1990 Shetland Islands Council election

An election to the Shetland Islands Council was held on 3 May 1990 as part of regional elections. Independents maintained control of the 25 seat council. The Shetland Movement gained two seats, bringing their total to seven. The Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats also ran candidates for the first time.

1990 Shetland Islands Council election

← 1986 May 3, 1990 (1990-05-03) 1994 →

All 25 seats to Shetland Islands Council
13 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Edward Thomason Bill Smith
Party Independent Shetland Movement Labour
Leader's seat Lerwick Harbour Lerwick Central
Last election 16 5 5
Seats won 16 7 1
Seat change Steady0 Increase2 Decrease3
Popular vote 1,962 1,083 246
Percentage 56.9% 31.4% 7.1%
Swing Decrease10.0% Increase17.8% Decrease9.5%

  Fourth party
 
Leader Leonard Groat
Party Independent Labour
Leader's seat Lerwick North
Last election 0
Seats won 1
Seat change Increase1
Popular vote 0
Percentage 0.0[a]
Swing New

The result of the election

Council Convener before election

Edward Thomason
Shetland Movement

Council Convener after election

Edward Thomason
Shetland Movement

Results by electoral district.

Former Labour councillor Leonard Groat stood on an Independent Labour ticket in protest against his party's support for the closure of Montfield Hospital in Lerwick.[1]

Aggregate results

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Shetland Islands Council election, 1990[2]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 16 0 0  0 72 56.9 1,962  10.0
  Shetland Movement 7 2 0  2 24 31.4 1,083  17.8
  Independent Labour 1 1 0  1 4 0.0 0 New
  Labour 1 0 4  3 1 7.1 246  9.5
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0  0 0.0 2.7 94 New
  SNP 0 0 0  0 0 1.9 65 New

Ward Results

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Aithsting and Sandsting
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Florence Grains (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Bressay
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Irvine (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Burra & Trondra
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent George Pottinger 213 55.2%
Shetland Movement William Cumming (incumbent) 173 44.8%
Majority 40 10.4%
Independent gain from Shetland Movement
Delting North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Andrea Manson (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Delting South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Mary Colligan unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Dunrossness North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Tait (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Dunrossness South
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement Magnus Flaws (incumbent) 225 79.8%
Independent John Johnston 57 20.2%
Majority 168 59.6%
Shetland Movement gain from Independent
Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Joan McLeod (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Lerwick Breiwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Cecil Eunson (Incumbent) 241 79.8%
Labour Robert Adair 61 20.2%
Majority 180 59.6%
Independent hold
Lerwick Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Bill Smith (Incumbent) 185 66.3%
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Crossan 94 36.7%
Majority 91 29.6%
Labour hold
Lerwick Clickimin
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Robert Johnson 122 36.9%
Shetland Movement William Playfair 108 32.6%
Independent Ian Byrne 101 30.5%
Majority 14 4.3%
Independent gain from Shetland Movement
Lerwick Harbour
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement Edward Thomason (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Shetland Movement hold
Lerwick North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Labour Leonard Groat unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent Labour gain from Labour
Lerwick Sound
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement John Graham (Incumbent) 308 87.5%
Independent Ian Selbie 44 12.5%
Majority 264 75.0%
Shetland Movement hold
Lerwick Twageos
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Lewis Shand Smith 179 43.6%
Independent Michael Johnston (Incumbent) 174 42.3%
Independent William Henderson 58 14.1%
Majority 5 1.3%
Independent hold
Nesting and Lunnasting
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Greta McElvogue unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Northmavine
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Manson 144 50.3%
Independent Bill Manson 142 49.7%
Majority 2 0.6%
Independent gain from Labour
Sandness and Walls
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent James Gear unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Sandwick
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement James Smith (Incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Shetland Movement gain from Independent
Scalloway
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement William Anderson (Incumbent) 183 65.8%
Anti-Poll Tax Ian Scott 95 34.2%
Majority 88 31.6%
Shetland Movement gain from Independent
Unst
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Joan Easten 200 64.9%
Independent Elizabeth Nicolson (Incumbent) 108 35.1%
Majority 92 29.8%
Independent hold
Whalsay and Skerries
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Henry Stewart (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Whiteness, Weisdale and Tingwall
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Alex Arthur (incumbent) unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
Yell North and Fetlar
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement Andrew Williamson 86 36.6%
Independent Philip Turner 73 31.1%
SNP Derrick Tulloch 65 27.7%
Independent Derek Rushton 7 3.0%
Independent Philip Anderson 4 1.7%
Majority 13 5.5%
Shetland Movement gain from Independent
Yell South
Party Candidate Votes %
Shetland Movement Robert Gray unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Shetland Movement gain from Independent

By-elections since 1990

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1991 Northmavine by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Bill Manson 207 62.2%
Independent Thomas Balfour 115 34.5%
Independent James Paterson 11 3.3%
Majority 92 27.7%
Independent hold
1993 Yell South by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Peter Guy 208 70.0%
Independent Alan Ogden 89 30.0%
Majority 119 40.0%
Independent gain from Shetland Movement
1993 Whalsay and Skerries by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Hazel Simpson unopposed unopposed
Majority unopposed unopposed
Independent hold
1993 Whiteness, Weisdale and Tingwall by-election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Jonathan Wills 388 73.8%
Independent A.M. Leslie 77 14.6%
Independent J.W. Johnson 61 11.6%
Majority 311 59.2%
Independent hold

Notes

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  1. ^ Candidate was elected unopposed

References

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  1. ^ Hamilton, Peter. "A hard place to stand up and be counted". Shetland News.
  2. ^ Bochel, JM; Denver, DT. "Scottish Regional Elections, 1990" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Retrieved 21 April 2020.