Kirkwall East is one of the six electoral wards of Orkney Islands Council. Created in 2007, the ward elects four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 4,823 people.
Local politics in Orkney is traditionally non-partisan and the ward has only once elected a councillor affiliated to a political party.
Boundaries The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Kirkwall East was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained all of the former Brandyquoy and Papdale wards, the majority of the former Berstane and Work ward and part of the former Lynnfield and Shapinsay and Kirkwall Harbour wards as well as a small area from the former Pickaquoy and Warrenfield wards. As its name suggests, Kirkwall East covers the eastern half of the town of Kirkwall on Mainland as well as a rural area to the north and east of the town.
The ward's boundaries were unchanged following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections.
Following the 2019 Reviews of Electoral Arrangements, an interim review of island areas as a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward's eastern boundary was extended to include Kirkwall Airport and neighbouring communities and the boundary with Kirkwall West and Orphir was amended by Kirkwall Harbour to make a more identifiable boundary.
Councillors ElectionCouncillors2007Janice AnnalSteven HeddleBobby LeslieMike Drever2012Gwenda ShearerBill Stout2017John Ross ScottDavid Dawson2022
Election results 2022 election
2017 election
2012 election
2007 election
References