Lib Dems and Labour in frame to share power when horse-trading ends

The Independents maintained their position as Highland Council’s biggest group as the local authority’s new look emerged last night.

But a dramatic lateevening recount meant horse-trading to form a ruling coalition could not begin in earnest.

There was speculation, however, that the new administration may well resemble the previous one – a coalition of Independents, Liberal Democrats and Labour.

The Independents ended up with 35 councillors – by far the biggest group.

Last night, the parties were preparing to negotiate over who would form the next administration.

Carolyn Wilson, spokeswoman for the Independent group, said: “We are the biggest group and we feel it is a massive responsibility to make the right decision for the future of the council.”

The SNP won 22 seats and the Lib Dems 15 – slightly down on their 2007 result. Labour won eight seats.

Despite fielding a candidate in each of the 22 wards, no Tories were elected. The Greens and Scottish Christian parties also missed out.

New faces include the former Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Stone and teenager Alex Macleod, who became the youngest councillor to be elected in the region.

There were also shocks as the SNP’S strategy of fielding two candidates in somewards backfired, with the loss of three of their senior councillors.

The convener of the underpressure Highlands and Islands Fire Board, Richard Durham, also lost his seat, bringing an end to a 12-year council career.

There was further drama when a recount was ordered in the Cromarty Firth ward, where two candidates vying for the last council seat were separated by a hair’s breadth.

The Lib Dems’ Martin Rattray and SNP’S Sheila Fletcher were separated by just 0.01% of the vote, and when the recount returned the same result, Mr Rattray became the final member of the local authority, joining fellow ward members Carolyn Wilson, Mike Finlayson, both Independents, and the SNP’S Maxine Smith.

The biggest surprises were in the Inverness wards, with sitting councillorsbobwynd, a formerinverness provost, and Pauline Munro both becomingvictimsof thesnp’s policy of placing two party candidates in some wards.

Mr Stone, who won in

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the Tain and Easter Ross ward, said: “Iamabsolutely delighted and surprised to begiven the chance towork for my home town and the surrounding Easter Ross area.”

Alex Macleod, 19, the former Ta i n R o y a l Academy pupil who won Landward Caithness for the SNP, said: “I feel I can make a real difference and thehighland Council is the right platform for that.

“I will bring a youthful approach tomy work – the council won’t know what’s hit it. My main priorities will be to bringmorepower into thehandsof the people of Caithness.”

Voter turnout was well down – just 41% this year compared with 53.85% in 2007.

Photographs: Sandy Mccook NEW BLOOD: Alex Macleod, who is just 19.

Former MSP Jamie Stone, who now has a council seat