Letters / Here’s your chance!
Update on Open Letter to YES Shetland and Jean Urquhart MSP (SN, 8 June 13):
Scott Miller, spokesman for “YES Shetland” has joined Jean Urquhart MSP by indicating full support for the campaign for SIC to be reimbursed for the £40M it borrowed at Westminster’s request to speed the 1970s oil boom. Both Scott and Jean urge others to sign the Shetland Times petition.
Iain Morrison and Danus Skene, prominent local SNP politicians who stood as candidates in last year’s SIC elections, have not, to my knowledge, yet commented on the SIC and Shetland Times’ campaign for the £40M oil boom housing debt to be repaid by government as promised.
Nor has there been a statement from the Shetland SNP Branch.
They seem to have gone to ground since the Scottish government intercepted the SIC’s housing support grant money from Westminster giving rise to the idea that they may have been instructed to remain silent.
Iain Morrison’s 2012 SIC election address stated:
“I want to work to foster and improve relations between Shetland Islands Council and the Scottish Government in order to secure the very best deal for Shetland”
Danus Skene’s stated:
“I want to work for better relations between Shetland and the Scottish Government to secure the best deal for Shetland.”
Well boys, here’s your chance!
The sooner the issue of the misappropriated housing support grant is out of the way the sooner the relationship between SIC and the Scottish government can begin to improve, and we can start to discuss the increased local autonomy that you both claim to support.
As 2012 SIC election candidates then, Iain Morrison and Danus Skene, do you support the Shetland Times petition calling for SIC to be reimbursed for the housing debt they incurred at Westminster’s request to speed the development of North Sea oil and have you signed it yourselves?
If you fail to answer this simple question readers may safely assume that, either, you do not support the campaign or you have been ordered to observe “vows of silence” by Alex “Pythagoras” Salmond.
John Tulloch
Lyndon
Arrochar
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