Monday 14 October 2024
 1.8°C   E Light Air
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Election / Campaign round-up 31 March 2021

Six candidates to contest the Shetland seat at the May elections to the Scottish Parliament


INDEPENDENT candidate Peter Tait is once again to stand for the Shetland constituency in May’s Scottish Parliament election, this time to oppose same-sex marriage.

Peter Tait.

He stood in the 2019 by-election on the issue of the monarchy returning to Scotland and gained 31 votes.

Speaking from his home in Walls he said: “At the last election I stood on an issue that I thought we should be doing as a nation, this time I am standing on an issue that I think we should not be doing as a national community – and that is gay marriage.

“It is by its very nature a more divisive issue that last time, but as a community we have never had the opportunity to oppose it.

“I think it is an issue that alienates our country before God,” he said, adding that he appreciate that attitudes have been changing over the years. “It is against the law of God as written in the bible,“ Tait said.

The final list of constituency candidates for Shetland, meanwhile, has been confirmed.

They are: Martin Kerr (Labour), Brian Nugent (Restore Scotland), Peter Tait (independent), Nick Tulloch (Conservatives), Tom Wills (SNP), Beatrice Wishart (Liberal Democrats).

Meanwhile, former new media strategist for the SNP, Kirk Torrance, has been confirmed as the Alba party’s lead candidate on the Highlands and Islands regional list.


LIBERAL Democrat candidate Beatrice Wishart has called on the next Scottish Government to “put the recovery and mental health services first” after new figures revealed 373 self-harm incidents were reported in Shetland over the last five years.

Wishart warned urgent action is needed to prevent a “mental health tidal wave” prompted by the pandemic.

“Staff work incredibly hard to support those who need it, but too often the demand stretches well beyond the resources available. This often means small problems grow and crises can result,” she said.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

Wishart, meanwhile, is holding series of virtual meetings for people in remoter islands who want to quiz the candidate.

Confirmed events starting from 7pm so far are below: 

  • Friday 9 April – Foula 
  • Saturday 10 April – Skerries
  • Monday 12 April – Fair Isle
  • Tuesday 13 April – Papa Stour
  • Wednesday 14 April – Fetlar

Anyone who wishes to attend can either email beatrice.wishart@scotlibdems.org.uk or ring 07511 670 492 for more information.


SCOTTISH Labour’s lead candidate for the Highlands and Islands region has called on BBC Scotland to decentralise jobs to the region.

It follows the corporation’s decision earlier this month to move some of its key departments and staff outside London to make the corporation more reflective of the UK as a whole.

Labour’s Rhoda Grant has written to BBC Scotland Director Steve Carson to ask for as many roles as possible from the relocation to be moved out of Glasgow and into the Highlands and Islands.

She said: “We have the opportunity to bring more jobs and employment to the region as we recover from Covid-19 and decentralising jobs and creating opportunities in the Highlands and Islands must be at the heart of our national recovery plan.”


 

SNP candidate Tom Wills welcomed the Scottish Government’s pay offer of four per cent for Scottish NHS workers.

“It is difficult to reconcile the one per cent that the Tories have offered NHS workers with the dedication and the personal risks that these workers have been exposed to while tackling the pandemic,” he said.

“If the Tories can find eye-watering sums to pay for a failing privatised Track and Trace system, non-existent Brexit ferries and weapons of mass destruction, then surely they can find more to reward the NHS. If not this year, then when?”


RESTORE Scotland’s Brian Nugent says the EU has made an “absolute mess of its Covid vaccination programme, and is now casting around looking for someone to blame in a most spiteful way”.

The candidate’s party wants Scotland out of the UK and out of the EU.

“In a crisis, you find out who can do a job and we have found out, in a life or death situation, that the EU cannot do the job,” he said.

“And yet there are political parties that want to take Scotland back into this hopeless bureaucracy.

“Simply put, these parties have not been paying attention to real world happenings.  It is time to accept that we are out of the EU, and that it should stay that way.

“Why back an organisation, the EU, that works against the needs and interests of people in Scotland by threatening vaccine export bans.”

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

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

 
Categories
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

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.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.