Letters / No say over anything
A recent article in the media entitled Shetland’s Future highlighted the pros and cons of Shetland’s current/future situation. However is Shetland taking proper advantage of powers granted to it in the ZCC Act 1974, and the Scotland Islands 2018 Act?
A year ago councillors reminded themselves that on 03/09/2020 the SIC passed a resolution – “to explore ways to achieve – financial and political self-determination” – which remains SIC policy to date. Has any progress been made?
Arguably Shetland under its present political/economic arrangements has de facto no say over anything, as all relevant (and not relevant) power resides South.
Do the £billions recently announced to increase the defence budget (by taking funds/taxes from elsewhere) mean that Shetland will still have to wait at the end of the lengthening queue for the much more minor sums needed to fund its crumbling infrastructure.
Surely Shetland deserves better than to miss out from the £trillions accrued to the UK Treasury from oil and gas extracted from Shetland’s areas plus the windfalls the SNP have squirreled away into Scotland’s coffers, by granting offshore wind licences.
Shetland shouldn’t need money per se to fund its requirements as credit direct from the Bank of England free from the UK and Scottish budgets’ political constraints should suffice.
It was disappointing that the last time the SIC and officials travelled to London they omitted, or conveniently forgot to arrange to visit/meet the BoE and or Treasury officials to discuss Shetland’s financial arrangements, and consider budgets/financing removed from the UK and or the Scottish balance sheets, a novel approach including Perpetual Bonds but perhaps not fully understood by the likes of Reeves or Forbes.
Summary: For the Future – Shetland has to look after itself as little can be expected from Holyrood (or even Westminster).
The electorate might consider voting for candidates (fishermen?) associated with the fishing industry at the next local elections to promote Shetland’s financial requirements afloat and ashore including ferries, tunnels, transport and infrastructure more forcibly than hitherto.
Cecil Robertson
Inverness
