widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

Election / Ex-community development worker to stand in North Isles by-election

Robert Thomson.

A FORMER community development worker has put his name forward for the North Isles council by-election.

Robert Thomson is perhaps best known for being involved in community development in Fetlar for a number of years up until 2018.

He has since started a yacht charter company.

The by-election for the North Isles is taking place on 4 August after only two candidates went for the three seats in May’s main election.

Among the issues on his agenda are fixed links, housing and broadband connectivity.

Thomson, from Yell, said having spent 12 years in community development roles, he had something to offer as a councillor.

When it came to fixed links, he said he would challenge some of the costings previously provided for tunnels.

“At some point you have to bite the bullet with this,” Thomson added.

He also pointed to recent ferry staffing issues on Bluemull Sound and said there “needs to be a much more robust way” of working such as trying to get a team of crew on standby.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

He also warned that businesses in the isles which rely on tourism will face an uncertain future, following the Covid pandemic, if the ferry issues affect tourism.

Thomson also called for better science on fishing quotas, and a practical way to end discards.

He also reckons both the council and Shetland Charitable Trust could dig a bit deeper to support the worst affected by the cost of living crisis.

Similarly, he is keen to see existing council homes better insulated, and for more social housing built in more rural areas, which could help business prospects.

“What you’re left with is old council stock which is poorly insulated, expensive to run…and the folk in social housing is the folk that could least afford generally to pay big bills,” he said.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

Thomson said he is also keen on more powers for Shetland – such as in areas like planning – and called for more clarity to the community on the ‘White House’ saga which spanned the last number of years.

One other candidate has also publicly put her name forward for the by-election – Marie Williamson, who missed out in a Lerwick ward in May’s election.

Thomson throwing his hat into the ring means there will definitely be an election contest on 4 August.

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.

 
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-53widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

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.