Election / Council by-election set for November
A BY-election will be held in the Shetland West ward on 17 November following the resignation of a councillor.
John Leask, who was only elected in May, confirmed last month he would be standing down due to changes in the work pattern of his other job.
Shetland Islands Council has now confirmed the timetable for the by-election.
Polling day will be on Thursday 17 November, with the count taking place the following day.
A notice of by-election will be released on 29 September and people will have up until 17 October to submit their nomination papers.
The names of prospective candidates would be released after 4pm on 17 October.
While the west ward only features two elected members, seven people put themselves forward in May’s local government election.
Leask was elected alongside Liz Peterson, with Mark Robinson coming a close third. They were all independent candidates.
Green candidate Debra Nicolson was fourth, with the SNP’s Zara Pennington fifth.
Independent candidates Andrew Holt and Ian Tinkler followed on the results list.
An eighth candidate – Peter Fraser – was on the ballot paper but did not seek election due to personal circumstances. However, he still picked up a handful of votes.
A by-election for the North Isles ward has already been held after only two candidates went for the area’s three seats in May’s election.
Become a supporter of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.
Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 600 supporters who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.
Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -
- Bring you the headlines as they happen;
- Stay editorially independent;
- Give a voice to the community;
- Grow site traffic further;
- Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.
Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.