Friday 29 March 2024
 7°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Politics / Councillor quits Wir Shetland in wake of Tavish endorsement

SIC councillor Amanda Westlake has left Wir Shetland over its chairman's "aggressive" behaviour when she questioned how the autonomy grouo's decision to endorse Tavish Scott had been reached.

COUNCILLOR Amanda Westlake has withdrawn her support for island autonomy group Wir Shetland after being treated in an “aggressive” manner by its chairman for asking how it came to back Tavish Scott in the upcoming Holyrood election.

The Lerwick South representative resigned from the organisation on Monday with immediate effect after questioning chairman John Tulloch about its recent decision to support Scott in 5 May’s Scottish election without apparently polling its members.

Westlake said she did not get an answer about how the party came to support the Liberal Democrat and instead received messages penned in an “aggressive tone” from Tulloch, a Shetlander who lives in Argyll, about unrelated matters.

She was one of three councillors – alongside Andrea Manson and Robert Henderson – who backed Wir Shetland when it was formed last year with the aim of securing self-governing powers for the isles.

The group also boycotted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s visit to Shetland this week in protest at the SNP’s “unfair” treatment of the isles.

The councillor’s conversation with Tulloch took place on an online forum that could be viewed by Wir Shetland members, with Westlake claiming other people have since resigned from the group.

“I posted a question to John Tulloch asking if I had missed a poll asking their members for their views on representing Tavish,” she said.

“I was led to believe when I joined Wir Shetland that it was a multi-party organisation for bettering the autonomy of Shetland.

“Was it the chair that made the executive decision for all of the members to back Tavish Scott, and quite deliberately slate the SNP party?”

Tulloch announced Wir Shetland’s support for Scott last month after the group decided it was not in a position to field its own candidate.

He said the subject of endorsing the Lib Dem had been discussed on the Wir Shetland members page previously and “not all members were happy with it”.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

Westlake, who said her grievances weren’t a “political issue”, added that Tulloch became “negative” towards her and started to question her involvement in SIC policy.

“For members not be consulted properly on issues, to be refused to be told why things were being done and to be treated in a negative and what I personally felt was an aggressive manner – it is not an organisation I want to be part of,” she concluded.

Asked why Wir Shetland’s membership was not polled about the decision to endorse Scott’s candidacy, Tulloch replied: “The answer is simple – it’s a decision for the committee. The committee decides policy – it’s in the constitution.”

He said the total number of members who had quit in sympathy with Westlake was just two out of more than 400, and denied having been “aggressive and negative” towards the councillor.

“I would challenge that,” Tulloch told Shetland News. “I had a question to ask her, which she refused to answer, and I pressed her on that, regarding school campaigns. I think she’s involved in some sort of thing to encourage school closures, let’s say. Which would be totally foreign to Wir Shetland.”

He felt the manner in which Westlake responded was a “huge overreaction”.

“She’s a seasoned politician,” Tulloch continued. “I imagine she has people talking straight to her every day, asking her challenging questions, and I can’t believe that a seasoned politician is quitting over what was said.

“I wouldn’t like to see her with Andrew Neil on the television if she thought I was aggressive.”

14:20 7 April 2016

Shetland News is now publishing a transcript of the online conversation between John Tulloch and Amanda Westlake after the Wir Shetland chairman got in touch with us saying he had answered councillor Westlake’s question about the support for Tavish Scott twice.

The transcript has been slightly shortened, and two comments from other Wir Shetland members have been removed as the exchange had originally been a private one.

 

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.