Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the only local council in Scotland to have a Gaelic-only name. When first created in 1975 the council's English language name was 'Western Isles Islands Council',{{London Gazette|issue=23921|page=122|date=19 January 1996|city=e}} which was changed to 'Western Isles Council' in 1996.{{London Gazette|issue=24479|page=2774|date=2 October 1998|city=e}} In 1998, following the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997, the Western Isles Council changed the English language version of the area's name from Western Isles to Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Gaelic for 'the Western Isles'), and the name of the council to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ('Council of the Western Isles'), to be used in both English and Gaelic contexts.{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=29 August 2024}}{{cite web |url=http://www.w-isles.gov.uk/education/consultations/documents/DaliburghFutureStrategyConsultation.pdf |title=Review of Educational Provision and the Comhairle's Future Strategy for the Schools Estate: Daliburgh School, Isle of South Uist |date=January 2008 |format=PDF |publisher=Department of Education |website=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |access-date=2010-06-01 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5r6JOztWl?url=http://www.w-isles.gov.uk/education/consultations/documents/DaliburghFutureStrategyConsultation.pdf |archive-date=2010-07-09}}

In 1975, the council was created as the Western Isles Islands Council under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The area covered six former districts from two counties: the burgh of Stornoway and the landward district of Lewis from Ross and Cromarty, and the landward districts of Harris, North Uist, South Uist and Barra from Inverness-shire.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=17 April 2023}}{{cite web |title=Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland Sheet 2, 1968 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075446 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=3 October 2024}}

The same area had been made a constituency called Western Isles for elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 57 years earlier in 1918. The Westminster constituency was also renamed in English contexts to the Gaelic form of the name, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, in 2005.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005|year=2005|number=250|access-date=3 October 2024}} Since 1999, the area has also been represented by the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency of the Scottish Parliament, with the same boundaries.{{cite web |url=http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/5th%20report/index.htm |title=Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009160559fw_/http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/5th%20report/index.htm |archive-date=2007-10-09}}

When the Bank of Credit and Commerce International collapsed in 1991, the then Western Isles Council lost £35m invested there, compelling a large increase in its council tax rate and leading to the resignation of Council Convener Donald Macauley.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/stirring-of-the-angry-isles-their-council-lost-millions-in-the-bcci-collapse-now-facing-huge-tax-rises-western-islanders-have-risen-in-public-protest-reports-james-cusick-1456073.html|title=Stirring of the angry Isles|last=Cusick|first=James|date=18 April 1993|work=Independent on Sunday|access-date=2015-05-15}} Despite its initial losses, by 2012 the Council had gained a net profit of £1.5 million from dividend repayments due to favourable exchange rates.{{Cite web |last=Merritt |first=Mike |date=2012-11-25 |title=Western Isles Council enjoy £1.5m surplus in aftermath of BCCI crash in 1991 |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/council-who-lost-millions-in-bcci-1455771 |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Daily Record |language=en}}

Representing Scotland's only majority Gaelic-speaking local authority area, the council pioneered the use of Gaelic-medium education in the 1980s. In 2020, Gaelic became the default language of instruction for all primary school pupils.{{Cite news |date=2020-01-23 |title=Gaelic to be 'default' language for new pupils in Western Isles schools |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-51221475 |access-date=2022-08-12}}

The council has been a member of the Islands Forum since 2022.

The first election was held in 1974, with the council initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A majority of the seats on the council have been held by independent councillors since 1975.{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre | date=4 March 2016 |access-date=9 October 2024}}

Following the 2022 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to 16 September 2024, the composition of the council was:{{Cite web|url=https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/your-council/wards-and-councillors/council-members/|title = Council Members|publisher=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar|access-date=28 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202144143/https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/your-council/wards-and-councillors/council-members/|archive-date=2023-02-02}}

The next election is due in 2027.{{cite web |title=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=comhairle_nan_eilean_siar |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=9 October 2024}}

{{main|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar elections}}

{{see also|:Category:Wards of Na h-Eileanan Siar}}

Since the last boundary changes in 2022, the council has comprised 29 councillors representing 11 wards, with each ward electing between two and four councillors. Elections are held every five years.{{cite legislation Scotland|type=ssi|ssi=The Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Electoral Arrangements) Regulations 2021|year=2021|number=369|access-date=9 October 2024}}

From 1975 until 2007, council elections used the first past the post system of election; the last elections of this type elected 31 councillors, elected by 31 single-member wards.MacMahon, Peter and Walker, Helen (18 May 2007) "Winds of change sweep Scots town halls". Edinburgh. The Scotsman.

In 2007, under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, the single transferable vote system, together with multi-member wards, was used for the first time, each ward electing three or four councillors. This system is designed to produce a degree of proportional representation.

• Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh
• Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla
• Uibhist a Tuath
• Na Hearadh
• Sgìre nan Loch
• Sgìr' Ùige agus Carlabhagh
• An Taobh Siar agus Nis
• Loch a Tuath
• Steòrnabhagh a Tuath
• Steòrnabhagh a Deas
• Sgire an Rubha

The council is based at the Council Offices on Sandwick Road in Stornoway. The building was purpose-built for the council in 1979.{{cite web |title=Lewis, Stornoway, Sandwick Road, Western Isles Council Headquarters |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/171393/lewis-stornoway-sandwick-road-western-isles-council-headquarters |website=Canmore |publisher=Historic Environment Scotland |access-date=3 October 2024}}

• Constitutional status of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
• Lerwick Declaration

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/ Comhairle nan Eilean Siar website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150102142340/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/members/ Ward maps, with links re councillors]

{{Na h-Eileanan Siar elections}}

{{Scotland subdivisions}}

{{Wards of Na h-Eileanan Siar}}

{{Former local government regions of Scotland}}

{{Portal bar|Scotland}}

{{Authority control}}

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Na h-Eileanan Siar

Category:Politics of the Outer Hebrides

Category:Stornoway