News / Island councils hold ‘high level’ talks in London
COUNCIL leaders from Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles are in London for three days of high level talks with the UK Government as part of their joint Our Islands, Our Future campaign.
The talks began on Monday morning with a meeting with Scottish secretary of state and Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael.
Later in 2014 the UK Government and the three island authorities hope to sign a concordat incorporating the govenrment’s response to the issues raised in the campaign.
Our Islands Our Future is seeking further devolution of power to enable more decisions to be made at a local level irrespective of the outcome of September’s referendum on Scottish independence. The three councils have also met regularly with ministers at Holyrood.
Among the key areas under discussion this week are energy, better representation in Europe, the powers of the Crown Estate and “island proofing” (consideration of the special requirements of island communities when government policy is developed).
Meetings are also to take place with chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, energy and climate change minister Ed Davey, Scotland’s advocate general Lord Wallace of Tankerness QC and Europe minister David Lidington, as well as other senior politicians and government officials.
Shetland is being represented by SIC political leader Gary Robinson and council chief executive Mark Boden.
Speaking on behalf of the three local authorities, Orkney Islands Council convener Steven Heddle said the visit to Westminster followed “two days of highly productive talks” in October.
“Our Islands, Our Future has made considerable progress since then,” he said, “so this is an excellent opportunity to discuss areas at the heart of the campaign in detail ahead of the publication of the concordat this summer.”
Two weeks ago the island politicians took part in the fifth meeting of a working group with the Scottish Government in Stornoway. A prospectus for the islands is to be published in the summer.
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