Shetland referendum

The Scottish government has denied the islands’ petition asking for a referendum after the September one.

I have previously expressed the view that I thought it pointless asking Holyrood for something, which is not in their gift, but they have now demonstrated their lack of commitment to democracy for all to see.

The legitimacy of a referendum is not in who organises it, but in who votes in it. We do not need permission from any ‘official’, or corporate body.

The nature of democracy is that we tell the government what to do, not the other way round. Politicians have conveniently forgotten this and think it is their place to rule us.

If everybody in Shetland makes his or her wishes known on any matter, how can we be ignored? It is inconvenient for government to have to listen to their people, but it’s about time they did – and this is one way to do it.

It has often been said that our current councillors could not be trusted with any more power than they already have.

But would we be better ruled by incompetent politicians from outside, whose only interest is in what they can get from Shetland, or by our own home-grown breed who we at least have a chance of keeping under control and who actually live here?

Time to realise that Shetland holds the trump cards in the Scottish referendum debate.

We are the prize that everybody wants. We don’t have to wait to be told what to do, we can decide for ourselves.

Now the only show in town is the Shetland referendum at www.yesshetland.org 

So, yes or no – use your power to tell the politicians what you want.

Stuart Hill
Cunningburgh