News / Looking back on the week – a defining moment in the local election campaign?
What a momentous week in local politics! Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK was in Shetland for just three hours on Tuesday morning, enough to leave a trail of controversy and rage that could well prove to be the defining moment in the local election campaign.
Was the encounter outside the public toilets on Tuesday morning a victory for Reform and a defeat for the Greens? Many seem to think so, at least online.
And what about the other candidates? Labour’s John Erskine joined the protest, while the Lib Dems and the SNP issued strongly worded statements but were not seen in the street.
It also was a week in which we here at Shetland News were accused of running a local branch of GB News, being too close to the Greens and, of course, bias towards the SNP.
To be all that at the same time is quite a feat, an astonishing array of strong and contradictory opinions, voiced online but, sadly and unsurprisingly, never directly towards us. Guess we must be doing something right.
To be clear to those who question our integrity; we would be delighted to also attend manifesto launches hosted by Emma of the Lib Dems, by Labour, or even the Tories if they were ever to hold such an event.
As to Farage; yes, we got offered an interview with the man, and our reporter Ryan Nicolson did a splendid job not only covering those eventful few hours in Lerwick town centre, but also doing an in-depth interview with the Reform leader, speaking to all opposing parties and followed this up with his own reflections of the day. See below:
Farage visit exposes uncomfortable divide and toxic social media abuse
It’s worth setting some time aside and reading his journalism properly, it really is! It gives valuable and much needed context, something isolated social media posts never can.
And if it wasn’t enough, Ryan was also tasked to attend Tuesday night’s hustings, hosted by the local BBC at Mareel. His report can be read here:
Immigration arguments and Scatsta ‘capitulation’ – candidates debate hot topics at BBC hustings
Of course, the week was not just momentous because Farage showed his face. We also had the opening of the new Scrapstore – sorry, Shetland Home Co. – following a £1 million extension, a new jewellery shop in the town centre, and the start of our series of features of the election candidates.
Kicking off with monarchist Peter Tait on Wednesday and followed by the until now elusive Vic Currie of Reform UK on Friday, more such features will follow next week.
Finally, we spoke to yet another party leader this week, Ross Greer of the Greens who visited on Friday. Anyone interested in what he actually had to say can do so by reading our report below.
Young people fuelling Greens surge locally, party’s co-leader says
However, the amount of online abuse and hate he – and by association Shetland News – received on our Facebook page is beyond belief, exposing a deeply frustrating and at times horrifying picture of the political culture of these islands and beyond.
To be clear, we are removing comments that may offend, including swear words with asterisks, comments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, abusive or in any other way discriminatory, as well as those that make unfounded and unproven allegations.
Sadly, far too much of our time is spent exactly on that! We don’t like banning people, but it has happened.
So all in all, a momentous week indeed: we published a total of 38 original stories, 12 letters and two ViewPoint contributions. All this can be read by simply logging on to https://www.shetnews.co.uk – without a paywall, annoying pop-up adverts or any other restriction.
All we ask is for people to consider becoming a supporter of Shetland News. Any financial contribution you feel able to make would help us continue doing what we do: https://account.shetnews.co.uk/register/
Other stories from the week:
https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/04/18/everyday-stories-that-put-shetland-on-the-map/
https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/04/17/bressay-community-asked-raise-cash/
https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/04/16/muckle-roe-royal-mint-kelly/
https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/04/15/court-round-up-15-april-2026/
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