Politics / Majority in favour of more powers but debate needed on how to achieve this
Shetland News received over 360 responses to autonomy survey
A CLEAR majority of islanders appear in favour of additional powers for Shetland and the local authority, although it is unclear to what extent that should happen.
Almost two thirds of people (65 per cent) who responded to a recent survey by Shetland News said they were in favour of more powers being handed to the isles.
However, around 23 percent were either completely against the notion, or said they were not sure it would be a good idea (11.7 per cent), mainly because of the current council leadership.
A total of 361 responses were received between the end of August and last Friday (12 September), with just over 83 per cent respondents describing themselves as local residents.
While not claiming to meet scientific standards, the responses received to a number of further questions about reasoning, process and timescale give, perhaps, a first insight into the community’s political aspirations.
There is wide agreement that governments in either Edinburgh or London are not well placed to make meaningful decisions for island communities, and that therefore decision making should be kept as close to local people as possible.
One of the recurring reasons for dissatisfaction with the current political set-up is the speed and extent of renewable energy projects onshore and offshore.
Comments such as “we have vast resources but only receive a pittance from their exploitation” and the SIC “seems powerless to act in the best interest of Shetland against large multinational companies such as SSE and Statkraft” are just two examples.
There is also considerable resistance to hand more powers to the SIC, as this could “only increase the risk of further mismanagement” because “councillors are not able or qualified to handle more powers”.
In fairness, the SIC leadership has always maintained that additional powers would need to come with the appropriate funding.
Among the responses received there were also several voices who warned of the danger of fragmenting the UK and urging the need to remain united in an increasingly volatile world. ‘Shexit’ would leave Shetland vulnerable, they said.
Shetland News launched the survey after first minister John Swinney claimed during a visit to the isles last month that he was a “believer in decentralisation” and that his government was open to passing on more powers to Shetland.
Swinney’s statements came almost exactly five years after the previous council voted overwhelmingly to explore options to achieving “financial and political self-determination”.
Very little action followed from that vote other than initial letters to the UK and the Scottish governments, as well as a well-attended online debate hosted by broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, back in December 2020.
At the time, a wide range of speakers argued that it was “normal” for island communities to have a degree of “self-governing”, and that communities in control of their own affairs were usually more confident and successful.
Shetland, they said back in 2020, could be considered the odd one out for not having such powers.
While two-thirds of those who responded to our survey were keen to see that changed, it is in no way clear how that could be achieved, in what time frame and what exactly the direction of travel might be.
Faroese-style autonomy, Crown dependencies such as Jersey or the Isle of Man, becoming an autonomous region of Norway, or considering a “Switzerland model of delegating authority for decision-making and management to the lowest level” have all been suggested.
There are also different views on whether more autonomy could be achieved in an independent Scotland or within the UK context.
Several islanders suggested the need for the wider community to take an interest in the topic, for open and comprehensive discussions through a citizen assembly or convention, followed by a local referendum.
Here is a selection of responses we received:
- “Shetland is really up against it at this present time. We are being shafted by the energy sector while our landscape is being ruined. Our fishing industry is in slow but steady decline, transport links are terrible, comms such as phone signals are terrible and the population is in decline.”
- “The Islands Act 2018 provides a mechanism for some powers to be devolved from Holyrood to Shetland, but none have yet been requested. That could be a first step on a journey towards much greater autonomy.”
- “The SIC has proven over successive councils that it is far too slow, far too timid, and far too divided to make any serious progress with autonomy for the isles. The community – I’m thinking a civic convention – should be the forum for agreeing a process among ourselves, and then with government.”
- “The first step is to win over our community. Autonomy only works if Shetlanders themselves understand it’s worth striving for.”
- “I think we absolutely could have more powers, but we would have to be very particular in how this was carried out. I would like to see more residents engage in local democracy by participating more in communities by being part of local groups, community councils, community events etc and engaging with local developments and then feeling more informed and able to have views on how Shetland should be run by the people living here.”
- “The local population would need to ratify its ultimate preference by local referendum.”
Shetland News would like to thank everybody who took the time to share their views with us. We will make an anonymised document of responses available on our website over coming days.
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