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  Highland Council Elections 1 May 2003  - More Statistics

Number of candidates: 170

Political Breakdown: 94 Independent; 20 Scottish Labour Party; 16 Scottish National Party (SNP); 15 Scottish Liberal Democrats; 14 No political party given; 4 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party; 3 Scottish Socialist party; 2 Scottish Socialist Party. Scrap the Council Tax.; 1 Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party; 1 The Countryside Party Fighting Rural Issues.

Number of contests: 60 contests (38 two-candidate contests; 16 three-candidate contests; 4 four-candidate contests; 2 five-candidate contests).

Returned unopposed: 20 (12 Independent; 5 Scottish Liberal Democrats; 2 No political party given; 1 Scottish Labour Party).

New members unopposed: 1 Hamish Fraser (Skye Central)

Existing members unopposed: 19 Alastair MacDonald (Caithness North West); Thomas Cairns Jackson (Thurso East); David Flear (Caithness Central); John Green (Caithness North East); William Mowat (Caithness South East); Alison Magee (Sutherland Central); David Alston (Black Isle North); Drew Millar (Portree); Isabelle Campbell (Kinlochshiel); Christine Cumming (Muirtown); Roderick Balfour (Ardersier, Croy and Petty); Margaret Davidson (Loch Ness West); William Smith (Canal); Ella MacRae (Loch Ness East); Sheena Slimon (Badenoch West); Angus Gordon (Strathspey South); Francis Black (Strathspey North East); Basil Dunlop Grantown on Spey); Charles King (Mallaig & Small Isles).

Existing Councillors facing a contest: 51

Existing members not seeking election: 10, including Convener David Green (Lochbroom), who is now Chairman of the Crofters Commission, have decided not to seek re-election. The others are: Deirdre Steven (Wick West); Sandy Mackenzie (Conon Bridge and Maryburgh); Peter Cairns (Knockbain and Killearnan); Gavin Scott (Moncrieff, Snizort and Trotternish); Allan Beaton (Skye West); Angus Sutherland (Skye Central); Bernard Salmon (Scorguie); John Cole (Culloden); and David Fraser (Nairn Cawdor).

Make up of existing Council:  At the 1999 Council elections, there were 58 contests, involving 150 candidates.  22 candidates were returned unopposed. The make-up of the Council is 51 Independents; 11 Scottish Labour Party; 10 Scottish Liberal Democrat and 8 Scottish National Party.

Guaranteed new members: 10 in Wick West; Lochbroom; Muir of Ord; Knockbain and Killearnan; Snizort and Trotternish; Skye West; Skye Central; Scorguie; Culloden; Nairn Cawdor.

Results:  expected between 3-6pm on Friday 2nd May from eight area counts.