Election / Replacement hospital and tunnels feature in Lib Dem manifesto
COMMITTING to replacing the Gilbert Bain Hospital and “driving progress” on tunnels in Shetland features in the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ manifesto for the upcoming election.
The manifesto was released today (Friday) as the party, which has represented Shetland at the Scottish Parliament since it opened in 1999, sets out its vision for making “change with fairness at its heart”.
The specific mention of committing to replace the ageing Gilbert Bain hospital in Lerwick is included in a section about “rejuvenating” local healthcare facilities.
NHS Shetland had started early work on the concept of replacing the hospital, but this was placed on ice by the Scottish Government amid wider financial challenges.
Approval was then given for a significant amount of maintenance work which NHS Shetland said would ensure the building “remains safe and weather-tight for the next 10–15 years.”.
The Scottish Lib Dems have also committed to “driving progress” on tunnels for Shetland.
Shetland Islands Council is currently working on a project to assess the local inter-island transport network, with potential tunnels to islands such as Yell, Unst and Whalsay in the mix.
Elsewhere the party said it would “re-write” rules on community benefit from energy developments, and transfer ScotWind offshore wind rental income to the “nearby councils”.
The Lib Dems also said they would “tackle the chronic housing shortage by returning housebuilding to a level that gets 25,000 new homes built annually”, and “legislate to make schools smartphone free environments”.
There is also a pledge to offer local communities the opportunity to establish a “burgh or island council” to serve their area, established by a charter defining its functions.
The Lib Dems also say they will recognise that the “futures of the oil and gas industry and renewables are intertwined, avoiding polarising policies that will fail them both”.
The Scottish party said it also backs the Lib Dems’ “realistic plan to increase UK-wide investment in agriculture by £1 billion a year to support profitable, sustainable and nature-friendly farming across the UK, with money going to the Scottish Government to increase budgets”.
The party will be represented by Emma Macdonald in the Shetland constituency vote on 7 May.
Other parties including the SNP, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Green party have recently released manifestos.
The full list of confirmed Shetland candidates for the election on 7 May, in alphabetical order, is as follows: Alex Armitage (Greens), Douglas Barnett (Conservatives), Vic Currie (Reform UK), John Erskine (Labour), Hannah Mary Goodlad (SNP), Emma Macdonald (Liberal Democrats), Brian Nugent (Alliance to Liberate Scotland), Peter Tait (independent).
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