Highland Council
| Council area Highland |
|
| Administrative headquarters | Inverness |
|---|---|
| Control | SNP (Scottish National Party) - LibDem - Labour coaltion Group. Highland Council Leader is Drew Hendry Group leader SNP |
| Convener:Jimmy Gray | Jimmy Gray, leader of the Labour Group |
| Council website http://www.highland.gov.uk/ |
|
The Highland Council (Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd in Gaelic) represents 22 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional representation. The total number of councillors is 80, and the main meeting place and main offices are in Glenurquhart Road, Inverness.
Since August 2008, the council has been ruled by a coalition of the Independent Group and Liberal Democrat and Labour parties. This administration was established following the collapse of a ruling coalition of the Independent Group and Scottish National Party (SNP) in June 2008.
The Independent Group, led by Nairn ward councillor Sandy Park, is effectively a party, complete with a party whip.
The Independent Group and SNP administration had been formed as a result of the fourth general election of the council, 3 May 2007, and collapsed when the SNP withdrew from the coalition. Also as a result of the collapse, a second independent group was formed, called the Independent Members Group.
In February 2010, a third independent group was formed, when four councillors left the Independent Group and created the Independent Alliance Group. Since then groups and parties have been represented as follows:
| Independents | Scottish National Party | Liberal Democrats | Labour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 23 | 14 | 8 |
The Liberal Democrat Michael Foxley had become the new council Convener by 23 Dec 2010
The next general election of the council is scheduled for 2012.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of The Highland Council Area
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