ELECTION: Incumbents keep seats in Shetland Central as party candidates miss out

Moraig Lyall.

There were no new faces in the Shetland Central declaration – with all four seats going to incumbents.

Moraig Lyall, who received the most first preference votes, said it was “encouraging” to know folk had been supportive of her work at the council.

While she has highlighted housing and fixed links as priorities, Mrs Lyall said the most important aim was for councillors work collaboratively towards shared goals and “actually get some momentum towards achieving what we set out to do”.

“As a group of councillors, we have to get together and put down our priorities and then use our combined efforts to really make progress on that,” she added.

Mrs Lyall was voted in along with Davie Sandison, Ian Scott and Catherine Hughson.

Mr Scott, who has been critical in the past about the council, its leadership said he hoped the new councillors “might think a wee bit more positively about the way forward”.

He said the council had to “grapple with poverty” through means such as free bus travel and free school meals, but warned progress could only be made with strong leadership.

“Were that comes from, I’m not sure,” he said.

“I’m not even sure if there is a prospect of that.

“But that’s the only way to achieve change. The leadership has to take the members with them and that hasn’t happen in the last dozen years.”

Mr Scott said he was “obviously delighted” to have been elected.

RESULTS: 

Catherine Hughson: 282 votes ELECTED
Moraig Lyall: 414 votes ELECTED
Brian Nugent (Sovereignty):  26 votes.
Martin Randall (Scottish Greens): 99 votes.
Davie Sandison: 322 votes ELECTED.
Ian Scott: 271 votes ELECTED.

Electorate: 3,168

Total votes: 1,422

Percentage turnout: 44.9 per cent – up from 40.9 in 2017.