News / Two trustees resign as reform agreed
TWO local councillors have resigned from Shetland Charitable Trust in disgust at a decision to cede democratic control from the £200 million organisation.
On Thursday trustees voted to remove the domination of Shetland Islands Council from the 35 year old organisation set up with funds from the oil industry.
Scottish charity regulator OSCR had threatened to take the trust to court this month unless they removed the council’s control, which they say creates a “systemic” conflict of interest.
Since the 1970s the trust has spent hundreds of millions of pounds on welfare, leisure, cultural and voluntary activities in the isles. It also has a 45 per cent share in the controversial proposed £700 million Viking Energy wind farm, which could reap an annual income of £23 million.
On Thursday trustees backed chairman Bill Manson’s proposal for a 15 member trust of seven councillors and eight unelected appointees, one of whom would chair the trust.
Councillor trustee Jonathan Wills tried to persuade his colleagues to maintain democratic control by allowing the public to elect the eight independent trustees directly.
He lost the vote by nine votes to six, after an attempt to allow trustees away from Shetland to vote by phone was dismissed at the beginning of the two and a half hour debate.
After two further attempts by councillor trustees Betty Fullerton and Rick Nickerson failed to retain an elected majority, Dr Wills declared his “disgust” with the decision and handed in his resignation.
“Having failed to persuade my colleagues to retain elected democratic control, I see no point in remaining on a trust where there will shortly be a majority of hand-picked, unelected trusties,” he said.
He was shortly followed by SIC convener Sandy Cluness, who had wanted a referendum for the public to decide the future of the charity.
“I think today we have destroyed something that was unique and valued by the people of Shetland and I think future generations will live to regret this decision,” he said.
However trust chairman Bill Manson said as well as meeting the demands of OSCR, the decision avoided the risk of two elected bodies in Shetland being at loggerheads.
“We have a population of 22,000 people and if we have two bodies who regard themselves as having a democratic mandate, I think it will be a difficult recipe to gel,” he said.
Mr Manson said it could be months before the new constitution is adopted as OSCR will have to run their own consultation on the proposed changes.
The trust wants to hire a consultancy firm who would “sieve” applicants for their skills and experience. The new trustees would be selected by a small panel made up of two independent and one councillor trustees, Mr Manson said.
Trustees agreed to review the new constitution before the 2016 council elections to see how well it was operating.
Quarff resident and prospective councillor Billy Fox, one of two members of the public present at Thursday’s meeting, said the trustees had “disenfranchised” the public.
“With a quorum of six you could end up with three unelected individuals taking decisions for tens of millions of pounds, given a three/three split and the independent trustee chairman having a casting vote,” he warned.
Votes for Bill Manson: Bill Manson, Rick Nickerson, Valerie Nicolson, Frank Robertson, Laura Baisley, Jim Budge, Alastair Cooper, Betty Fullerton, Jim Henry (9).
For Jonathan Wills: Jonathan Wills, Gary Robinson, Gussie Angus, Addie Doull, Florence Grains, Robert Henderson (6).
Abstained: Sandy Cluness.
Betty Fullerton proposed seven councillors, four directly elected trustees, four selected trustees:
For Betty Fullerton: Betty Fullerton, Gary Robinson, Jonathan Wills, Jim Budge, Addie Doull, Florence Grains, Robert Henderson (7).
For Bill Manson: Bill Manson, Rick Nickerson, Valerie Nicolson, Frank Robertson, Laura Baisley, Alastair Cooper, Jim Henry (7).
Abstained: Sandy Cluness, Gussie Angus (2).
Bill Manson used his casting vote to win the vote.
Rick Nickerson proposed the existing 24 trustees (22 councillors plus lord lieutenant and Anderson High School head) plus six appointees.
For Rick Nickerson: Rick Nickerson, Jonathan Wills, Gussie Angus, Addie Doull, Florence Grains, Robert Henderson (6).
For Bill Manson: Bill Manson, Valerie Nicolson, Frank Robertson, Laura Baisley, Jim Budge, Alastair Cooper, Betty Fullerton, Jim Henry (8).
Abstained: Gary Robinson, Sandy Cluness (2)
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