2017 Shetland Islands Council election

Elections to Shetland Islands Council were held on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. The election was the third using seven wards created as a results of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, each ward electing three or four Councillors using the single transferable vote system a form of proportional representation, with 22 Councillors elected.

2017 Shetland Islands Council election

4 May 2017 (2017-05-04)
All 22 seats to Shetland Islands Council 12 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Gary Robinson Robbie McGregor Party Independent SNP Leader's seat Shetland West Shetland South Last election 22 seats, 100% 0 seats, 1.9% Seats before 22 0 Seats after 21 1 Seat change 1 1
Map of council wards
Council Leader before election Gary Robinson Independent Council Leader after election Cecil Smith Independent

With the Shetland South ward going uncontested, the SNP elected its first councillor in Shetland.

Several members of the pro-Shetland Autonomy Wir Shetland group stood in the election; Ian Tinkler in Shetland West, and Alec Priest and Duncan Simpson in North Isles.[1][2] Former Wir Shetland member Ryan Thomson also stood in North Isles. Whilst having left the group, it was claimed by the Wir Shetland Chairman that Thomson still supported the groups core aims.[1] Other candidates with political positions of note included socialist Ian Scott and former Yes Scotland and Scottish Leave Left campaigner Brian Nugent in central ward.[3] Nugent is an SNP member and claimed to be standing as an independent solely due to having applied too late to use the SNP party name in the election.[4] Two paper candidates for the Conservatives also stood.[5]