SNP accuse council

The SNP group say the statistics “really underline that this council administration's policies are working against the islands.”

A spokesman for the group said: “The convenor, leader and councillors who make up this administration have put the islands in a very precarious position.”

He added: “Their rejection of the Western Isles SNP group proposals on flexible working, fully publicly owned energy company, maintaining inter island air services and the retention of rural education has surely contributed to this potential disaster.

“It is ironic that the administration is, after four years in power, now calling for a plan to address these issues but is it time to change the decision-makers.

“We look forward to seeing this plan presented to the electorate before May's elections.”

Unless there is a “radical change” islands face a projected a gloomy future, said the SNP councillors.

Council leader, Angus Campbell hit back: “This is an issue that has been facing the islands for years and we are working together as a partnership to find ways of addressing depopulation and the demographic imbalance in the Islands”

Mr Campbell, who is also the chair of the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership, added: “It does no-one any favours, least of all the young people that we need to retain in the Islands, to use this most pressing issue to score personal political points just because an election looms.”

► Call for "radical action" over population crisis

SNP accuse council over population decline

23 November 2016

The SNP group of councillors has accused the council of encouraging depopulation.

They said the comhairle’s actions compounded the growing exodus of young people leaving for the mainland.

Not enough 20-somethings are living in the Hebrides and raising families, a recent seminar of the topic heard.

The population is projected to fall by nearly 14% over the next two decades. The figure of 27,250 in 2014 is set to decline to 23,515 by 2039.