2017 Shetland Islands Council election
← 2012 4 May 2017 (2017-05-04) 2022 →
All 22 seats to Shetland Islands Council
12 seats needed for a majority
Registered15,025
Turnout49.1% (Decrease5.6)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Gary Robinson Robbie McGregor
Party Independent SNP
Leader's seat Shetland West
(defeated) 		Shetland South
Last election 22 seats, 96.9% 0 seats, 1.9%
Seats before 22 0
Seats after 21 1
Seat change Decrease1 Increase1
Popular vote 7,132 0
Percentage 97.8% 0.0%
Swing Increase0.9% Decrease1.9%
Council Leader before election

Gary Robinson
Independent

Council Leader after election

Cecil Smith
Independent

Elections to Shetland Islands Council were held on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election was the third using seven wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 22 Councillors elected.

With the Shetland South ward going uncontested, the SNP elected its first councillor in Shetland.

Several members of the pro-Shetland Autonomy Wir Shetland group stood in the election; Ian Tinkler in Shetland West, and Alec Priest and Duncan Simpson in North Isles.[1][2] Former Wir Shetland member Ryan Thomson also stood in North Isles. Whilst having left the group, it was claimed by the Wir Shetland Chairman that Thomson still supported the group's core aims.[1] Other candidates with political positions of note included socialist Ian Scott and former Yes Scotland and Scottish Leave Left campaigner Brian Nugent in central ward.[3] Nugent is an SNP member and claimed to be standing as an independent solely due to having applied too late to use the SNP party name in the election.[4] Two paper candidates for the Conservatives also stood.[5]

Election results

Shetland Islands Local Election Result 2017
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 21 0 1 Decrease1 95.5 97.8 7,132 Increase0.9
  SNP 1 1 0 Increase1 4.5 0.0 0 Decrease1.9
  Ind. (Scottish Nationalist) 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.2 84 New
  Conservative 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.0 74 New

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2012. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.

Ward results

North Isles

North Isles - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Independent Duncan Simpson 31.2 453  
Independent Ryan Thomson 26.3 372  
Independent Alec Priest 23.1 327 375.08
Independent Cecil Hughson 13.1 185 210.57
Independent Lynsay Cunningham 5.4 76 81.68
Valid: 1413   Spoilt: 16   Quota: 354   Turnout: 63.7%  

Shetland North

Shetland North - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Independent Andrea Manson (incumbent) 42.7 509  
Independent Alastair Cooper (incumbent) 33.1 395  
Independent Emma Macdonald 20.1 240 379.04
Conservative Isobel Johnson 4.0 48 70.28
Valid:   Quota:  

Shetland West

Shetland West - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Independent Theo Smith (incumbent) 42.5 521      
Independent Catherine Hughson 15.8 194 255.61 274.72 320.47
Independent Gary Robinson (incumbent) 14.6 179 204.47 209.29 217.57
Independent Steven Coutts (incumbent) 14.3 175 251.40 275.92 325.47
Independent Debra Nicolson 6.6 81 107.29 132.81  
Independent Ian Tinkler 6.1 75 90.61    
Valid:   Quota:  

Shetland Central

Shetland Central - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Independent Davie Sandison (incumbent) 32.9 320      
Independent Mark Burgess (incumbent) 26.7 260      
Independent Ian Scott 19.6 191 214.04 217.18 263.52
Independent Julie Buchan 12.1 118 139.61 146.87 169.40
Independent Nationalist Brian Nugent 8.6 84 93.26 95.79  
Valid:   Quota:  

Shetland South

Shetland South - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Independent Allison Duncan (incumbent) uncontested uncontested
SNP Robbie McGregor uncontested uncontested
Independent George Smith (incumbent) uncontested uncontested
Valid:   Quota:  

Lerwick North

Lerwick North - 3 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
Independent Malcolm Bell (incumbent) 71.9 715    
Independent Stephen Leask 13.2 130 337.25  
Independent John Fraser 12.4 124 243.92 287.73
Conservative Thomas Williamson 2.6 26 54.68 68.93
Valid:   Quota:  

Lerwick South

Lerwick South - 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Independent Cecil Smith (incumbent) 28.8 429      
Independent Beatrice Wishart† 26.4 394      
Independent Peter Campbell (incumbent) 20.0 299      
Independent Amanda Westlake (incumbent) 12.7 190 242.42 271.12 408.83
Independent Frances Valente 12.1 180 220.61 268.35  
Valid:   Quota:  

Retiring Councillors

Council Ward Departing Councillor Party
Shetland North Gary Cleaver Independent
Shetland South Billy Fox Independent
North Isles Robert Henderson Independent
Shetland North Drew Ratter Independent
Shetland West Frank Robertson Independent
Lerwick North Michael Stout Independent
Shetland Central Vaila Wishart Independent
Lerwick North Allan Wishart Independent
Lerwick South Jonathan Wills Independent

Changes Since 2017

By-elections since 2017

Shetland Central By-election (7 November 2019)
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
Independent Moraig Lyall 47.0 344 366 379
Independent Julie Buchan 15.8 116 131 170
SNP Stewart Douglas 15.2 111 119 125
Independent Gordon Laverie 11.5 84 93  
Independent Johan Adamson 10.5 77    
Valid:   Quota:   Turnout: 732 (31.0%)  
Lerwick South By-election (7 November 2019)
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Independent Gary Robinson 35.1 374 385 407 451
Independent Stephen Flaws 32.8 350 368 403 498
Independent Frances Valente 14.4 154 172 204  
Independent Arwed Wenger 10.9 116 126    
Independent Caroline Henderson 6.8 73      
Valid:   Quota:   Turnout: 732 (31.2%)  

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b "Candidate Tinkler steps down from Wir Shetland committee". The Shetland Times. 9 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Two more candidates declare". Shetland News.
  3. ^ Riddell, Neil (29 March 2017). "Names of 32 SIC election candidates unveiled". Shetland News.
  4. ^ Nugent, Brian (4 April 2017). "Brian Nugent". Shetland News. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017.
  5. ^ Murray, Keegan (21 April 2017). "'Don't back me,' says Tory SIC 'paper candidate' for Lerwick North". The Shetland Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017.
  6. ^ Cope, Craig (20 September 2019). "Council / Second council by-election after Burgess steps down". Shetland News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021.
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