Trust is lacking
The threat to close the Scalloway swimming pool adds further weight to the argument that some trustees of Shetland Recreational Trust, Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Arts, and yes, Shetland Charitable Trust should be directly elected by the people of Shetland.
These were never meant to be the private fiefdoms they have become. There needs to be an ongoing, open and transparent discussion about what Shetlanders want from their (not the trustees) oil money.
One directly elected trustee could be added to each in the coming year, with another added two years on, and so on, each serving four year terms.
If they want to come back for another four years of public service that would be up to them, but, critically, it would also be down to the voters.
Elected trustees needn’t be in a majority. But they do need to be present, as the elections themselves would give people the chance to have their say on their priorities.
A history of mismanagement means trust is lacking. It is clear how to fix this, and change is long overdue. A liberal dose of democracy is sorely needed in feudal Shetland.
Pete Hamilton
Edinburgh
