Viewpoint / Change can be a positive thing
Architect Iain Malcolmson explores how change is not a bad thing, and endorses Hannah Mary Goodlad for the upcoming election
Change is a difficult thing to embrace sometimes. There’s a part of us all that wants to preserve certain things in life in aspic so they’ll always be there. Change can be brutal. I’ve seen my fair share of that, but it can also be liberating. John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or presentare certain to miss the future.” And he was spot on.
I look at my parents, Peter and Grace, and see how they’ve had to adapt over their lifetimes. They were both born during the greatest conflict the world has ever seen, and afterwards lived through rationing. They set up home during the economic decline and depopulation of Shetland in the post-war years, lived through the Cold War, saw a man walking on the Moon, witnessed the discovery of oil off our islands and the economic prosperity, population increase and social disruption that came with it.
They raised a family to become relatively well-rounded individuals, built a house for us (I returned the compliment later on); they realised education was life-changing and through it they allowed us to spread our wings in a world different from the one they grew up in; they’ve seen the world shrink in size and have embraced it, as they have the internet and digital connectivity in their 80s. They’ve lived through all of this but, really, they didn’t have a choice. Things happen. It’s how you deal with it that counts and I am so proud of how they’ve done that.
Shetland is therefore not immune to world events that bring change, whether we like it or not. I moved back up here from the mainland in 2006 with our young family to join our architecture business as partners, just in time for the stock market crash in 2008. Nice timing! The Office for National Statistics estimates that UK productivity remains around 29% lower than it would have been had pre-2008 trends continued.
We therefore have been limping economically for nearly 20 years as a direct consequence and we’re all a bit punch drunk, I think. It affects everything we do today. That £137 billion that was used to bail out the banks is still being paid for, both in monetary terms and with the austerity measures introduced by the UK Government that we all feel. Lack of funding in the NHS and local government, wage stagnation and ultimately a surge in wealth inequality are all a direct result.
And then there was a pandemic. And now, as a result of both, a cost of living crisis.
These events have had a massive impact on our lives recently but, for some reason, we tend not to reflect on the root cause. We prefer to bury our heads in the sand a bit and pretend it didn’t happen. But it did. This is a change of circumstances that’s going to affect most of us for the rest of our lives. So how do we deal with this change in a positive way? Especially in Scotland, because, as a nation, we don’t possess the levers to be able to respond quickly to our very unique economy.
We tend to take for granted how resilient we are in Shetland. We really do have a ‘can do’ attitude, more than most. Businesses have had to rethink how they do things in the last 20 years to stay ahead of the game and those who have chosen to do this not only survive but have been able to thrive in very difficult circumstances. Our governments, both national and local, need to do the same.
As I see it, more change is coming to Shetland in the fairly near future with the decline of Sullom Voe and added pressures on our fishing industry. We’re going to have to be ready for it, be nimble on our feet, flexible and adaptable. This is going to take leadership with not just competence but with imagination, a steely determination and political clout.
And there lies the problem: politically these islands have been in the doldrums for decades. Our parliamentary representatives may have been well meaning and no doubt have worked hard for many people over the years but that is the very least we should expect, is it not? Voting for a badge cannot be good for us, in my opinion. There has to be more and I just don’t see it with the current Lib Dem candidate, who is promising more of the same.
The difference between her and Hannah Mary Goodlad is stark and I think we all know it. I’ve spoken to many people recently who’ve said she’s challenging how they would normally think about politics in these islands, and this is a good thing. Just look at what she’s managed to achieve this year and how hard she’s worked.
She’s intelligent, forward thinking, approachable and determined. She is definitely not blaet and her love for these islands is worn on her sleeve. My advice is to think about what you and your family have been able to do in your lifetimes by accepting that change can be a positive thing; it then becomes obvious that we need to have Hannah Mary Goodlad as our MSP. So please vote for her on 7th May.
