Sandy honoured for services to community

Shetland Islands Council convener Alexander (Sandy) Cluness has been made an OBE in this year’s Queen’s birthday honour list.

Mr Cluness, who turns 70 next year, is being recognised for almost 40 years of services to the community.

Speaking on Friday afternoon, Mr Cluness said he was delighted to hear that his name had been put forward.

“I am very pleased to hear that. It is good news and comes somewhat unexpected. I have been in public service for a long time, so I suppose it is a reward for all these years,” he said.

He and his wife Elisabeth have just returned home from a holiday to the south of England where he saw off the yachts participating in the Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Yacht Race, last weekend, and also visited his son Alex, wife Leona and their new born child Eva.

Mr Cluness was first elected to local government when he became the councillor for North Yell on the old Zetland County Council, in May 1973.

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One year later, he had to stand down from local politics as he had been appointed procurator fiscal for Lerwick, at a time that saw big changes to life in Shetland as the construction of the Sullom Voe Terminal was under way.

He returned to local government in 1978 as the councillor for Lerwick Twageos, when he was made the chairman of development and leisure and recreation committee which, among other projects, oversaw the building of the isles’ first leisure centres.

Mr Cluness won the same seat again in 1982 but, standing as a candidate for the Shetland Movement, lost against Labour’s James Paton in 1986.

A few years later he was appointed children’s reporter for Shetland, a post he held until his return to local politics in 1999.

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That year he returned as a councillor when he was elected as a LibDem to represent Lerwick North Central. Four years later he was returned unopposed and was also elected council convener.

In 2007 he was elected as one of three councillors for the new Lerwick North ward and re-confirmed as convener for a further five years.

Earlier this year, Mr Cluness announced his intention to retire from local politics at the next local government elections in May 2012.

Mr Cluness has also been the secretary and the chairman of the Shetland Council of Social Service, today better known as Voluntary Action Shetland.

Presently he chairs the Hamefarin 2010 committee as well as the organisation that prepares for the Tall Ships Races visit to Lerwick in July next year.