SNP wins every Highland seat party contested

The SNP took the highest number of seats in Highland Council at yesterday’s election count. It won every seat contested, finishing with a total of 22 and will be led by Raymond Bremner.

Of these, 11 are newlyelected councillors.

This equals their 2017 tally of 22 councillors.

It was also a good day for the Scottish Greens, who returned four councillors: Chris Ballance in Aird and Loch Ness, Andrew Baldrey in Caol and Mallaig, Kate Willis in Fort William and Ardersier and Ryan Mackintosh in Inverness West.

However Pippa Hadley lost her seat in Badenoch and Strathspey.

Independent candidates dropped seven seats as they struggled to make a dent in Inverness wards.

However, a total of 21 seats went to independents, falling one short of the SNP’s result.

In 2017, they managed 28, allowing them to form a coalition administration with the Liberal Democrats and Labour.

The Liberal Democrats increased their presence in the chamber, winning 15 seats, compared with 10 in 2017.

There were small gains for the Conservatives too, who managed 10 seats.

Labour dropped from three seats to two, with experienced councillor Bet McAllister holding the Inverness ward she has represented for 15 years.

Andrew Mackintosh was newly elected to Inverness Ness-side to take Labour’s tally to two.

In Inverness itself, party politics seemed to win the day.

Only Duncan Macpherson, an incumbent independent candidate, was able to hold his seat.

The SNP took six places across the five city wards, while the Liberal Democrats secured four.

It was a mixed bag of new blood and safe hands, with roughly half of councillors coming in new.

Some of the more noteworthy results included a political gamble that paid off for the Conservatives: Andrew Sinclair and Andrew Jarvie swapped seats, with Mr Sinclair running in Inverness South and Mr Jarvie in Wick and East Caithness.

Both were successfully elected in their new wards. At the same time, Mr Jarvie’s mother Barbara “Babs” Jarvie was elected to represent Nairn and Cawdor, in what is thought to be the first election of a mother and son to Highland Council.

Small political groups were in for disappointment.

The Alba Party, Scottish Libertarians, Scottish Family Party, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and Freedom Party all failed to record a victory.

It will be left to the SNP and the independent group to scramble to secure a coalition deal.

The last Highlands administration saw the independent-led coalition win votes on a knife edge.

However, in the latter half of the term they agreed a collaborative budget approach with the SNP – a strategy that was roundly opposed by the Conservative group.

With a roads headache, numerous new schools to finance and the small matter of a cost of living crisis, the new administration will need to get to work quickly.

Conservatives Andrew Jarvie and his mother Barbara were both elected in a first for Highland Council.

Duncan Macpherson.

Raymond Bremner.

CELEBRATIONS: Ryan Mackintosh, right, of the Greens is elected to Inverness West ward of Highland Council as he is congratulated by Lib Dem Alex Graham, who was also elected.