Independent Candidate Wins Inverness South Bi-election

13th April 2024

The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy.

Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness. The count was relayed live on the Council's social media channels.

Voting was by the single transferable vote and Duncan Cameron McDonald emerged as the winner at stage 8 of the count.

The turnout was 26.3%.

He will join Councillors Ken Gowans (Scottish National Party), Duncan Macpherson (Highland Alliance) and Andrew Sinclair (Scottish Conservative and Unionist) in representing Ward 19 on The Highland Council.

The other candidates were -

Jonathan Chartier (Scottish Liberal Democrats) – 652 votes
Jimmy Duncan (Alba Party)- 107
Ryan Forbes (Scottish Conservatives) – 533
Andrew Macdonald (Sovereignty) -41
Gordon Shanks (SNP) – 641
Arun Sharma (Scottish Greens) – 237
Ron Stevenson (Scottish Labour) – 364

The last council by-election was held in September in Ward 7, Tain and Easter Ross, when Independent Maureen Ross won after Lib Dem councillor Sarah Rawlings stood down,

The turnout then was 34.4%.

The largest group on the council is still the SNP with 21 councillors, followed by Independents with 18 and Liberal Democrats 14.

Others are Conservatives (eight), Highland Alliance (five), Scottish Greens (four) Labour (two) Alba (one) with one vacant seat.