# Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas (ward)

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas (Scottish Gaelic for 'Barra, Vatersay, Eriskay and South Uist') was one of the nine wards of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Scottish Gaelic for 'Council of the Western Isles'). Created in 2007, the ward elected four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.
Independents have dominated elections in the Western Isles and half of the councillors elected in the area had no party affiliation. However, the Scottish National Party (SNP) also held half the seats at the 2007 and 2017 elections.

## 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 Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained all of the former Barra and Vatersay, Daliburgh and Eriskay and Loch Eynort wards as well as the southern half of the former Eochar ward. The ward centred around the islands in the south of the Outer Hebrides and included Barra, Vatersay, South Uist and Eriskay as well as a number of uninhabited surrounding islands. Proposals in the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections would have seen the ward's boundaries unchanged but reduced from a four-member ward to a three-member ward. However, these were not adopted by Scottish ministers as plans for the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 would bring forward an interim review following the 2017 elections.
The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 allowed for the creation of single- and dual-member wards to allow for better representation of island areas. As a result, the ward was abolished and replaced by the smaller Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh and Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla wards.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors |
| 2007 | | David Blaney (Independent) | Peter Carlin (Independent) | Donald Manford (SNP) | Gerry MacLeod (SNP) |
| 2012 | Donnie Steele (Independent) | David Blaney (Independent) | Ronald Joseph MacKinnon (Labour) | Donald Manford (SNP) |
| 2017 | Paul Steele (Independent) | Iain MacNeil (Independent) | Calum MacMillan (SNP/ Alba) | Donald Manford (SNP) |
| 2021 | Paul Steele (Independent) | Iain MacNeil (Independent) | Calum MacMillan (SNP/ Alba) | Donald Manford (SNP) |

## Election results
### 2017 election

Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas – 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | SNP | Donald Manford (incumbent) | 38.3 | 531 | | | | | | | |
| | SNP | Calum MacMillan | 10.0 | 138 | 278 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Iain MacNeil | 15.7 | 217 | 240 | 240 | 246 | 264 | 290 | | |
| | Independent | Paul Steele | 11.6 | 161 | 170 | 170 | 172 | 192 | 253 | 258 | 324 |
| | Independent | David Blaney (incumbent) | 8.1 | 112 | 121 | 121 | 129 | 155 | 175 | 177 | |
| | Independent | Donnie Steele (incumbent) | 7.9 | 110 | 129 | 129 | 132 | 155 | | | |
| | Independent | Ronald MacKinnon (incumbent) | 6.4 | 89 | 101 | 101 | 109 | | | | |
| | Independent | Gerry MacLeod | 2.09 | 29 | 30 | 30 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 2,506 Valid: 1,387 Spoilt: 44 Quota: 278 Turnout: 57.1% ||||||||||||
Source:

### 2012 election

2012 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election
Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | SNP | Donald Manford (incumbent) | 37.43% | 521 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Ronald Joseph MacKinnon | 15.09% | 210 | 226.3 | 228.7 | 234.7 | 242.8 | 263.8 | 292.6 | | | |
| | Independent | Donnie Steele | 9.41% | 131 | 142.6 | 144.6 | 150.6 | 155.9 | 179.4 | 200.8 | 204.1 | 222.2 | 263.6 |
| | Independent | Calum MacMillan | 8.84% | 123 | 144.4 | 147.8 | 150.3 | 152.2 | 156.2 | 165.2 | 166.5 | 192.9 | |
| | Independent | David Blaney (incumbent) | 8.48% | 118 | 135.2 | 139.2 | 142.2 | 147.7 | 157.6 | 183.8 | 185.9 | 201.3 | 247.9 |
| | Independent | Peter Carlin (incumbent) | 6.47% | 90 | 103 | 105 | 106 | 108.4 | 114.4 | | | | |
| | Independent | Calum MacAulay | 5.17% | 72 | 76.2 | 76.2 | 77.2 | 81.1 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Gerry MacLeod (incumbent) | 3.95% | 55 | 135.8 | 135.8 | 135.8 | 143.5 | 146.5 | 154.3 | 155.1 | | |
| | Independent | Allan MacLeod | 2.01% | 28 | 51.7 | 52.7 | 53.2 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Angus MacDonald | 1.94% | 27 | 27.9 | 27.9 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Eric Wallis | 1.22% | 17 | 17.9 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 2,510 Valid: 1,392 Spoilt: 30 Quota: 279 Turnout: 1,424 (55.46)% ||||||||||||||

### 2007 election

2007 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election, 2007: Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh Eirisgeigh Agus Uibhist A Deas :
| Party | Candidate | 1st Pref | % | Seat | Count |
| SNP | Donald Manford | 723 | 49.0 | 1 | 1 |
| Independent | David Blaney | 233 | 15.8 | 4 | 4 |
| Independent | Peter Carlin | 177 | 12.0 | 3 | 4 |
| Labour | Ronald Joseph MacKinnon | 162 | 11.0 | | |
| SNP | Gerry MacLeod | 125 | 8.5 | 2 | 4 |
| Independent | Angus MacDonald | 57 | 3.9 | | |