MP out of touch

In answer to the article SNP branch is upbeat (SN, 07/02/15) where the electioneering leaflet Mr Carmichael recently sent round Shetland and Orkney, was brought up in regards to Mr Carmichael’s assertion that he is responsible for saving the coastguard and tugs as well as getting Shetland a 5p deduction in petrol costs:

1) Ironically, was it not Mr Carmichael’s own coalition government that was responsible for placing the coastguard and tug under threat in the first place?

I personally think when Alistair implies that only the LibDems are responsible for saving the coastguard and tugs he’s forgotten all the hard protesting work these services and the public did and the well-known technical issue of an unstable BT connection that is probably the real reason they’ve survived for now.

2) As for petrol prices; according to PetrolPrices.com on 15/2/15, the price per litre in Aberdeen is £103.70, in Orkney and Stornoway (Gulf) it’s £109.90 but in Shetland it’s £113.90 (Leask’s – Gulf), £112.90 (Sound) and £109.90 (Sutherland’s Garage).

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How is the public meant to know if the 5p reduction in duty for rural places is actually being passed on fully to the public by every garage?

3) Finally, what really struck me about this leaflet was the fact that Mr Carmichael, after 13 years of being our MP, is only now asking us to tell him what we’re thinking.

Why does he not know this information already?

The overall impression the leaflet gave me was of an out of touch and aloof MP worried that his seat might not be quite as safe as it normally is, and being forced to do the research he should have done years ago.

It’s obvious that, having a stronger opposition party up here is already encouraging him to put a bit more effort in.

Neil Sutherland
2 Guddataing
Burra