Politics of the Highland council area
In the European Parliament the area was within the Scotland constituency, which covers all of the 32 council areas of Scotland.The Highland Council (Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd in Gaelic) comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional representation.[3] The most recent election of the council was on 5 May 2022, and resulted in a coalition administration formed by the SNP and the Independent group.Councillor Andrew Jarvie resigned from the Conservatives to stand as a Unionist in December 2022[5] but actually stood as Non-aligned.Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillor Sarah Rawlings resigned in 2023 due to ill health.Councillors Duncan Macpherson, Maxine Smith, Andrew Jarvie, Matthew Reiss, and Jim McGillivray formed the Highland Alliance in late October 2023[7] led by the first two named.Finally, independent Cllr Ben Thompson for Caol and Mallaig resigned within six months prior to the scheduled date of the 2022 Highland Council election.From August 2008, the council had been ruled by a coalition of the Independent Group and Liberal Democrat and Labour parties.[14] This administration was established following the collapse of a ruling coalition of the Independent Group and Scottish National Party (SNP) in June 2008.Since then groups and parties have been represented as follows:[16] The Liberal Democrat Michael Foxley had become the new council Convener by 23 December 2010.Three of the older management areas, Caithness, Nairn and Sutherland, were very similar to earlier local government counties.List of constituencies and current Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs): In addition to these three constituency MSPs, the Highland council area, as part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region, is represented by seven additional members:
Highland council areacouncil areas of ScotlandScotlandHighlandHouse of CommonsParliament of the United KingdomWestminsterScottish ParliamentHolyroodEuropean ParliamentScotland constituencycouncil areasInvernessHighland IndependentWick and East CaithnessBadenoch and StrathspeyHighland CouncilGaelicsingle transferable voteproportional representationmost recent election of the councilIndependentLib DemConservativesLabour2022 ElectionScottish National PartyConservativeLiberal DemocratScottish GreensHighland Independent GroupSutherland Independent GroupCaithness Independent GroupInverness Independent GroupNon-alignedHighland Alliance2017 electionLiberal DemocratsLabour party2012 electionNairn wardparty whip2007 council electionunitary councilLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994regionaldistrictLocal Government (Scotland) Act 19731995 electionfirst past the post1999 election2003 election2007 electionLocal Governance (Scotland) Act 2004area committeeCaithnessSutherlandcountiesRoss and CromartyLochaberSkye and LochalshWestminster ParliamentconstituenciesHighland Council wards created in 2007Highland Council Wards in 2017Highland Council wards 1995 to 1999Highland Council wards 1999 to 20072007 to 2017 wardsHighlands and Islandselectoral regionOrkneyShetlandWestern Isles (Na h-Eileanan Siar)Argyll and ButeelectorateBoundary reviews1918 general election1983 general electionCaithness and SutherlandRoss, Cromarty and SkyeInverness, Nairn and Lochaber1997 general election2001 general electionCaithness, Sutherland and Easter RossRoss, Skye and Inverness WestInverness East, Nairn and Lochaber2005 general electionmembers of parliamentRoss, Skye and LochaberInverness, Nairn, Badenoch and StrathspeyJamie StoneIan BlackfordDrew Hendry1999 Scottish Parliament election2003 Scottish Parliament election2007 Scottish Parliament election2011 Scottish Parliament electionMembers of the Scottish ParliamentCaithness, Sutherland and RossInverness and NairnSkye, Lochaber and BadenochMaree ToddFergus EwingKate ForbesDouglas RossDonald CameronEdward MountainJamie Halcro JohnstonRhoda GrantScottish Green PartyAriane BurgessEmma RoddickPolitics of AberdeenPolitics of DundeePolitics of EdinburghPolitics of GlasgowPolitics of ScotlandOrdnance Surveygrid referenceBBC NewsThe ScotsmanHighlandsThe Highland CouncilBadenoch and Strathspey District CouncilSkye and Lochalsh District Council