2022 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election

Elections to took place on 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using the single transferable vote (STV) system – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward, and voters rank candidates in order of preference.

The election was the first to use the nine wards created under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 which allowed for single- and dual-member wards, with 29 councillors being elected.

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 election also saw the first two female councillors elected to the council since 2012.

Previous election
At the previous election in 2017, Independent councillors retained control of the council after taking a large majority of seats (23 out of 31). The Scottish National Party (SNP) took seven seats, an increase of one, and the Conservatives won their first-ever representation on the council.

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Electoral system
Local elections in Scotland use the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system – a form of proportional representation – in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. The 2022 election was the first to use the 11 wards created under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, with 29 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either two, three or four members.

Composition
Since the previous election, there were two changes in the council's composition. SNP councillor Calum MacMillan defected to the Alba Party and independent councillor Roddy MacKay joined the Greens. A single by-election was held and resulted in an independent hold.

Retiring councillors
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Boundary changes
Following the implementation 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 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The act allowed for single- or two-member wards to be created to allow for better representation of island communities. As a result, the number wards was increased from nine to 11 but the number of councillors was reduced from 31 to 29. The An Taobh Siar agus Nis ward was the only ward to remain with the same boundaries but the number of councillors was reduced from four to three. There were changes to the boundaries for the Loch a Tuath, Sgìre an Rubha, Steòrnabhagh a Tuath and Steòrnabhagh a Deas wards but the number of councillors remained the same for each except Sgìre an Rubha which was reduced to two seats. New dual-member wards were created for Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh, Na Hearadh, Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh, Sgìre nan Loch and Uibhist a Tuath.

Candidates
The total number of candidates fell from 60 in 2017 to 50. The number of independent candidates (37) outstripped any individual party but fell by 11 from the previous election. The SNP stood nine candidates; the same as they had in 2017 and more than any other party. The Conservatives stood just two candidates, down from three in 2017. For the first time, the Greens (one) and the Alba Party (one) fielded candidates in a Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election. Following the result of the previous election which saw no women elected to the council, there was a drive to increase the number of women standing. In total, eight women stood across the 11 wards – an increase of one from 2017.

Controversy
After nominations closed on 30 March 2022, two wards – Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh and Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh – received less candidates than seats available. Both are dual-member wards and only one person stood for election in each. As a result, both candidates – along with the two candidates who stood for election in the dual-member Sgìre an Rubha ward – were automatically elected without a poll being conducted. The lack of interest in standing for election was called a "threat to local democracy" by the Greens. Across Scotland, 18 councillors were automatically elected because the number of candidates was not enough to trigger an election. During the 2017 local elections in Scotland, just three council wards were uncontested, but votes were held in every ward in both 2007 and 2012 – the first elections to use multi-member wards and STV. By-elections were organised in Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh and Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh to elect a second councillor. Public disinterest in standing for election to local councils has been linked to the "ridiculous" size of some local authorities and the low pay councillors receive for their work.

Results
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Notes:
 * Votes are the sum of first preference votes across all council wards. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 4 May 2017. This is because STV has an element of proportionality which is not present unless multiple seats are being elected. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at the dissolution of Scotland's councils.
 * Following boundary changes, the total number of seats was reduced from 31 to 29.

