2003 Shetland Islands Council election

Elections to the Shetland Islands Council were held on 1 May 2003 as part of Scottish local elections. The Liberal Democrats were reduced to 5 seats, with independent candidates making gains. Eight seats were uncontested.

2003 Shetland Islands Council election

1 May 2003 (2003-05-01)
All 22 seats to Shetland Islands Council 12 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Tom Stove John Nicolson Party Independent Liberal Democrats Leader's seat Cunningsburgh and Sandwick Yell Last election 12 seats, 64.1% 9 seats, 30.7% Seats before 12 9 Seats won 17 5 Seat change 5 4 Popular vote 4,304 1,343 Percentage 76.2% 23.8% Swing 12.1% 6.9%
Council Convener before election Tom Stove Independent Council Convener after election Sandy Cluness Liberal Democrats

Results by ward.

Election results

Shetland Islands Council election, 2003

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	17	5	0	5	77.3	76.2	4,304	12.1
	Liberal Democrats	5	0	4	4	22.7	23.8	1,343	6.9

Ward results

Aithsting, Sandsting and Weisdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Florence Grains (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Burra and Trondra

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Inkster	271	58.0%
	Independent	Robert Hunter	196	42.0%
Majority			75	16.0%
	Independent hold

Cunningsburgh and Sandwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Tom Stove (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Delting East and Lunnasting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Barbara Cheyne	234	57.4%
	Independent	Joan Easten	90	22.1%
	Independent	Thomas Anderson	84	20.6%
Majority			144	36.8%
	Independent hold

Delting West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Drew Ratter (incumbent)	260	67.4%
	Independent	Andrea Manson-Clark	126	32.6%
Majority			64	34.8%
	Independent hold

Dunrossness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Gordon Mitchell (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Liberal Democrats hold

Lerwick Breiwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Cecil Eunson (incumbent)	360	77.4%
	Liberal Democrats	Margaret Robertson	105	22.6%
Majority			255	54.8%
	Independent hold

Lerwick Clickimin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Stove (incumbent)	175	62.7%
	Independent	Michael Peterson	104	37.3%
Majority			71	25.4%
	Independent hold

Lerwick Harbour and Bressay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Edward Knight	282	67.8%
	Liberal Democrats	Ronald Gair	134	32.2%
Majority			148	35.6%
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Lerwick North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Leonard Groat	168	59.2%
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Anderson (incumbent)	116	40.8%
Majority			52	18.4%
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Lerwick North Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Sandy Cluness (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Liberal Democrats hold

Lerwick Sound

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Henry	147	52.7%
	Liberal Democrats	Christine Begg (incumbent)	132	47.3%
Majority			15	5.6%
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Lerwick South Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Gussie Angus (incumbent)	240	56.7%
	Independent	Gary Robinson	183	43.3%
Majority			57	13.4%
	Liberal Democrats hold

Lerwick Upper Sound, Gulberwick and Quarff

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Robert Feather	276	51.7%
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Malcolmson (incumbent)	258	48.3%
Majority			18	3.4%
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Nesting, Whiteness, Girlsta and Gott

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Irvine (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Northmavine, Muckle Roe and Busta

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Bill Manson (incumbent)	270	60.0%
	Liberal Democrats	Brenda Wilcock	180	40.0%
Majority			90	20.0%
	Independent hold

Sandwick, Levenwick and bigton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Tait (incumbent)	279	63.8%
	Liberal Democrats	Cecil Hughson	158	36.2%
Majority			121	27.6%
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Scalloway

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Iris Hawkins (incumbent)	303	66.4%
	Independent	Ian Scott	153	33.6%
Majority			150	32.8%
	Independent hold

Unst & Fetlar

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Brian Gregson	248	68.3%
	Independent	Andrew Inkster	95	26.2%
	Liberal Democrats	Sandra Gray	20	5.5%
Majority			153	42.1%
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Walls, Sandness and Clousta

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Frank Robertson (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Liberal Democrats hold

Whalsay and Skerries

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Josie Simpson (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Yell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	John Nicolson (incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Liberal Democrats hold