Christine Gillies

Independent Candidate – Eilean a’ Cheò by-election 19 June 2025

Tag: local-government

  • Blaidhna Mhath Ùr – Happy New Year folks!

    Let’s start with last year not at all being what I expected. I have now had 6 months as a Highland Councillor and I am still delighted. Thanks again to all who voted for me. Your support was such a boost. As part of the campaign, I wrote some blogs and really enjoyed it. It helped me to clarify what I was working towards. The plan is to write a few more. This time to focus on what I am doing.

    The blogs will cover what grabs my attention (and keeps it). There will inevitably be topics linked to The Highland Council (THC) but also crofting, collies, sheep, island life,  community development, land, ducks, kayaking and much more. If there’s a topic you would like me to explore, please get in touch!

    One topic that will come up is not overly subtle – I am neurodivergent. The ADHD has been confirmed – what an adventure that was! There is also strongly suspected autism, but we will save that for another blog. For me, confirming the ADHD has been like getting the right Haynes manual . It is a game changer. Knowing that every day starts fresh for me, means that creating a routine is day one every single day. As much as I would love to be someone that blogs regularly, I know that these blogs will not magically happen every week or month. But they will be shared when I can.

    That said, I will add a caveat. One of the best pieces of advice I have had since I started as a Councillor is that I have a new hat to add to the collection. This hat gives me inside information on what is happening with THC that it is not always appropriate to share. It is the same with being the director of a company/community organisation. There are rules and a code of conduct. This has a lot to do with why people have already said “you’ve changed”. My intentions are the same, but I cannot be. What I say can have an impact that was never previously a consideration. I will get things wrong; I have no doubt. I went white water kayaking with a friend last summer, and she reminded me that swims mean I am trying. I do not know everything. I will admit to mistakes and I learn. And what a lot I learned last year!

    One of the main things I have been learning about is planning. It is highly unlikely that I will be writing anything about planning. The best I can do is mention Planning Aid Scotland. They have resources, advice, information on projects, and much more. Why say this? I am on the North Planning Applications Committee. I am so thankful I like reading. One meeting had over 650 pages and that was just the agenda and reports. Then there’s the documentation, comments, and so much else. What it is allowing me to do is look at the Highlands from a completely new perspective.

    One of my personal aims this year is to complete a bit more of my MSc in Material Culture and Highland History. The new perspective will influence my writing. I cannot wait to get stuck in, finishing the papers, share it, and have the follow up conversations I know that will be sparked. As my friends will confirm, I can talk about some of my pet topics for ever. I love a good discussion.

    There is my one niggle. Discussion is a positive. Yes, I have been elected to bridge the gap between residents/communities and the local authority. It is an honour, privilege and significant responsibility. It also means that I am more visible as an individual than ever before. I am easily accessible – via email, mobile, in the shop, walking down the road. I am a local councillor living in the area I represent. I am a councillor, not a counsellor. I am not there to be ranted at. I am not a therapist. I am not there to be intimidated, harassed, or abused. I am still a person.

    There is a world of difference between should and reality. At this time of year, a lot of people will be putting pressure on themselves with the idea of should. They should be eating healthier. They should be fitter. They should go kayaking more often. They should be so many things. But where are they right now? This is the difference between should and reality – it’s the idea and the trying. The idea is the easy bit. The trying is finding ways that could make it happen. The capacity, the variations, the options, the resources, the support.

    The Haynes manual is there to help me find the way to try. A tractor is not built for an F1 race. A sports car isn’t going to better than an ATV on the hill. This time of year, I am thinking about what is good for me. What are the ideas that would work with some effort? I could try something and see how it fits with everything else around me. Last year did not go as I thought it would. I did not have standing for the Council in my plan but the opportunity arose so I decided I could try. That try took a lot of effort. It took a lot of time. That try has been one of the best decisions I have made. So, what will I try and do this year? Lets start simple with the next blog.

  • Why stand as an Independent Candidate

    Why stand as an Independent Candidate

    How did I get here?

    Standing as an independent candidate is thankfully nothing new here in the Eilean a’  Cheò Ward for The Highland Council. Following Calum Munro’s announcement at the start of the year that he was to stand down, I spoke to a few people, including Calum himself and John Finlayson, both Independent Councillors about what was involved. I considered the responsibility and how the workload would tie into what I am already doing. At no point did I think about joining a political party.

    What those conversations did confirm is that being a councillor is similar to the work of being a development officer, but on a different scale and slightly different way. I have worked in community development in variety of roles since 2012. The roles I have loved most have involved working with people to get their voices heard. This is a logical next step in my commitment to prioritising the needs and voices of the people.

    In high school, one of my favourite teachers was explained party politics to us in class. His explanation used buses. We are all trying to get somewhere specific, but the buses only follow a specific route. Party politics works in the same way. The political party is following their own policies and ideologies. So when you are voting it is for the one that gets you the closest to where you are wanting to be. Independent Councillors are like the small, flexible bus company that responds to the real needs of its local customers, rather than the pull to of honeypot destinations.

    I actually had someone ask me on my very first day canvasing if I was truly an Independent Candidate. I’ve never been a member of any party. Growing up around predominantly Labour voters has influenced me, but the modern parties are unrecognisable to their previous policies.

    Being an Independent Candidate means that you do not have the resources of a party machine, however it has opened my eyes to who is around me – from organising the leaflets, finding out how to book a door drop, social media accounts, the website, information packs, the nomination form – throughout all of it, I have been grateful and inspired by the amazing people who have stepped up and support me. I do not know everything, but I do know where to find the people that do. It takes a village to grow and Independent Candidate’s campaign.

    Far too often, a party agenda drowns out the voices of the people. I hear it so often that people feel ignored and overlooked. As an independent councillor, I can promise to put people front and centre.

    Anyone that’s met me knows that I love a blether. I talk through problems and opportunities with my friends. It is how I make sense of things. What makes the difference, what promotes change, is when we look at why there is an issue, what could be done collectively to fix it, and how to prevent it happening again. I am not looking for blame – I am looking for practical solutions.

    We saw during Covid the way communities were able to bypass the usual red-tape and create workable solutions to problems that arose. I am able to work between party politics in the same way. Often the answers have already been suggested. We need to listen and work together.

    My background in engagement has led me to be involved in making sure everyone in an area has their voice heard. My focus will be to make sure that the ways constituents can influence what is happening are as simple as possible. Community Councils need supported, information needs to be easily found.

    The election process has been entirely new to me. The staff of The Highland Council, the Councillors, and everyone else who is helping me find my feet, have been an invaluable network of support.

    I recognise that not everyone has a readily contactable network of support when faced with a problem. I have always been contactable when I’ve worked in a community support role, and as a Councillor I will be no different. We need to trust that those representing us are authentic, genuine, and will support us. I am doing this independently of a party because I believe that if I can rely on the people of Skye and Raasay to get me into The Highland Council, they can rely on me when I am there.

    Being an independent candidate is not just a personal choice; it is call for people to work together. Standing as an Independent Candidate is not a lack of conviction; it is the courage, conviction, and ongoing dedication to work for the people. This will be a challenge, but I have never been one to shy away. Together, we can prove it is a powerful force for meaningful progress.