Ward summary
!rowspan=2 align="left"|Ward ! % !Cllrs ! % !Cllrs ! % !Cllrs ! % !Cllrs !rowspan=2|Total Cllrs !colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Independents !colspan=2 bgcolor=""|SNP !colspan=2 bgcolor=""|Conservative !colspan=2|Others !align="left"| Total !74.2 !20 !21.3 !6 !1.5 !1 !3.0 !0 !27
 * - class="unsortable" align="centre"
 * - class="unsortable" align="center"
 * align="left"|Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh
 * N/A
 * 1
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 1
 * align="left"|Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|62.6
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * 16.9
 * 1
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 20.5
 * 0
 * 3
 * align="left"|Uibhist a Tuath
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|80.2
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 19.8
 * 0
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 2
 * align="left"|Na Hearadh
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|81.9
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * 18.1
 * 0
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 2
 * align="left"|Sgìre nan Loch
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|90.5
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * 9.5
 * 0
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 2
 * align="left"|Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * N/A
 * 1
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 1
 * align="left"|An Taobh Siar agus Nis
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|70.8
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * 29.2
 * 1
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 3
 * align="left"|Loch a Tuath
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|78.1
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * 21.9
 * 1
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 3
 * align="left"|Steòrnabhagh a Tuath
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|76.7
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|3
 * 23.3
 * 1
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 4
 * align="left"|Steòrnabhagh a Deas
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|66.1
 * bgcolor="#c0c0c0"|2
 * 33.9
 * 2
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 4
 * align="left"|Sgìre an Rubha
 * N/A
 * 2
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 2
 * - class="unsortable" class="sortbottom"
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 4
 * align="left"|Sgìre an Rubha
 * N/A
 * 2
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * colspan=2 N/A
 * 2
 * - class="unsortable" class="sortbottom"
 * - class="unsortable" class="sortbottom"
 * }


 * Notes

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Ward results
At the previous election, the Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh; Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla and Uibhist a Tuath wards were represented by two wards: Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas and Beinn Na Foghla agus Uibhist a Tuath. The two wards elected seven councillors in total including five independents and two SNP. The newly created wards elected five independents and one SNP councillor while one seat was left vacant due to a lack of candidates. This resulted in a loss of one seat for the SNP. In total, three of the sitting independent councillors retained their seats and two new councillors were elected. In 2017, Green candidate Roddy MacKay and Alba candidate Calum MacMillan were elected as independents.

Similarly, the Na Hearadh; Sgìre nan Loch and Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh wards were represented by two wards: Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas nan Loch and Sgir' Uige agus Ceann a Tuath nan Loch. The two wards elected six councillors in total including four independents, one SNP and one Conservative. The newly created wards elected four independents and one Conservative councillor while one seat was left vacant due to a lack of candidates. This resulted in a loss of one seat for the SNP. In total, three of the sitting independent councillors retained their seats and one new councillor was elected.

An Taobh Siar agus Nis
The SNP and independent councillor John N. MacLeod retained the seats they had won at the previous election, while independent candidate Donald MacSween gained a seat. Following boundary changes, the number of councillors elected was reduced from four to three. Former councillors John MacKay and Kenny J. MacLeod stood down before the election.

Loch a Tuath
The SNP and independent councillors Donald F. Crichton and Calum MacLean retained the seats they had won at the previous election.

Steòrnabhagh a Tuath
The SNP and independent councillor Iain M. MacAulay retained the seats they had won at the previous election, while independent candidates Duncan MacInnes and Malcolm K. MacDonald gained a seat from former councillors Roddie MacKay and Neil MacKay who stood down at the election.

Steòrnabhagh a Deas
The SNP and independent councillor Angus McCormack retained the seats they had won at the previous election, while the SNP and independent candidate George Murray gained a seat from former councillors Charlie Nicolson and Keith Dodson who stood down at the election.

Sgìre an Rubha
Independent councillors Norrie T. MacDonald and Finlay M. Stewart retained the seats they had won at the previous election. Following boundary changes, the number of councillors elected was reduced from three to two. Former councillor Alasdair MacLeod stood down before the election.

Aftermath
For the first time in a decade, female councillors were elected to the council. SNP councillors Susan Thomson and Frances Murray became the first women to serve on the council since Catherine MacDonald was elected in 2012.

Three candidates – namely Cllr Kenneth MacLeod, Cllr Paul Steele and Cllr Norman MacDonald – put themselves forward for the position of council leader and, following the cut of a deck of cards, Cllr Steele was elected. Cllr MacLeod was elected as convener on the same basis and Cllr Duncan MacInnes was elected as the first depute leader of the council.

June 2022 by-elections
By-elections were called shortly after the election in Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh and Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh following the lack of nominations received for the wards at the full election of the council. The by-elections were held on 30 June 2022 and counted by hand the following day.

Na Hearadh by-election
In May 2023, Na Hearadh councillor Grant Fulton resigned citing displeasure about the way the council was run. A by-election was held on 4 July 2024, the same day as the 2024 United Kingdom general election, and was won by independent candidate Kenny MacLeod.