2017 Highland Council election

2017 Highland Council election
4 May 2017 (2017-05-04)
All 74 seats to Highland Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Margaret Davidson Maxine Smith Andrew Jarvie
Party Independent SNP Conservative
Leader's seat Aird and Loch Ness Cromarty Firth Inverness South
Last election 35 seats, 40.2% 22 seats, 25.8% 0 seats, 5.1%
Seats before 39 19 0
Seats won 28 22 10
Seat change 7 0 10
Popular vote 32,492 22,459 14,095
Percentage 36.1% 24.9% 15.7%
Swing 4.2pp 0.8pp 10.6pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Alasdair Christie Jimmy Gray James Mackessack-Leitch & Isla O'Reilly
Party Liberal Democrats Labour Scottish Green
Leader's seat Inverness Ness-side Inverness Millburn Contested in Moray & Did not contest
Last election 15 seats, 13.5% 8 seats, 12.6% 0 seats, 1.0%
Seats before 15 7 0
Seats won 10 3 1
Seat change 5 5 1
Popular vote 11,577 6,218 2,832
Percentage 12.9% 6.9% 3.1%
Swing 0.6pp 5.7pp 2.2pp
Council Leader before election

Margaret Davidson
Independent

 Council Leader after election

Margaret Davidson
Independent

The 2017 Highland Council election was held on 4 May 2017 to elect members of the Highland Council. The election used the 21 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004; each ward elected three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system (a form of proportional representation). A total of 74 councillors were elected, six less than in 2012.

The election was fought in new wards, as the recommendations by the Boundary Commission had been accepted by Scottish Ministers. There were big changes, particularly in Caithness where an entire ward was removed. This election was most notable for returning 10 Conservative councillors: the party's first representation on the council since 1995.

After the 2012 election an administration had been formed by the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Labour Party. This was the first time that the Independents had not had any role in the administration of the council. However, later in the 2012–17 term, this administration fell and the Independent group instead governed as a minority.

After the 2017 election, the Independent, Liberal Democrat and Labour groups formed a coalition administration.

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