Unusually for a Tusday we have a local by-election
August 18th 2015
West Mainland on Orkney (Non Party Independent defence)
Result of council at last election (2012): Independents 11, Non Party Independents 10 (Independent majority of 22)
Result of ward at last election (2012): Emboldened denotes elected
Non Party Independents 322, 33, 238, 427, 287 (71%)
Independents 74, 73, 249, 132 (29%)
Candidates duly nominated: Barbara Foulkes (Ind), Fiona Grahame (Green), Rachel King (Orkney Manifesto)
Elections to Orkney Island council can be, well how can I put it politely, a bit dull. Since Orkney gained unitary authority status in 1995 (and before that when it was an island council) the Independents would win all the seats. There was a little excitement in 2012 when the SNP and UKIP fielded a candidate (polling 251 votes and 11 votes respectively) but the Independents still ruled the roost. So the appearance of a Green candidate and a candidate supporting greater rights for Orkney might make these election a little more interesting (and hopefully not quite as one sided as the result in 2012)