Tinkler seeking election again

OUTSPOKEN dentist Ian Tinkler has become the second person to throw their hat into the ring for next spring’s elections to Shetland Islands Council.

Tinkler, who is never shy of sharing his views – at times quite aggressively – in the local press and on social media platforms, stood for the Shetland West ward in 2012 when he finished fifth with six per cent of the vote.

In a statement announcing his 2017 candidacy for the same constituency, Tinkler said he wanted to “make a solid stand for basic honesty and absolute integrity”.

He used the statement to attack the “openly dishonest” Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael, the SNP for its “wholly dishonoured” pledges on ferry fares and SIC leader Gary Robinson for having “dishonoured his former pledges to the electorate”.

Tinkler said that “on a much more positive note” he would “fight tooth and nail to preserve and strengthen our rural schools” and “utterly oppose centralisation of Shetland amenities to Lerwick”, fight the “desecration of our landscape” by the Viking Energy windfarm and the “damage to our seascape” from the Scottish Government’s “blue seas green energy” policy.

He said he was standing as an independent but would “wholly endorse” local autonomy campaigners Wir Shetland.

“We have some brilliant and honest councillors in our Shetland council,” Tinkler wrote. “Sadly they are being hobbled by three tiers of government – Brussels, Westminster and Holyrood.”

At the weekend Tagon Stores owner Ryan Thomson became the first person to declare their candidature for May’s council elections. He intends to stand in the North Isles ward.