Letters / Where’s Emma?
Two and a half weeks ago Jane Moncrieff, ex of BBC Radio Shetland, and I launched The Shetland Podcast. We wanted to instigate some longer online conversations with folk to explore Shetland’s culture and currents affairs in these changing times.
We timed the launch so we could capture conversations with our local candidates during this nail-biting election contest where the SNP’s Hannah Mary Goodlad appears to be closing the gap on Emma MacDonald of the LibDems.
Years ago a prominent LibDem politician with local connections jocularly described Shetland as “a one party state”.
Since 1950 the party has represented the northern isles in Westminster and Holyrood since 1999.
With the SNP snapping at their heels in 2026, we especially wanted to hear the two main competitors make their case in more depth than hustings, election leaflets and the usual media interviews allow.
We also wanted to hear from the other candidates, especially the ones who live and work in these unique islands.
Our invitation was grasped enthusiastically by the Greens and the SNP. Brian Nugent of ‘Sovereignty and the Alliance for the Liberation of Scotland’, and even veteran independent candidate Peter Tait came online with us, despite being in the thick of the lambing for Peter, a daughter’s wedding in Sardinia for Brian, and fierce campaigning for the other two.
I personally was especially looking forward to a conversation with Emma. Her candidature holds the most weight as she represents the longstanding LibDem tradition here. She also has an interesting political history having left the SNP to become an independent local councillor, rising to become political leader of the SIC and joining the LibDems to be selected as their candidate this month.
Jane and I both worked hard to arrange a time, sending emails and messages directly and through her agent and LibDem colleague Alistair Carmichael MP. Jane even managed to ask her in person when she bumped into Emma at Pitt Lane.
So we feel disappointed – and somewhat let down – by Emma’s failure to find a single hour within her campaign schedule to speak about her campaign in a little more depth than the “Don’t vote for the SNP” and “I will work hard for Shetland” memes that dominate her campaign literature.
Maybe Emma doesn’t like podcasts, maybe she doesn’t like us, but I do hope that if she wins this election – which remains quite likely – she will be a bit more open to having some longer, more in depth conversations about what she hopes to achieve in the hallowed chambers of Holyrood.
Pete Bevington
The Shetland Podcast
Hillswick
Note: This letter was received before polling day but was held back until after the election.
