# Argyll and Bute Council

Argyll and Bute Council (Scottish Gaelic: Comhairle Earra Ghàidheal is Bhòid) is one of the 32 local authorities of Scotland, covering the Argyll and Bute council area.
Thirty-six representative members make up the council, elected, since 2007, by single transferable vote and, before that, by the first-past-the-post system. The council has been under no overall control since 2007. In 2024 a coalition of the Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, Labour, Scottish Greens and some of the independent councillors took control of the council. It is based at Kilmory Castle at Lochgilphead. The council has been a member of the Islands Forum since 2022.

## Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2007. Following the 2017 election a coalition of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and some of the independent councillors took control of the council. The same coalition continued following the 2022 election, but was replaced in 2024 by an SNP-led coalition.
The first election to Argyll and Bute District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the change to council areas which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of Argyll and Bute since 1975 has been as follows:
Argyll and Bute District Council
| Party in control | Party in control | Years |
| | Independent | 1975–1996 |
Argyll and Bute Council
| Party in control | Party in control | Years |
| | Independent | 1996–2007 |
| | No overall control | 2007– |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Dick Walsh | Independent | 1 Apr 1996 | May 1999 |
| Alison Hay | Liberal Democrats | 13 May 1999 | 22 Mar 2001 |
| Allan Macaskill | Independent | 22 Mar 2001 | 3 May 2007 |
| Dick Walsh | Independent | 17 May 2007 | May 2012 |
| Roddy McCuish | SNP | 22 May 2012 | 14 Feb 2013 |
| James Robb | SNP | 14 Feb 2013 | 23 May 2013 |
| Roddy McCuish | Independent | 23 May 2013 | 26 Sep 2013 |
| Dick Walsh | Independent | 26 Sep 2013 | 4 May 2017 |
| Aileen Morton | Liberal Democrats | 18 May 2017 | 24 Sep 2020 |
| Robin Currie | Liberal Democrats | 24 Sep 2020 | 4 Apr 2024 |
| Jim Lynch | SNP | 4 Apr 2024 | |

### Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | SNP | 13 |
| | Conservative | 9 |
| | Independent | 8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 4 |
| | Scottish Green | 1 |
| | Labour | 1 |
| Total | Total | 36 |
Three of the independent councillors are members of the 'Administration Partnership' with the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Labour and Greens, which forms the council's administration. The Conservatives and two of the independent councillors sit together as 'The Argyll, Lomond and the Isles Group' (TALIG), which forms the main opposition group. The next election is due in 2027.

## Premises

The council is based at Kilmory Castle in Lochgilphead, which had been built as a large country house in the 1820s. It was bought in 1974 and converted to become the headquarters of the Argyll and Bute District Council.

## NeverSeconds

In June 2012, the council was criticised for banning a local primary student, Martha Payne (aged 9), from taking photographs of her school dinners for her online blog. The blog, NeverSeconds, had been praised by the celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, had attracted over two million visits, and at the time of the ban had raised nearly £2,000 for a food charity. On the day the story broke, the blog had raised over £40,000. After an initial statement from the council defending the decision, the ban was subsequently overturned by council leader, Roddy McCuish. In November 2012 a book written by David Payne, Martha's father, revealed the background to the council's attempt to censor and bully a 9-year-old girl. The book reads: "My anger and frustration at Argyll and Bute Council was not being soothed by time. Thinly veiled attacks on our parenting on national radio and an abusive phonecall stood out as examples of a public body sick to the very top. Complaints via the proper procedures and through elected councillors had brought no visible changes. Far from being contrite, they seemed to take a pride in being untouchable."

## Elections

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:
| Year | Seats | SNP | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Labour | Green | Independent / Other | Notes |
| 1995 | 33 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 21 | |
| 1999 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 20 | New ward boundaries. |
| 2003 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 22 | |
| 2007 | 36 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | New ward boundaries. |
| 2012 | 36 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| 2017 | 36 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 2022 | 36 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |

### Wards

Eleven multi-member wards were created for the 2007 election, replacing 36 single-member wards which had been in place since 1999 (adjusted up from 33 in the 1990s):
* South Kintyre (3 seats)
* Kintyre and the Islands (3 seats)
* Mid Argyll (3 seats)
* Oban South and the Isles (4 seats)
* Oban North and Lorn (4 seats)
* Cowal (3 seats)
* Dunoon (3 seats)
* Isle of Bute (3 seats)
* Lomond North (3 seats)
* Helensburgh Central (4 seats)
* Helensburgh and Lomond South (3 seats)