FERGUS EWING: Highlands deserve FOUR seats in Holyrood parliament

Last week in Holyrood proposals were published for consultation on the boundaries of the constituencies in the next Holyrood election due in 2026.

Of the total 73 parliamentary seats, only three are in the Highlands: Caithness and Sutherland; Skye Lochaber and Badenoch; and Inverness and Nairn.

The boundaries are reviewed regularly to prevent the gap between the number of voters in each mainland seat varying too far from the “average” known as the quota, which is to be 59,902. There are special provisions that the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland each have their own constituency – which is fair enough.

That said, there is now in my view a gross imbalance whereby the central belt cities are considerably over-represented. That can and should fairly be addressed by creating a new fourth seat in the Highlands. That would further increase the Highland voice in Holyrood.

Such gigantic constituencies make it hard for any one person to cover such enormous areas with so many different communities. The urban central belt voice, whilst dominant, would be better balanced.

Inverness and Nairn will have the largest number of voters of all 73 constituencies in Scotland, at 69,113. But Caithness will have 56,532 and Skye 63,573. In comparison the average in the eight seats in Glasgow is 61,201.

But when we look at the comparative geographical size of constituencies one sees just how glaring is the unfairness of these proposals. MSP Kate Forbes’ constituency would have an area of 12,368sq km, from the Cuillins to Glencoe and to the Cairngorms! Her seat is a staggering 515 times larger than the average size of a Glasgow seat. That is ludicrous. My contention is that in the Highland Council area there should be four, not three, constituencies. Even then, our four seats would still be massively larger than any urban ones. For example, my constituency of Inverness and Nairn, the smallest of the Highland three, will still be seven times the size of the whole of the eight Glasgow seats.

One of the rules governing the process of setting the new boundaries is that the commission can take into account “special geographical considerations”. So the Commission can make this change.

If you wish to express your view please do so by the deadline of June 17 at consult.boundaries.scot. If 100 or more voters in any constituency make representations there should be a local inquiry.

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