More substance, please!

In the coming weeks we will be hearing from council candidates from all over Shetland. John Fraser (‘Hold the health board to account‘, SN 15/3/17), like many, will be out there to save our future.

He wants to hold the health Board to account over it’s travel policy and of course he has other topical subjects on which he is giving us the benefit of his wisdom.

We will hear that schools will be saved, services maintained etc, all of the usual popular issues will come forward.

Of course, these are important matters and are at the forefront of most people’s thinking. However, rather than hear this repetitive dialogue I would like to invite candidates for the council to use the pages of the Shetland News to explain how they will resolve these issues when the common denominator is money and, more precisely, the lack of it.

One of John’s comments relate to the NHS Shetland travel policy being changed. A very emotive subject for all of us but can John explain exactly how he would address the need to save money?

NHS Shetland needs to reduce spending as rising costs outstrip funding. Which part of the NHS budget would John cut to balance the books?

Whilst it is not a councillor’s job to suggest ways to save the NHS money they must have some proposals otherwise their comments like “holding the health board to account” then become just background noise.

Julie Buchan is going to “maintain our great schools”. These are fine words which many of us support but, again, where will the money come from?

Which part of the council’s finances would Julie propose cutting in order to maintain our schools?

Sometimes voters get tired of words unless they have some substance. So it would be good to hear from all of the candidates as to which bit of council spending they are going to cut in order to meet their objectives.

Any takers?

Alan Macdonald
Fairview
North Roe