THE leader of Highland Council's Conservative group is urging colleagues to back his call for the break-up of the local authority as opponents brand the move "political posturing".
Councillor Ruraidh Stewart, who campaigned on this issue in his ward of Eilean a' Cheò when elected in 2022, is seeking cross-party support for his motion calling for a review of governance.
It comes after Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes told SNP members during her leadership race in 2023, “let’s start by breaking up Highland Council” when asked what she would do for the area.
The motion, which will go before the full council at a meeting on Thursday, is seeking a review and a reconsideration of how to address different areas and their priorities.
It added the council should welcome “the repeated acknowledgement” from “senior elected members of the Scottish Government” that the council area is “geographically too large,” likely in reference to Forbes.
Stewart compared Skye and Raasay communities with those in Inverness and the difference in housing and infrastructure investment.
He said while people across Skye and Raasay are being constrained by housing shortages and infrastructure deficits, rapid growth in Inverness is leading to increasing demand on housing and transport systems.
He added that "one size doesn’t fit all, and the time for bold action is now".
Councillor John Finlayson, area chair for Skye and Raasay, told Radio Skye that while greater autonomy to areas within the Highlands was a matter that needed to be investigated, the administrative cost to revamp the system could affect investment on council services.
He added that the debate over the governance of the council should be about "improvement and discussion centred on core facts and not political posturing which is my worry at this time".
The motion states: “No amount of good intentions and efforts from this chamber and council can realistically deliver the best for such a diverse population.
“The issues we face are structural in nature and were forced upon this area nearly 30 years ago in nothing more than an experiment, with no regard for the needs of the people and communities across the Highlands.
“Under current arrangements, we can only do the best within a very flawed system.”
It is understood council leader Raymond Bremner would be requested to formalise the request to the Scottish Government and for council to make “initial steps to capture member views” alongside a “working group for the delivery of local democracy”.
