The 2017 Orkney Islands Council election took place on 4 May 2017 to elect members of Orkney Islands Council . The election used the six wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 , with each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system a form of proportional representation , with 21 Councillors being elected.
The Scottish Greens contested 2 wards in Orkney for the first time. Another group; the Orkney Manifesto Group , ran as a registered party for the first time, gaining the largest vote share of any party in the council's history. The OMG advocates the politicisation of the Orkney Islands Council, however is unaffiliated to any national party. The group has a Liberal-Left political outlook.[2]
Election result [ edit ] *The OMG councillors had been previously elected as Independents. 2017 was the first election they stood under the OMG slate.
Ward results [ edit ] Kirkwall East [ edit ] 2007: 4xIndependent 2012: 4xIndependent 2017: 4xIndependent 2012–2017 change: No change Kirkwall East - 4 seats[5] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Independent Steven Heddle (incumbent ) 29.13 474 Independent Gwenda Shearer (incumbent ) 21.14 344 Independent John Ross Scott 17.89 291 328.8 Independent David Dawson 15.73 256 294.1 299.4 300.1 302.2 322.8 356.7 Independent Rikki Lidderdale 6.95 113 139.9 143.7 144.3 146.4 165.5 188.7 Independent Ingrid Windwick Jolly 4.61 75 90.0 92.6 93.0 96.4 116.4 Independent Mike Berston 3.69 60 75.6 78.3 78.6 80.7 Independent Paul Dawson 0.86 14 15.9 16.1 16.3 Electorate: 3,470 Valid: 1,627 Spoilt: 14 Quota: 326 Turnout: 1,641 (47.3%)
Kirkwall West & Orphir [ edit ] 2007: 4xIndependent 2012: 4xIndependent 2017: 3xIndependent; 1xOMG 2012–2017 change: 1 OMG gain from Independent Kirkwall West & Orphir - 4 seats[6] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Independent Leslie Manson (incumbent ) 44.64 646 Orkney Manifesto Group John Richards (incumbent ) 23.01 333 Independent Sandy Cowie 11.06 160 244.9 255.8 257.2 283.0 283.1 356.1 Independent Barbara Foulkes 10.37 150 256.4 267.3 269.4 290.2 Independent Barbara Leslie 7.53 109 152.5 158.6 161.8 177.2 177.2 Independent Alastair Macleod 2.70 39 83.6 88.0 93.6 Independent Max Thomas 0.69 10 16.6 17.8 Electorate: 3,466 Valid: 1,447 Spoilt: 19 Quota: 290 Turnout: 1,466 (42.3%)
Stromness and South Isles [ edit ] 2007: 3xIndependent 2012: 3xIndependent 2017: 3xIndependent 2012–2017 change: No change
West Mainland [ edit ] 2007: 4xIndependent 2012: 4xIndependent 2017: 3xIndependent, 1xOMG 2012–2017 change: 1 OMG gain from Independent
East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray [ edit ] 2007: 3xIndependent 2012: 3xIndependent 2017: 2xIndependent, 1xGreen 2012–2017 change: 1 Green gain from Independent East Mainland, South Ronaldsay & Burray - 3 seats[9] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 Independent Andrew Drever (incumbent ) 35.74 509 Scottish Green Steve Sankey 19.94 284 301.9 383.4 Independent Norman Rae Craigie 16.71 238 281.9 354.2 362.6 Independent John Stanley Groundwater 14.12 201 229.4 Independent Jim Foubister (incumbent ) 13.48 192 231.4 265.4 269.6 Electorate: 2,725 Valid: 1,424 Spoilt: 12 Quota: 357 Turnout: 1,436 (52.7%)
North Isles [ edit ] 2007: 3xIndependent 2012: 3xIndependent 2017: 3xIndependent 2012–2017 change: No change North Isles - 3 seats[10] Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Independent Graham Sinclair (incumbent ) 26.98 290 Independent Kevin Woodbridge † 23.81 256 261.4 274.5 Independent Stephen Clackson (incumbent ) 18.33 197 200.6 207.9 209.0 219.4 231.5 247.1 321.9 Independent Stuart Roy McIvor 10.98 118 120.5 124.6 125.6 132.7 143.2 168.2 Independent Ralph Stevenson 6.51 70 72.9 77.2 78.1 92.4 121.7 Independent Simon Tarry 6.51 70 72.8 72.9 73.5 78.6 Independent George Arthur Mowat-Brown 3.35 39 39.5 40.6 41.1 Independent Billy Muir 3.26 35 36.1 Electorate: 1,840 Valid: 1,075 Spoilt: 5 Quota: 269 Turnout: 1,080 (58.7%)
Changes since 2017 Election [ edit ] † North Isles Independent Cllr Kevin Woodbridge died on 19 April 2020 after a short illness.[11] A by-election was held on 1 October 2020 and was won by Kevin Woodbridge's daughter, Heather Woodbridge.[12] By-elections since 2017 [ edit ] North Isles By-election (1 October 2020) Party Candidate FPv% Count 1 Independent Heather Woodbridge 69.9 638 Labour Coilla Drake 17.3 158 Independent Claire Stevens 8.2 75 Independent Daniel Adams 4.6 42 Quota: Turnout: 732 (31.0%)