 | 'Mr Garry Coutts, the Highland Councillor for Beauly and Strathglass, will be resigning his office as a member of the Council with effect from tomorrow (Wednesday 5 May).' Highland Council, 4 th May 2004. |  |
| 'Mr Garry Coutts, the Highland Councillor for Beauly and Strathglass, will be resigning his office as a member of the Council with effect from tomorrow (Wednesday 5 May).' Highland Council, 4 th May 2004. | |
A by-election was held in Beauly & Strathglass on the 10 th of June 2004 following the resignation of Cllr Garry Cotts on the 5 th of May 2004 upon his appointment as Chairman of NHS Highland.
Beauly & Strathglass is in the new Ross, Skye & Lochaber Westminster parliamentary seat (held by Lib Dem Charles Kennedy MP) and in the Ross, Skye & Inverness West Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Lib Dem John Farquhar Monro MSP).
| 10 th June 2004 By-election Turnout 52.1 % (- 4.5 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helen Carmichael |  |
Independent | 564 | 54.9 % | + 5.2 % |
| David Martin | |
Independent | 271 | 26.4 % | (+ 26.4 %) |
| Sean Wood |  |
Scotish Socialist Party | 103 | 10.0 % | (+ 10.0 %) |
| Daniel Farthing |  |
Liberal Democrat | 89 | 8.4 % | (+ 8.4 %) |
| Independent hold | |
Independent majority | 293 | 28.5 % | + 27.9 % |
| 1 st May 2003 Turnout 56.6 % (- 11.9 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr Garry Coutts | |
Independent | 555 | 50.3 % | - 5.7% |
| Helen Carmichael | |
Independent | 549 | 49.7 % | (+ 49.7 %) |
| Independent hold | |
Independent majority | 6 | 0.6 % | - 11.4 % |
| 6 th May 1999 Turnout 68.5 % (+ %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr Garry Coutts | |
Independent | 734 | 56.0 % | + 27.5 % |
| John Sellar | |
Independent | 577 | 44.0 % | + % |
| Independent hold | |
Independent majority | 157 | 12.0 % | |
| By-election 26 th June 1997 Turnout % (+ %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garry Coutts | |
Independent | 257 | 28.5 % | (+ 28.5 %) |
 |
Conservative | 184 | 20.4 % | (+ 20.4 %) | |
Independent | 157 | 17.4 % | % | |
Independent | 127 | 14.0 % | % | |
Independent | 103 | 11.4 % | % |
 |
Scottish National Party | 76 | 8.4 % | - 58.9 % | |
| Independent gain from Scottish National Party | |
Independent majority | 73 | 8.0 % | |
| 6 th April 1995 Turnout 55.0 % | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Munro | |
Scottish National Party | 611 | 67.3 % | |
| John Sellar | |
Independent | 257 | 28.5 % | % |
| Scottish National Party win | |
Scottish National Party majority | 314 | 34.6 % | |
Mr Garry Coutts, the Highland Councillor for Beauly and Strathglass, will be resigning his office as a member of the Council with effect from tomorrow (Wednesday 5 May).
Councillor Coutts, who has been the representative for Beauly and Strathglass since winning a by-election in June 1997, is resigning his membership of the Council as the result of his appointment from 1 April as Chairman of the NHS Highland Board.
A former Chairman of the Council's Housing and Social Work Committee, Councillor Coutts is currently depute chairman of the Housing and Social Work Committee, being spokesperson on housing matters. His successor as housing spokesperson will be elected on Thursday, when the full council meets next.
The notice of by-election will be published on Wednesday 5 May and nominations papers will be available from that date from the Town House.
Nominations need to be delivered to the Town House by 4 pm on Thursday 13 May.
If there is a contest, the poll will take place between 7 am and 10 pm on Thursday 10 June at the Phipps Hall, Beauly, Cannich Hall and Kilmorack Hall.
Because the by-election is taking place on the same day as the sixth elections of the European Parliament, the ballot boxes will not be opened until 6 pm on Sunday 13 June. This is when the counting of votes registered at the three Highland constituencies for the Euro election commences.
The count for both the by-election and the Euro election will take place at Inverness Sports Centre.
Helen Carmichael, The Haven, Ferry Lane, Beauly (Independent) has been elected the new member for Beauly and Strathglass on The Highland Council, winning a four-cornered by-election.
Mrs Carmichael polled 564 votes - 293 more than her nearest challenger, David Martin, 30 Broadstone Park, Inverness IV2 3LA (Independent).
Sean Martin Wood, 18 Culburnie, Kiltarlity, by Beauly IV4 7JJ (Scottish Socialist Party) polled 103 votes.
Daniel M. Farthing, 8 Culloden Court, Culloden, Inverness IV2 7DX (Scottish Liberal Democrats) polled 89 votes.
There was a 52.3% turn out.
Mrs Carmichael takes over from Garry Coutts, who resigned from the Council last month on his appointment as Chairman of NHS Highland.
A community councillor, Mrs Carmichael has brought up a family and lived in Beauly for more than 30 years taking an active role in the local community.
The count took place at Inverenss Sports Centre on Sunday (13 June).
Members are advised that at the By-election for the Beauly and Strathglass Ward held on Thursday 10th June 2004, the result was follows:-
Helen Carmichael (Independent) 564 votes
David Martin (Independent) 271 votes
Sean Martin Wood (Scottish Socialist Party) 103 votes
Daniel Farthing (Scottish Liberal Democrats) 89 votes
The turn out was 52.3%.
Accordingly, Mrs Helen Carmichael, The Haven, Ferry Lane, Beauly has been elected as Councillor for Ward 41 - Beauly and Strathglass.
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