Letters / Who should we trust to get things done for us?
We elect politicians to represent our communities and deliver on our priorities.
The choice we all must make as we select our next constituency MSP to represent us in Holyrood is simple. Do we want someone who will speak in their party’s soundbites, or someone who will actually deliver for Shetland? I, for one, would like to see progress being made towards improving our daily lives.
This is the reason why I am, and have long been, a staunch Liberal Democrat supporter. Throughout the Scottish government budget process, the measures being offered to the electorate are largely a result of the deal that the Lib Dems managed to strike after much negotiating. The agreement reached with ministers means that £300 million of additional money will now be used to fund this party’s priority issues.
Because Lib Dem politicians “squeezed every penny we could” out of the Scottish government, it really shows that “we get things done” whilst serving in their respective roles at Holyrood. As such, Scotland is expected to see a 10 per cent increase in payments to colleges, as well as more money for hospices, autism services and ADHD assessments, alongside increased support for the hospitality sector.
While there are currently only five Lib Dem MSPs at Holyrood, this hasn’t stopped them from successfully achieving great progress for the people they were elected to serve. I would point to our current MSP for Shetland, Beatrice Wishart, securing funding for ferries, and Willie Rennie standing up for families and businesses impacted by flooding in Fife.
That is what they’ve done with just five MSPs, and just imagine what could be done with more! If she is fortunate enough to win the seat of Shetland in May of this year, then I don’t doubt that Emma Macdonald would be among those striving to improve our future. Her record as the leader of Shetland Islands Council since 2022 already proves that she is indeed very good at moving things forward for our communities.
In January 2023, Emma Macdonald secured funding for a new £45.4 million Fair Isle ferry and infrastructure project; she said in response that it would be vital to save the island from isolation. The project, which includes a new vessel and harbour improvements, is funded by a £26.8m UK Government grant and £18.6m from the Shetland Islands Council, with completion expected in 2026.
In addition to this, Emma has made substantial progress made with the tunnels project between the different islands in Shetland. As of early 2026, SIC is advancing plans for subsea tunnels to replace ageing ferries, with major feasibility studies and modelling work currently underway.
Consultants Stantec and COWI, along with international contractors, are developing a Fixed Link Model (using the Yell Sound route as a test case) to assess technical viability and costs, with an outline business case expected in summer 2026.
Emma Macdonald has a track record as a deal maker, delivering on the things which are important to the Shetland Islands, so just think of what else she could achieve if she becomes our next constituency MSP in May of this year.
Bertie Summers
Former MSYP for Shetland
