The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Tories top Moray total but SNP up for talking
The Conservatives have overtaken the SNP to become the biggest party in
Moray.
The Tories finished with 11 councillors and the SNP eight.
Labour won three seats, with the Lib Dems and Green both picking up one each.
Two independent councillors were also elected.
Of all the councillors going for re-election, only SNP’s Dave Bremmer in Fochabers Lhanbryde ward failed to retain his seat.
It was a good result for the Tories, as all the candidates they put forward were elected.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who was at the count, hailed his party colleagues for their success.
He said: “While we progressed, the SNP went backwards and shows our party is on the up.
“I’m delighted and I know they will make a strong team in standing up for Moray in the council.
“Five years ago it was a record result in Moray when we got a candidate elected in every single ward and we had enough votes then to get two candidates.
“This is what has happened in Keith and Cullen, Heldon and Laich and Forres.”
Labour’s Ben Williams became the youngest ever Moray councillor when the 19-year-old was elected in the Fochabers Lhanbryde ward.
He joined fellow Labour candidates John Divers and Sandy Keith on Moray Council.
He hopes to inject more energy into the local authority.
Mr Williams said: “It was very little about my age and more about the policies we have put forward.
“I’m looking forward to working with other councillors to deliver our promises and make people’s lives better.
“When the opportunity came to be a candidate, I thought it is better to have a choice of Labour than not and clearly they chose that today.
“There has been a lot of negative feelings about Westminster Tories and the SNP in Holyrood so we believe Labour can be the best alternative.”
Meanwhile, the Greens elected their first councillor in Moray in Draeyk Van Der Horn for the Forres ward.
He said: “I’m really honoured to be in the position.
“It is a really significant moment for the party.
“We want to drive significant change in the region and work with other councillors to help people.
“I will be representing the Greens but I want to represent people locally to try and champion their local concerns.”
The Liberal Democrats gained their first councillor on the local authority for 15 years in Chris Price in Buckie.
Labour’s Sandy Keith makes a return to the council after a break of more than 14 years with election in the Elgin North ward.
Meanwhile the SNP are seeking talks with other parties to form a “progressive” coalition.
Graham Leadbitter, leader of the council in the last term in charge of a minority SNP administration, was reelected in Elgin South.
Mr Leadbitter said: “We will be seeking talks with other parties in a bid to form a progressive coalition.
“The political picture in Moray is finely balanced with no one party with overall control.
“There will clearly need to be some serious discussions over the coming days to form a stable and effective administration to take Moray Council forward.”