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Council by-election · Thursday, 1 October 2026

Highland: Wick and East Caithness ward

5 candidates. Same page for each, in ballot-paper order.

5candidates for one seat
0sourced positions
0with something published
0named sources
1. Dave Buchanan
Independent2. Julie Calder
Liberal Democrats3. Charlotte Gibson
Conservative and Unionist PartyJG4. John Glen
Scottish National Party (SNP)5. Iain Richmond
Reform UK

See the 5 candidatesIn a hurry? Two-minute guide →

Describe a household. Yours, a friend's, a neighbour's. Then each candidate's page shows what applies.

0 of 7 chosen
Age
Adults in the household
Children or dependants
Housing
Household income before tax, per year
Work
Studying
Optional: a few more things some policies refer to. Leave blank and nothing is assumed.
Anyone in the household is disabled or has a long-term health condition
Anyone in the household is an unpaid carer
Anyone in the household is on a UK visa, or seeking asylum
The household receives any means-tested benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, etc.)
The household owns or regularly drives a car
Anyone in the household has served in the armed forces
Bands only. Nothing is sent to us.
Which topics do you want to see first? Optional.Choose

Changes only the order of topic sections on this page. It never changes what is shown, who is shown, or any figure.

In this ward 5 candidates from 5 parties or independent slots are standing. Parties do not stand everywhere; here is how to find out whether yours stands nearby.

This is a council seat. A councillor's win changes what the council decides: council tax, housing repairs and allocations, planning, social care, schools admissions, parking, bins, libraries. It does not change national tax, benefits or NHS policy, so this page shows only positions published for this council election, and no national party pledges are implied.

Sourced positions found for 0 of 5 candidates

No sourced positions have been published for this ballot yet, so every candidate shows the same empty slots. Every claim that appears carries its source, date and exact quotation; see the public ledger.

Compare candidates side by side

You're voting for

Your local councillor

Councillors sit on the council that runs services where you live. They set the council's budget and council tax, and decide local planning applications. Here, for Highland: Wick and East Caithness ward.

What this office decides

  • Planning. Whether new homes, extensions and developments get permission.
  • Waste and streets. Bins, recycling, street cleaning, fly-tipping.
  • Council tax. The level you pay, within limits set nationally.
  • Social care. In county and unitary councils, care for older and disabled people.
  • Parks and libraries. Opening, funding, closing.
  • Council housing. Repairs, allocations and, in many areas, homelessness.

What it does not

  • NHS policy and waiting times. Parliament and the NHS.
  • Income tax and benefits. Parliament.
  • Immigration. Parliament.
  • Policing policy. The Home Office and your Police and Crime Commissioner or mayor.
  • Schools' curriculum. Government and, for academies, their trusts.

Candidates often campaign on things their office cannot change. That is not dishonest in itself — an MP can press a council, a councillor can lobby government — but it is worth knowing which is which. Summarised from the Local Government Association and UK Parliament descriptions of each role.

How this vote is counted: single transferable vote. You rank candidates 1, 2, 3… as far as you like.Worked example

Each ballot starts with its first choice. To win, a candidate needs a quota: votes ÷ (seats + 1), plus one. If nobody reaches the quota, the candidate with fewest votes is excluded and their ballots move to each voter's next choice. If someone passes the quota, their surplus moves on in the same way. It continues until the seats are filled.

Example: 1,000 votes, one seat, quota 501. Round one: A 400, B 350, C 250. Nobody has 501, so C is excluded; C's ballots go to their second choices, say 150 to B and 100 to A. B now has 500, A 500, and the count continues on remaining preferences. A second choice is never wasted and never harms your first.

The ballot paper

Showing 5 of 5 candidates. Everyone on the ballot, in ballot-paper order.

Numbered as on the ballot paper. Open a candidate to see their positions on the nine topics, with sources. Until a household is described, only positions that apply to everyone are counted.

1Dave Buchanan

Independent

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2Julie Calder

Liberal Democrats

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3Charlotte Gibson

Conservative and Unionist Party

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4John Glen

Scottish National Party (SNP)

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5Iain Richmond

Reform UK

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Photos: shown where one exists on Democracy Club (4 of 5 here); initials otherwise. A missing photo says nothing about the candidate. · How much sourced material we found per party · Why isn't my party standing here?

Highland: Wick and East Caithness ward in numbers

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Go deeper: independent sources

None of these is affiliated with a party. Where a source campaigns for a position, the label says so. Links open the original site.

Cross-cutting: polling, fact-checking, parliamentary research