did not change his affiliation on the council.[2] One by-election was held and resulted in an independent hold.[3]
Party | 2017 result | Dissolution | |
---|---|---|---|
Independents | 18 | 18 | |
Orkney Manifesto Group | 2 | 2 | |
Green | 1 | 1 |
Retiring councillors
[edit]Ward | Party | Retiring councillor | |
---|---|---|---|
Kirkwall West and Orphir | Orkney Manifesto Group | John Richards | |
West Mainland | Independent | Harvey Johnston | |
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray | Independent | Norman Rae Craigie | |
Andrew Drever | |||
Green | Steve Sankey | ||
North Isles | Independent | Graham Sinclair |
Boundary changes
[edit]Following the passing of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, a review of the boundaries was undertaken in North Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and the Western Isles. The Act allowed single- or two-member wards to be created to provide better representation of island communities. As a result, the boundaries of the existing wards were changed but the number of councillors remained the same. North Isles, Stromness and South Isles and West Mainland were unchanged. The boundaries in and around Kirkwall were amended to better reflect local ties. Kirkwall Airport and neighbouring communities were placed in Kirkwall wards instead of East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray while the boundary between Kirkwall East and Kirkwall West and Orphir was amended by the harbour to make a more identifiable boundary.[4][5]
Election result
[edit]Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 90.5 | 85.4 | 7,337 | 2.2 | |
Scottish Green | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9.5 | 14.6 | 1,256 | 9.9 |
Ward summary
[edit]Ward | % |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
Total Cllrs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ind | Green | ||||
Kirkwall East | 71.9 | 3 | 28.1 | 1 | 4 |
Kirkwall West and Orphir | 86.3 | 3 | 13.7 | 1 | 4 |
Stromness and South Isles | 86.3 | 3 | 13.7 | 0 | 3 |
West Mainland | 88.2 | 4 | 11.8 | 0 | 4 |
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray | 85.5 | 3 | 14.5 | 0 | 3 |
North Isles | 100 | 3 | 3 | ||
Total | 85.4 | 19 | 14.6 | 2 | 21 |
Ward results
[edit]Kirkwall East
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | ||||
Scottish Green | John Ross Scott (incumbent) | 28.10% | 476 | ||
Independent | Steven Heddle (incumbent) | 25.27% | 428 | ||
Independent | Gwenda Shearer (incumbent) | 24.38% | 413 | ||
Independent | David Dawson (incumbent) | 16.82% | 285 | 340.5 | |
Independent | Graham MacDonald | 5.43% | 92 | 134.0 | |
Electorate: 3,700 Valid: 1,694 Spoilt: 6 Quota: 339 Turnout: 45.9% |
Kirkwall West and Orphir
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
Independent | Leslie Manson (incumbent) | 20.7% | 320 | ||||||||
Independent | Ivan Taylor | 16.3% | 252 | 254.7 | 254.7 | 284.8 | 345.8 | ||||
Independent | Sandy Cowie (incumbent) | 16.2% | 250 | 252.6 | 254.6 | 290.7 | 357.0 | ||||
Scottish Green | Kristopher Leask | 13.7% | 211 | 211.7 | 213.7 | 233.8 | 258.0 | 267.6 | 274.5 | 347.3 | |
Independent | Leslie Sinclair | 11.3% | 175 | 176.0 | 184.0 | 199.1 | 217.4 | 232.0 | 244.1 | ||
Independent | Beverly Clubley | 10.3% | 159 | 159.8 | 160.8 | ||||||
Independent | Barbara Foulkes (incumbent) | 10.0% | 155 | 157.8 | 161.8 | 189.1 | |||||
Independent | Cameron Whittle | 1.4% | 21 | 21 | |||||||
Electorate: 3,630 Valid: 1,543 Spoilt: 10 Quota: 309 Turnout: 1,553 (42.8%) |
Stromness and South Isles
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
Independent | James Stockan (incumbent) | 30.7% | 353 | ||||||
Independent | Graham Bevan | 24.4% | 281 | 305.5 | |||||
Independent | Lindsay Hall | 15.2% | 175 | 180.3 | 182.8 | 205.0 | 262.2 | 354.8 | |
Scottish Green | Maia Brodie | 13.7% | 157 | 160.5 | 162.1 | 169.3 | |||
Independent | Rob Crichton (incumbent) | 10% | 115 | 135.8 | 144.3 | 174.2 | 220.9 | ||
Independent | Magnus Thomson (incumbent) | 6% | 69 | 75.6 | 77.9 | ||||
Electorate: 2,233 Valid: 1,150 Spoilt: 7 Quota: 288 Turnout: 1,157 (51.8%) |
West Mainland
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
Independent | Owen Tierney (incumbent) | 30.2% | 554 | |||||
Independent | Rachael Anne King (incumbent) | 26.0% | 477 | |||||
Independent | Jean Stevenson | 15.5% | 284 | 352.5 | 401.6 | |||
Independent | Duncan Tullock (incumbent) | 12.9% | 237 | 313.6 | 338.3 | 354.7 | 383.7 | |
Scottish Green | Helen Woodsford-Dean | 11.8% | 217 | 226.1 | 242.9 | 248.2 | 276.6 | |
Independent | Sean Lewis | 3.5% | 64 | 71.1 | 78.7 | 83.1 | ||
Electorate: 3,663 Valid: 1,833 Spoilt: 18 Quota: 367 Turnout: 1,851 (50.9%) |
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
Independent | Raymie Peace | 47.8% | 642 | |||||
Independent | Gillian Skuse | 20.7% | 278 | 380.6 | ||||
Scottish Green | Eric Page | 14.5% | 195 | 216.4 | 223.6 | 252.0 | ||
Independent | Julie Rickards | 8.8% | 118 | 165.5 | 185.1 | |||
Independent | James Moar | 8.3% | 111 | 205.5 | 214.3 | 284.3 | 378.2 | |
Electorate: 2,664 Valid: 1,344 Spoilt: 7 Quota: 337 Turnout: 1,351 (50.7%) |
North Isles
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | ||||
Independent | Heather Woodbridge (Incumbent) | 43.1% | 443 | ||
Independent | Stephen Clackson (incumbent) | 24.9% | 256 | 314.9 | |
Independent | Mellissa Thomson | 19.8% | 204 | 268.3 | |
Independent | Paul Rendall | 7.4% | 76 | 113.6 | |
Independent | Sebastian Hadfield-Hyde | 4.9% | 50 | 55.4 | |
Electorate: 1,853 Valid: 1,029 Spoilt: 10 Quota: 258 Turnout: 1,039 (56.1%) |
Changes since 2022 Election
[edit]Council Leader James Stockan announced his intention to resign from the council in January 2024.[7] A by-election was held to fill his seat on 28 March 2024 and was won by Janette Park.[8]
By-elections since 2022
[edit]Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||
Independent | Janette Park | 85.7 | 757 | |
Independent | Magnus Thomson | 14.2 | 125 | |
Quota: 442 Turnout: 883 (39.8%) |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2017 - Orkney Islands". Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Councillor John Ross Scott joins Scottish Greens". The Orcadian. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "Heather Woodbridge wins North Isles council seat". The Orcadian. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "2019 Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "News Release" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. May 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Local Government Election - 5 May 2022". Orkney Islands Council. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ "Orkney Islands Council leader James Stockan to step down". BBC News. 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Janette Park wins Stromness and South Isles seat". The Orcadian. 28 March 2024.