Lib Dem Rixson wins in Caol and Mallaig by-election
NEWLY-ELECTED Caol and Mallaig ward councillor Denis Rixson says he’s looking forward to promoting the area after he won the Highland Council by-election last week, writes Neill Bo Finlayson.
The Scottish Liberal Democrat joins councillors Allan Henderson (Independent) and Ben Thompson (Independent) in representing ward 11 on the council after emerging as the winner at the fifth stage of the count.
The by-election was called following the death of the SNP councillor Billy MacLachlan earlier this year.
Following the count on Friday at Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar, Councillor Rixson thanked all the candidates for a respectful campaign and the Highland Council staff who ran the count.
He said: ‘I would like to thank all the candidates for a respectful campaign, the Highland Council staff for efficiently running the count and I now look forward to working for everyone in the ward.’
Mr Rixson, a resident of Mallaig for 42 years, is a former school teacher at both the high school and primary school in the village and also ran his own business in the form of a small bookshop.
Speaking to the Lochaber Times after his victory, Mr Rixson praised the support he received on the campaign trail. He said: ‘I’m very very fortunate that members of the Liberal Democrats have been supporting me all over the place. It’s been wonderful support.
‘The weather has been interesting to say the least. The Beast from the East certainly made campaigning challenging.’
He outlined that two of his main priorities will be to improve affordable housing for young people and protect care for the elderly.
‘The prices for plots for sale are simply out of reach for most young people. If you want young people to stay here, then you have to have places for them to live,’ he said.
On care for the elderly, he added: ‘We need to look at the problem and work out what the requirements are. People don’t want to be taken away from their home area.’
Being a local historian and having published a number of books on the area, Mr Rixson said he is looking forward to being able to use his position to promote the history and heritage of Lochaber.
Before that, however, he is still ‘very much the new boy’ and his first priority will be to ‘learn the ropes’.
The results were as follows: Ronald Campbell (Ind) was eliminated after the first round of voting with 98.
Catherine MacKinnon (Ind) was eliminated after the second round of voting with 176.
Ian Smith (Con) was eliminated after the third round with 200.
Colin Wood (Ind) was eliminated after the fourth round of voting with 580.
Alex MacInnes (SNP) was eliminated after the fifth and final round of voting with 737.
Denis Rixson (Lib Dem) was elected with 968 votes.