No confidence petition

SHETLAND independence campaigner Ali Inkster has launched a petition calling on local councillors to step down and hold a fresh local government election.

His petition of no confidence in the SIC had 32 online signatures by Thursday night, while an unknown number of people have signed in local shops.

Inkster could not be contacted on Thursday as he was working off Humberside, but in his petition he claims councillors have been “failing miserably to do what they have been elected to do”.

He says “the people of Shetland have been badly let down” in areas such as school closures, housing debt, the Total land lease agreement as well as the Our Islands Our Future initiative.

“We demand you step down so we can have an election and elect people to get the job done, and negotiate a better settlement from both governments before September 18th so the people of Shetland can make up their minds based on the facts at hand and not the vague promises of politicians.

“Our negotiating position will start at full independence with all the resources that will bring,” he writes.

Responding on Thursday night political leader Gary Robinson said he did not wish to comment, other than to say “we welcome all views and feedback from the local community”.