Features / Finding a new direction for Shetland in Faroe
FAROE is getting “a lot of things right that we continue to struggle with here in Shetland”, according to SNP parliamentary candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad.
The candidate is currently part of a local SNP delegation visiting Faroe on a fact-finding mission.
Left to right: Jan Petterson, Laurie Goodlad, Roker Tummasarson, Torshavn mayor Elsa Berg, and John Goodlad.
Speaking from Torshavn after day one of their visit, Goodlad said there were many lessons Shetland could learn from Faroe in becoming a successful island community.
“Their air links are locally controlled; their wind turbines are community owned, and they abandoned inter island ferries in favour of tunnels several generations ago. The contrast with Shetland is huge,” she said.
Faroe became a self-governing territory of Denmark following a referendum in 1946 that resulted in a narrow majority for independence.
Following negotiations with Denmark, a far-reaching autonomy deal was struck in 1948 which gave the archipelago – which has a population of 54,000 – extensive control over their own decision making.
The self-governing status has allowed Faroe to stay outside the EU resulting in the islands keeping control of their own fishing grounds.
Faroe is regularly cited as an example of what Shetland should strive for in terms of more autonomy and decision-making powers.
“I am aiming to get a better understanding of how Faroese home rule works and to see what lessons there may be for Shetland in achieving a greater degree of autonomy,” Goodlad said.
In the coming days she will meet various Faroese food, energy and telecoms companies, as well as having discussions with the Faroese Prime Minister and other government ministers.
“The thing that strikes me the most about the islands is the inner resilience, getting to “yes” and setting their ambitions high,” she told Shetland News.
“Shetland can also find a new direction for our future, one where we take greater responsibility for decisions that matter to us.
“The door to more local powers is open under an SNP government, but we must turn that handle. No one will hand Shetland the powers we need. We must demand them ourselves.”
The Scottish Parliament elections will take place in May next year. So far three candidates have declared to stand for the Shetland seat: John Erskine for Labour, Emma Macdonald for the Lib Dems and Goodlad for the SNP.
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