Letters / Should Shetland be part of Norway?

Should Shetland be part of Norway? Shetland’s roots are in Norway. Our law, culture, traditions, and folklore. Shouldn’t a land sit with the nation it shares its origins and culture with?

Legally, Shetland was never given to Scotland. It was pawned in 1469 and redemption was refused. For more on this, see Norway never gave away Shetland letter in Shetland News.

The least we deserve is a referendum:

• Return to Norway
• Or continue with Scotland/UK

We’ve never had that choice.

Why Norway makes sense:

• Cultural roots: Norway is our original nation.
• Scotland later colonised us and suppressed our people, traditions, and Norse names.
• Scotland then went on to scottify Shetland, failing to protect our identity.
• Returning to Norway ends Scotland’s unlawful rule.
• Fishing: Norway controls its own waters, outside the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. Shetland’s fishermen would finally get a fair deal, unlike the unfair quotas and Brexit chaos we face now.
• Transport: Norway builds tunnels and funds ferries and air links for its islands.
• Island investment: Norway invests in its remote communities.
• Economy: Norway’s GDP per head is about twice the UK’s. Wages are higher, with far better public services.
• Future: Norway has saved €1.5 trillion from oil. Scotland and the UK spent ours.

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Country comparison (Norway vs UK):

• GDP per capita: Norway ~£74k | UK ~£36k
• Sovereign fund: Norway €1.5 trillion | UK £28 billion
• Island links: Norway actually builds new ferries. Scotland raises fares and underfunds services

How could it happen?

• International law gives Shetlanders the right to self-determination.
• If Shetlanders demand a referendum, it can happen. It did in the Faroes, Greenland, and other islands.
• Shetland was pawned, not ceded. Scotland’s rule rests on seizure, not law.
• If Shetlanders chose Norway in a referendum, it could not be ignored.

We complain about Scotland and the UK year after year. The answer is a referendum.

For a more in-depth analysis, read my previous letter “Why Shetland would be better off as part of Norway” in the Shetland News.

Jason Campbell
Lerwick