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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Full council election every 5 years
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms
Logo
Council logo
History
Founded16 May 1975
Leadership
Kenneth MacLeod,
Scottish National Party
since 17 May 2022
Paul Steele,
Independent
since 17 May 2022[1]
Malcolm Burr
since November 2005[2]
Structure
Seats29 councillors
Political groups
  Independent (21)
  SNP (6)
  Conservative (1)
  Liberal Democrats (1)
Elections
Single transferable vote
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Motto
Ardaichidh Fireantachd Cinneach (Scottish Gaelic: "Righteousness exalteth a nation")
Meeting place
Council Offices, Sandwick Road, Stornoway, HS1 2BW
Website
www.cne-siar.gov.uk

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Scottish Gaelic for 'Council of the Western Isles'; Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [ˈkʰõ.ərˠʎə nə ˈɲelan ˈʃiəɾ]) is the local authority for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles, also known as the Outer Hebrides), one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.[3][4] It is based in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

Name

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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the only local council in Scotland to have a Gaelic-only name. When first created in 1975 the council's English language name was 'Western Isles Islands Council',[5] which was changed to 'Western Isles Council' in 1996.[6] In 1998, following the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997, the Western Isles Council changed the English language version of the area's name from Western Isles to Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Gaelic for 'the Western Isles'), and the name of the council to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ('Council of the Western Isles'), to be used in both English and Gaelic contexts.[7][8]

History

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In 1975, the council was created as the Western Isles Islands Council under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The area covered six former districts from two counties: the burgh of Stornoway and the landward district of Lewis from Ross and Cromarty, and the landward districts of Harris, North Uist, South Uist and Barra from Inverness-shire.[9][10]

The same area had been made a constituency called Western Isles for elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 57 years earlier in 1918. The Westminster constituency was also renamed in English contexts to the Gaelic form of the name, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, in 2005.[11] Since 1999, the area has also been represented by the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency of the Scottish Parliament, with the same boundaries.[12]

When the Bank of Credit and Commerce International collapsed in 1991, the then Western Isles Council lost £35m invested there, compelling a large increase in its council tax rate and leading to the resignation of Council Convener Donald Macauley.[13] Despite its initial losses, by 2012 the Council had gained a net profit of £1.5 million from dividend repayments due to favourable exchange rates.[14]

Representing Scotland's only majority Gaelic-speaking local authority area, the council pioneered the use of Gaelic-medium education in the 1980s. In 2020, Gaelic became the default language of instruction for all primary school pupils.[15]

The council has been a member of the Islands Forum since 2022.

Political control

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The first election was held in 1974, with the council initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A majority of the seats on the council have been held by independent councillors since 1975.[16]

Party in control Years
Independent 1975–present

Leadership

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Political Leaders

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No. Political Leader Party Period in office Election
1 Angus Campbell Independent 2008–2017 2007
2012
2 Roddie MacKay Independent 2017–2022 2017
3 Paul Steele Independent 2022 – present 2022

Convenors

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No. Convenor Party Period in office Election
1 Donald Macauley Independent 1974–1982 1974
1978
2 Sandy Matheson Independent 1982–1990 1982
1986
1 Donald Macauley Independent 1990–1991 1990
3 Donald MacLeod Independent 1991–1994 1990
4 Donald Mackay Independent 1994–1999 1994
5 Alex Macdonald Independent 1999–2012 1999
2003
2007
6 Norman MacDonald Independent 2012–2022 2012
2017
7 Kenneth MacLeod Scottish National Party 2022 – present 2022

Composition

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Following the 2022 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to 16 September 2024, the composition of the council was:[17]

Party Councillors
Independent 21
SNP 6
Conservative 1
Liberal Democrats 1
Total 29

The next election is due in 2027.[18]

Elections

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See also: Category:Comhairle nan Eilean Siar elections and Category:Wards of Na h-Eileanan Siar

Since the last boundary changes in 2022, the council has comprised 29 councillors representing 11 wards, with each ward electing between two and four councillors. Elections are held every five years.[19]

From 1975 until 2007, council elections used the first past the post system of election; the last elections of this type elected 31 councillors, elected by 31 single-member wards.[20]

In 2007, under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, the single transferable vote system, together with multi-member wards, was used for the first time, each ward electing three or four councillors. This system is designed to produce a degree of proportional representation.[20]

Wards

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Premises

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The council is based at the Council Offices on Sandwick Road in Stornoway. The building was purpose-built for the council in 1979.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Council minutes, 17 May 2022" (PDF). Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. ^ "About us". Electoral Management Board for Scotland. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Areas of Scotland". ourscotland.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Place-names of Scotland". scotlandsplaces.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  5. ^ "No. 23921". The Edinburgh Gazette. 19 January 1996. p. 122.
  6. ^ "No. 24479". The Edinburgh Gazette. 2 October 1998. p. 2774.
  7. ^ "Historical information from 1973 onwards". Boundary-Line support. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Review of Educational Provision and the Comhairle's Future Strategy for the Schools Estate: Daliburgh School, Isle of South Uist" (PDF). Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Department of Education. January 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  9. ^ "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1973 c. 65, retrieved 17 April 2023
  10. ^ "Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland Sheet 2, 1968". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  11. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2005/250, retrieved 3 October 2024
  12. ^ "Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland". Archived from the original on 9 October 2007.
  13. ^ Cusick, James (18 April 1993). "Stirring of the angry Isles". Independent on Sunday. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  14. ^ Merritt, Mike (25 November 2012). "Western Isles Council enjoy £1.5m surplus in aftermath of BCCI crash in 1991". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Gaelic to be 'default' language for new pupils in Western Isles schools". BBC News. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Council Members". Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  18. ^ "Comhairle nan Eilean Siar". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  19. ^ Scottish Parliament. The Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Electoral Arrangements) Regulations 2021 as made, from legislation.gov.uk.
  20. ^ a b MacMahon, Peter and Walker, Helen (18 May 2007) "Winds of change sweep Scots town halls". Edinburgh. The Scotsman.
  21. ^ "Lewis, Stornoway, Sandwick Road, Western Isles Council Headquarters". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
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