Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas (ward)

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas (Scottish Gaelic for 'Barra, Vatersay, Eriskay and South Uist') was one of the nine wards of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Scottish Gaelic for 'Council of the Western Isles'). Created in 2007, the ward elected four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Outline map
Boundary of Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas in Na h-Eileanan Siar from 2007–2022.
Electorate2,506 (2017)
Major settlementsCastlebay
Lochboisdale
Scottish Parliament constituencyNa h-Eileanan an Iar
Scottish Parliament regionHighlands and Islands
UK Parliament constituencyNa h-Eileanan an Iar
2007 (2007)–2022 (2022)
Number of councillors4
Replaced byBarraigh agus Bhatarsaigh
Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla
Created fromBarra and Vatersay
Daliburgh and Eriskay
Eochar
Loch Eynort

Independents have dominated elections in the Western Isles and half of the councillors elected in the area had no party affiliation. However, the Scottish National Party (SNP) also held half the seats at the 2007 and 2017 elections.

Boundaries

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The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained all of the former Barra and Vatersay, Daliburgh and Eriskay and Loch Eynort wards as well as the southern half of the former Eochar ward. The ward centred around the islands in the south of the Outer Hebrides and included Barra, Vatersay, South Uist and Eriskay as well as a number of uninhabited surrounding islands.[1] Proposals in the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections would have seen the ward's boundaries unchanged but reduced from a four-member ward to a three-member ward.[2] However, these were not adopted by Scottish ministers as plans for the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 would bring forward an interim review following the 2017 elections.[3]

The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 allowed for the creation of single- and dual-member wards to allow for better representation of island areas. As a result, the ward was abolished and replaced by the smaller Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh and Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla wards.[4]

Councillors

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Election Councillors
2007 David Blaney
(Independent)
Peter Carlin
(Independent)
Donald Manford
(SNP)
Gerry MacLeod
(SNP)
2012 Donnie Steele
(Independent)
Ronald Joseph MacKinnon
(Labour)
2017 Paul Steele
(Independent)
Iain MacNeil
(Independent)
Calum MacMillan
(SNP/
Alba)
2021

Election results

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2017 election

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Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas – 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
SNP Donald Manford (incumbent) 38.3 531              
SNP Calum MacMillan 10.0 138 278            
Independent Iain MacNeil 15.7 217 240 240 246 264 290    
Independent Paul Steele 11.6 161 170 170 172 192 253 258 324
Independent David Blaney (incumbent) 8.1 112 121 121 129 155 175 177  
Independent Donnie Steele (incumbent) 7.9 110 129 129 132 155      
Independent Ronald MacKinnon (incumbent) 6.4 89 101 101 109        
Independent Gerry MacLeod 2.09 29 30 30          
Electorate: 2,506   Valid: 1,387   Spoilt: 44   Quota: 278   Turnout: 57.1%  

Source: [5]

2012 election

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2012 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas - 4 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SNP Donald Manford (incumbent) 37.43% 521                  
Labour Ronald Joseph MacKinnon 15.09% 210 226.3 228.7 234.7 242.8 263.8 292.6      
Independent Donnie Steele 9.41% 131 142.6 144.6 150.6 155.9 179.4 200.8 204.1 222.2 263.6
Independent Calum MacMillan 8.84% 123 144.4 147.8 150.3 152.2 156.2 165.2 166.5 192.9  
Independent David Blaney (incumbent) 8.48% 118 135.2 139.2 142.2 147.7 157.6 183.8 185.9 201.3 247.9
Independent Peter Carlin (incumbent) 6.47% 90 103 105 106 108.4 114.4        
Independent Calum MacAulay 5.17% 72 76.2 76.2 77.2 81.1          
SNP Gerry MacLeod (incumbent) 3.95% 55 135.8 135.8 135.8 143.5 146.5 154.3 155.1    
Independent Allan MacLeod 2.01% 28 51.7 52.7 53.2            
Independent Angus MacDonald 1.94% 27 27.9 27.9              
Independent Eric Wallis 1.22% 17 17.9                
Electorate: 2,510   Valid: 1,392   Spoilt: 30   Quota: 279   Turnout: 1,424 (55.46)%  

2007 election

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2007 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election, 2007: Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh Eirisgeigh Agus Uibhist A Deas
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
SNP Donald Manford 723 49.0 1 1
Independent David Blaney 233 15.8 4 4
Independent Peter Carlin 177 12.0 3 4
Labour Ronald Joseph MacKinnon 162 11.0
SNP Gerry MacLeod 125 8.5 2 4
Independent Angus MacDonald 57 3.9

References

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  1. ^ "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; Na h-Eileanan an lar Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2006. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Fifth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; East Ayrshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Council ward boundaries agreed". Scottish Government. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Review of Electoral Arrangements; Na h-Eileanan an Iar Council Area" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. June 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  5. ^ Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Results 2017 Eilean Siar". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 1 November 2024.