The first female Provost in the history of Inverness is set to stand down at the May elections, Helen Carmichael says the job was a 'joy' and that ‘I did as much as I could for city’
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The first female Provost of Inverness in around 600 years has described the job as a “joy” as she is set to step down from the role after seven years at the helm.
Speaking exclusively to the Courier, Councillor Helen Carmichael discussed the good and the bad times as Provost, which included weathering austerity and Brexit and latterly the pandemic as well as some hugely divisive local issues.
But the Provost says she feels like she is going out on a high – and that it is the right time to go – with investment flowing into the city and the popular sustainable Hydro Ness acting as the coda to her time in office.
She first took on the role in 2015 after the collapse of the SNP-led administration that saw the Independent group take control of Highland Council.
So how did it feel? “The first woman to be Provost in 600 years of Provosts? It felt almost like Alice in Wonderland but I wasn’t intimidated by it because I came from a business background so I didn’t find it intimidating,” she said.
“I knew it would be a challenge. I knew there’d be things that I wanted to get done in the city and I realised Inverness was growing.
“We were a minority administration so I would imagine the opposition was trying to take us down at every meeting.
“So there was always quite a lot of aggro at the city committee, it got to the stage that Highland Council officers thought it was the worst committee to come to.
“And I realised there was investment out there for the city and it was up to me as Provost and leader of the city to work with the officers as much as possible for them.”
Asked if she believes she played a role in bringing that investment in to the city, she said: “I would say the fact that Margaret Davidson was the leader of Highland Council and I was leader of the city, and everything that Highland Council does to do with the city comes through the Town House, but really working together – yes, absolutely.
“So, yes, without a doubt. And as Provost I’ve certainly striven for that. If I’ve been invited to Edinburgh by diplomats or consul generals or deputies or whatever, and though it might just be one function, they have all then come back and visited the city.
“So that in itself, is a civic function I don’t know if it happens elsewhere but it builds relationships. It builds relationships with officers of government as well because they know they can lift the phone and speak to me.”
But as Provost she has one of the least enviable jobs at council – chairwoman of the Inverness area committee, which she described as one of the most “combustible” at the council.
“I think it’s something to do with new councillors coming in,” she said. “They didn’t realise that you only made one point, it’s not a conversation, so discipline was hard to keep.
“It doesn’t look good when you’re having to say ‘I’ll stop you there’ or ‘you can’t say that’ if they’re starting to insult an officer, so it is difficult.
“I mean, it certainly was one of the more combustible committees.
“We still had a couple of councillors who, even though they knew the rules, didn’t play by them.”
Provost Carmichael was an independent councillor for Aird and Loch Ness, and served as a Highland councillor since 2004.
Now that she is leaving office, the Provost said she feels that she is going out on a high.
“Over the last 10 years, I think I could say Inverness has benefited from the investment that’s come into the city – investment for housing, investment for the West Link Road, investment for schools and investment for five new hotels in Inverness.”
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