Eastwood
Non-Aligned
Politically restricted post
Posts: 2,122 
Member is Online
|
Post by Eastwood on Jun 19, 2021 19:32:41 GMT
I notice that they propose 2 5-member wards in Highland. I know that the legislation has been changed to allow for 1- or 2-member wards (for small island areas etc) as well as the previously-universal 3- and 4-member wards, but I didn't know they were allowed to go to more than 4. It is interesting to see the maps if only to get some idea of where the population density clusters are, but I have no local knowledge so I can't otherwise judge whether it's a good set of proposals or not. I have a cousin family who live in Kiltarlity just outside Inverness, but we last visited them in 1975 so anyway. The 1 and 2 member wards on islands were permitted by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. The 5 member wards (and 2 member wards on the mainland) were permitted by the Scotland Elections (Reform) Act 2020. The LGBCS were being fairly flexible in proceeding with developing wards which were only permitted after the latter act received Royal Assent in July 2020. When re-warding is done for the other 26 non island authorities after the 2022 elections, 2 and 5 member wards will be permitted nationwide but the single member wards are only allowed in the islands. |
|
Eastwood
Non-Aligned
Politically restricted post
Posts: 2,122
Member is Online
|
Post by Eastwood on Jun 19, 2021 19:38:55 GMT
As someone who specifically went and climbed Morven back in 2009 as part of climbing the traditional county tops of the UK I approve of this move to put Morven back into its correct County. I also happen to have a painting showing Morven from Embo beach on my Living Room wall and although I love Sutherland it correctly forms the foreground at Embo so Morven should be in Caithness in the background. |
|
|
|
Post by afleitch on Jun 19, 2021 19:42:26 GMT
On the whole, I'm satisfied with the proposals except with the Isle of Arran which, as I was apparently quoted, giving it one councillor is 'against the spirit' of the Islands Act, going from sharing 4 councillors, to 3 councillors to just 1, on an island with a seasonally elastic electorate. Same with Inverness South East and South West simply because of their huge rural hinterland when it could be possible to rejig the 5 and 4 members into 3 wards, with one being more rural.
|
|
|
|
Post by afleitch on Sept 13, 2021 14:35:42 GMT
First committee meeting about this tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
Post by afleitch on Sept 28, 2021 22:01:45 GMT
Committee rejects proposals for Highlsand Argyll and Bute.
Doesn't mean they will fail at a vote, but more difficult to pass. Swinney recommended their approval.
|
|
|
|
Post by bjornhattan on Sept 28, 2021 22:07:08 GMT
Committee rejects proposals for Highlsand Argyll and Bute. Doesn't mean they will fail at a vote, but more difficult to pass. Swinney recommended their approval. If they fail at a vote, would new proposals be drawn up or would the current boundaries just remain indefinitely? |
|
|
|
Post by afleitch on Sept 29, 2021 7:43:12 GMT
Committee rejects proposals for Highlsand Argyll and Bute. Doesn't mean they will fail at a vote, but more difficult to pass. Swinney recommended their approval. If they fail at a vote, would new proposals be drawn up or would the current boundaries just remain indefinitely? There won't be time before May. Which means existing wards remaining to 2027. The Commission was really harshly slammed when it isn't their fault; they are following the legislation and with Highland Council in particular, they tried to engage with them but note the reduced participation in their report. I expect they may still pass, as a review before 2027 is likely across Scotland anyway. |
|
|
|
Post by afleitch on Nov 17, 2021 11:39:47 GMT
Boundaries Scotland confirms new wards for Orkney, Shetland, Eilean Siar and North Ayrshire will come into effect for the next election.
|
|
YL
Non-Aligned
Either Labour leaning or Lib Dem leaning but not sure which
Posts: 4,915
|
Post by YL on Nov 18, 2021 7:31:47 GMT
What are the objections to the proposals in Highland and Argyll & Bute?
|
|
Eastwood
Non-Aligned
Politically restricted post
Posts: 2,122
Member is Online
|
Post by Eastwood on Nov 20, 2021 13:17:05 GMT
What are the objections to the proposals in Highland and Argyll & Bute? Fundamentally both the Highland Council and Argyll & Bute positions are that electoral parity within the Authority should not be an aim of Boundaries Scotland. The Highland proposals did have some flaws but most of the Council's suggestions were to give less councillors per head in Inverness and more in very rural areas like Caithness and Sutherland. At present the legislation doesn't allow such an approach except in Island areas. One of Argyll & Bute's main complaints was about overall councillor numbers. The other issue was with Bute not being overrepresented compared to the mainland wards. Islands Act allows a departure from parity to allow Island specific wards but doesn't allow for extra members on islands just because they are islands (A&B wanted 3 members for Bute despite parity being possible with 2 members). So basically they're understandable (if not necessarily reasonable) complaints from the local government perspective but the Scottish Parliament really doesn't have a leg to stand on when disliking the proposals as Boundaries Scotland were implementing the laws as written by MSPs. |
|
