 | 'When they circumcised him they threw away the wrong bit.' David Lloyd George on his Liberal Party colleague Sir Herbert Samuel. |  |
| 'When they circumcised him they threw away the wrong bit.' David Lloyd George on his Liberal Party colleague Sir Herbert Samuel. | |
The Liberal Democrats lost Badenoch West in the Highlands to Independent Sheena Slimon. It was the Liberal Democrats' second loss of a Highland ward in three months and as a result they have slipped from being the second to the third-largest group on the council.
The name of Badenoch conjures up powerful images of the middle ages. Before the Wars of Independence, the Comyns were the most powerful family in Scotland and the head of their senior branch, John Comyn "the Red" was Lord of Badenoch. Years later Badenoch passed to Prince Alexander Stewart, who was the son of Robert II and Earl of Buchan through marriage. He became known as the Wolf of Badenoch for, amongst other deeds, his feud with Bishop Barr of Moray which culminated in the burning of Elgin Cathedral.
Times are somewhat quieter now and these days few local dignitaries burn down churches. The ward is now more closely associated with the Classic Malt Dalwhinnie than with revolting princes. Until 1996, Badenoch & Strathspey had its own District Council with ten councillors (all Independents) but since 1995, it has been part of the new Highland Council which succeeded the Highland Regional Council.
Highland Council is run by Independents, who numbered 46 in May 1999, compared to 12 Liberal Democrats, 10 Labour, 8 Scottish Nationalists and 4 others.
The by-election here follows the death of Alexander Russell, a Liberal then Liberal Democrat, who had been a local councillor for 48 years, and was one of Scotland's longest standing councillors. He was a councillor throughout the entire existence of Highland Regional council where he was returned unopposed as the regional councillor for Badenoch in 1990 and 1994.
After local government reorganisation in 1995, Cllr Russell stood, again unopposed, for the Laggan, Dalwhinnie, Newtonmore ward of the new Highland Unitary Council. In May 1999, after boundary changes which saw the number of wards increased from 72 to 80, he won the new Badenoch West ward with 78 % of the vote in a straight fight with Conservative David Spry.
In June, Labour won the Crown ward of Highland Council from the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats, who were previously the biggest political party grouping of Highland Council, were hoping that they would not lose two seats in a row here. However, the outcome in Highland wards is as difficult as ever to predict and personalities generally count for more than mere party labels.
In the by-election here, the ward was won by an Independent, Sheena Slimon, who was the Independent councillor for ward 10 of Badenoch & Strathspey District Council until 1996.
Lib Dem candidate Gregor Rimell will be disappointed at losing the seat by just 25 votes. The Lib Dem vote was down by 43.6 % in the five-way contest.
The Scottish National Party candidate David Fallows could be content with third place and 20.4 % of the vote in a ward which the SNP had not previously contested.
However, for Conservative David Spry, who was a candidate here last May, the result was somewhat depressing. Mr Spry had taken 22.2 % in the two horse contest in May 1999, but only managed to secure 4.4 % of the vote in the by-election.
Fifth with 3.8 % of the vote was Anne Moore, standing as an Independent Advocating Sustainable Communities.
The turnout in Badenoch West was a highly respectable 52.9%, down from 68.7 % last May. This compares to the turnout of just 26.7 % in the Logie ward of the City of Dundee which was held on the same day.
Following the by-election here, the political composition of Highland Council is 47 Independents, 11 Labour, 10 Liberal Democrats, 8 Scottish National Party, 1 Independent Liberal, 1 Independent Scottish Nationalist, 1 Merkincher and 1 Representative of the People. (There are no Conservative Councillors in Highland).
I am grateful to David Freeland and Donnie Kerr for sending the result and information about the by-election.
Independent candidate, Sheena Slimon, from Laggan, has been elected to represent Badenoch West on The Highland Council.
She came top of a five-cornered contest with 334 votes, a majority of 25 over second-placed candidate, Gregor Rimell, Liberal Democrat.
There was a 52% turn out.
The result was:
David Fallows, Tigh na Gheal, Station Road, Newtonmore, Scottish National Party 184 votes
Anne Moore, Poll Creagan, Newtonmore, Independent Advocating Sustainable Communities 39 votes
Gregor Rimell, Broomlea, Golf Course Road, Newtonmore, Scottish Liberal Democrat, 309 votes
Sheena Slimon, Breakachy Farm, Laggan Independent, 334 votes
David Spry, Arden House, Newtonmore Road, Kingussie, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, 40 votes.
Mrs Slimon, formerly a member of Badenoch and Strathspey District Council, succeeds Councillor Sandy Russell (80), from Newtonmore, who served his community on the local council for 48 years.
| 31 st August 2000 | 6 th May 1999 | ||||||
| Sheena Slimon | Ind | 334 | 37.1 % | Alexander Russell |  |
882 | 77.8 % |
| Gregor Rimell | |
309 | 34.3 % | David Spry |  |
251 | 22.2 % |
| David Fallows |  |
184 | 20.4 % | ||||
| David Spry | |
40 | 4.4 % | ||||
| Anne Moore | Ind | 34 | 3.8 % | ||||
| Ind gain from Lib Dem | Ind maj. | 25 | 2.8 % | Lib Dem win | Lib Dem maj. | 631 | 55.7 % |
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