2017 Scottish local government election
The 2017 Orkney Islands Council election took place on 4 May 2017 to elect members of Orkney Islands Council . The election used the six wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation , with 21 Councillors being elected.
The Scottish Greens contested 2 wards in Orkney for the first time. Another group; the Orkney Manifesto Group , ran as a registered party for the first time, gaining the largest vote share of any party in the council's history. The OMG advocates the politicisation of the Orkney Islands Council, however is unaffiliated to any national party. The group has a Liberal-Left political outlook.[ 2]
Election result
*The OMG councillors had been previously elected as Independents. 2017 was the first election they stood under the OMG slate.
Ward results
Kirkwall East
2007: 4xIndependent
2012: 4xIndependent
2017: 4xIndependent
2012–2017 change: No change
Kirkwall East - 4 seats[ 5]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Independent
Steven Heddle (incumbent )
29.13
474
Independent
Gwenda Shearer (incumbent )
21.14
344
Independent
John Ross Scott
17.89
291
328.8
Independent
David Dawson
15.73
256
294.1
299.4
300.1
302.2
322.8
356.7
Independent
Rikki Lidderdale
6.95
113
139.9
143.7
144.3
146.4
165.5
188.7
Independent
Ingrid Windwick Jolly
4.61
75
90.0
92.6
93.0
96.4
116.4
Independent
Mike Berston
3.69
60
75.6
78.3
78.6
80.7
Independent
Paul Dawson
0.86
14
15.9
16.1
16.3
Electorate: 3,470 Valid: 1,627 Spoilt: 14 Quota: 326 Turnout: 1,641 (47.3%)
Kirkwall West & Orphir
2007: 4xIndependent
2012: 4xIndependent
2017: 3xIndependent; 1xOMG
2012–2017 change: 1 OMG gain from Independent
Kirkwall West & Orphir - 4 seats[ 6]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Independent
Leslie Manson (incumbent )
44.64
646
Orkney Manifesto Group
John Richards (incumbent )
23.01
333
Independent
Sandy Cowie
11.06
160
244.9
255.8
257.2
283.0
283.1
356.1
Independent
Barbara Foulkes
10.37
150
256.4
267.3
269.4
290.2
Independent
Barbara Leslie
7.53
109
152.5
158.6
161.8
177.2
177.2
Independent
Alastair Macleod
2.70
39
83.6
88.0
93.6
Independent
Max Thomas
0.69
10
16.6
17.8
Electorate: 3,466 Valid: 1,447 Spoilt: 19 Quota: 290 Turnout: 1,466 (42.3%)
Stromness and South Isles
2007: 3xIndependent
2012: 3xIndependent
2017: 3xIndependent
2012–2017 change: No change
West Mainland
2007: 4xIndependent
2012: 4xIndependent
2017: 3xIndependent, 1xOMG
2012–2017 change: 1 OMG gain from Independent
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray
2007: 3xIndependent
2012: 3xIndependent
2017: 2xIndependent, 1xGreen
2012–2017 change: 1 Green gain from Independent
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay & Burray - 3 seats[ 9]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Independent
Andrew Drever (incumbent )
35.74
509
Scottish Green
Steve Sankey
19.94
284
301.9
383.4
Independent
Norman Rae Craigie
16.71
238
281.9
354.2
362.6
Independent
John Stanley Groundwater
14.12
201
229.4
Independent
Jim Foubister (incumbent )
13.48
192
231.4
265.4
269.6
Electorate: 2,725 Valid: 1,424 Spoilt: 12 Quota: 357 Turnout: 1,436 (52.7%)
North Isles
2007: 3xIndependent
2012: 3xIndependent
2017: 3xIndependent
2012–2017 change: No change
North Isles - 3 seats[ 10]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Independent
Graham Sinclair (incumbent )
26.98
290
Independent
Kevin Woodbridge †
23.81
256
261.4
274.5
Independent
Stephen Clackson (incumbent )
18.33
197
200.6
207.9
209.0
219.4
231.5
247.1
321.9
Independent
Stuart Roy McIvor
10.98
118
120.5
124.6
125.6
132.7
143.2
168.2
Independent
Ralph Stevenson
6.51
70
72.9
77.2
78.1
92.4
121.7
Independent
Simon Tarry
6.51
70
72.8
72.9
73.5
78.6
Independent
George Arthur Mowat-Brown
3.35
39
39.5
40.6
41.1
Independent
Billy Muir
3.26
35
36.1
Electorate: 1,840 Valid: 1,075 Spoilt: 5 Quota: 269 Turnout: 1,080 (58.7%)
Changes since 2017 Election
† North Isles Independent Cllr Kevin Woodbridge died on 19 April 2020 after a short illness.[ 11] A by-election was held on 1 October 2020 and was won by Kevin Woodbridge's daughter, Heather Woodbridge.[ 12]
By-elections since 2017
North Isles By-election (1 October 2020)
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
Independent
Heather Woodbridge
69.9
638
Labour
Coilla Drake
17.3
158
Independent
Claire Stevens
8.2
75
Independent
Daniel Adams
4.6
42
Quota: Turnout: 732 (31.0%)