Politics of the Highland council area

In the European Parliament the area was within the Scotland constituency, which covers all of the 32 council areas of Scotland.The Highland Council (Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd in Gaelic) comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional representation.

[3] The most recent election of the council was on 5 May 2022, and resulted in a coalition administration formed by the SNP and the Independent group.

Councillor Andrew Jarvie resigned from the Conservatives to stand as a Unionist in December 2022[5] but actually stood as Non-aligned.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillor Sarah Rawlings resigned in 2023 due to ill health.

Maureen Ross was elected in her place in September 2023[6] and joined the Highland Independent Group.

Councillors Duncan Macpherson, Maxine Smith, Andrew Jarvie, Matthew Reiss, and Jim McGillivray formed the Highland Alliance in late October 2023[7] led by the first two named.

Finally, independent Cllr Ben Thompson for Caol and Mallaig resigned within six months prior to the scheduled date of the 2022 Highland Council election.

From August 2008, the council had been ruled by a coalition of the Independent Group and Liberal Democrat and Labour parties.

[14] This administration was established following the collapse of a ruling coalition of the Independent Group and Scottish National Party (SNP) in June 2008.

Since then groups and parties have been represented as follows:[16] The Liberal Democrat Michael Foxley had become the new council Convener by 23 December 2010.

Three of the older management areas, Caithness, Nairn and Sutherland, were very similar to earlier local government counties.

Public forums are held at ward level, and there are also private ward-level meetings of councillors.

For lists of wards see: The council area is covered by three constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Westminster) and three constituencies of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood).

[21] One, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, carries forward the name of a constituency created in 1997.

List of constituencies and current Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs): In addition to these three constituency MSPs, the Highland council area, as part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region, is represented by seven additional members: