Shetland SNP’s McGregor says party will be ready for snap election

The political landscape in the isles could be set to change sooner than expected, following the shock announcement by the Prime Minister of a snap election on 8th June.

Theresa May wants the country to unite behind the Conservative party’s Brexit negotiations. Speaking outside the door of Number 10 this morning, she criticised opposition parties for failing to offer their support.

Robbie McGregor

“Our opponents believe our resolve will weaken,” she told reporters.

“They are wrong. They underestimate our determination to get the job done.”

But the forthcoming general election, which MPs will be asked to vote for tomorrow, could represent a significant gamble for Mrs May and the Conservative government – particularly if the SNP sees a repeat of its landslide victory seen across most of Scotland after its 2015 campaign.

Two years ago the party secured 56 out of 59 seats. Incumbent local Lib Dem Alistair Carmichael saw his majority slashed to just a fraction over 800 after the nationalist party put forward Danus Skene, who died last year.

Whoever stands for the SNP in Orkney and Shetland this time round, it will not be local party convener, Robbie McGregor, who is already preparing for life as a member of the next council as one of the three South Mainland representatives.

Mr McGregor said due process had to be carried through before any names were made public, but he was confident the party would be able to nominate a candidate.

Speaking minutes after Mrs May’s Downing Street announcement, Mr McGregor said: “I’m obviously surprised, but the SNP is ready to fight the seat.

“We have a process for selecting a candidate and this has now started.”

If the SNP is able to repeat its 2015 success Scotland-wide, it could force open the door for the second independence referendum First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to secure.

Mr McGregor said that, while he would hate to tow a party line, such a scenario – together with widespread Tory wins south of the border – would represent a “material change in circumstances”.

“The Labour party in England is in such a state,” he added, signalling the likelihood of a Tory victory at the end of the campaign.

In response Mrs May’s calls for opposition parties to get behind Brexit, Mr McGregor said: “I believe we should remain a part of the European Union.”

The Shetland Times attempted to contact Mr Carmichael but he was not available. However, he told the BBC it gave people the opportunity to have their say on the ‘hard Brexit”.

“This is the opportunity for people who are not happy with Theresa May’s ‘hard Brexit’ taking us out of the single market, taking us away from the customs union, to make their views known.

“And the way you can do that is by lending your vote to the Liberal Democrats.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation reacted to this morning’s announcement said its priority was still to “exit the hugely damaging Common Fisheries Policy and restore control of UK waters”.

“Fishermen in all our coastal communities will expect the political parties contesting the election to commit to this route and free us from the present unfair and harmful constraints on their right to make a living from the sea.”

COMMENTS(52)

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  • John Irvine

    • April 18th, 2017 13:54

    This would be a great chance to get the farcical and unhealthy amount of SNP MP`s out of Westminster and give Scotland a fair and balanced representation.

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    • James J Paton

      • April 18th, 2017 23:13

      Mr Irvine perhaps has a point, but if he is serious about balanced representation at Westminster he should be, first and foremost advocating proportional representation at Westminster to make Westminster more representative of the UK electorate overall, in the same way that the Scottish Parliament is much more respresentative of the Scottish people. That might mean no hard Brexit Tory majority in Westminster though if you look at % of votes by party and actual seats, which across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is hugely skewed in favour of the Conservatives . Ooops! Cake and eating it?

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      • John Tulloch

        • April 19th, 2017 12:02

        Sadly, what happens with PR is that small fringe parties, no matter how weird their prospectus, gain influence beyond their wildest dreams because there is rarely a clear winner of an overall majority so the governing party has to pander to their demands, in order to get their business through parliament.

        An glaring example of how this type of thing has damaged Shetland is where the Scottish Greens torpedoed the recent LibDems’ attempt to modify the SNP-‘Tartan Tory’ budget (2017-18) by supporting its passage through Holyrood, the result of which was that money allocated for Shetland ferries was diverted somewhere else – presumably, to some of Patrick Harvie’s hobby horses?

    • Stuart Hannay

      • April 21st, 2017 18:56

      Democracy. It can be really annoying sometimes.

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  • John Tulloch

    • April 18th, 2017 14:48

    It’s hardly surprising Mr McGregor won’t be standing, there will be an election this time.

    Alistair Carmichael is quoted elsewhere as saying, “This is the opportunity for people who are not happy with Theresa May’s ‘hard Brexit’ taking us out of the single market, taking us away from the customs union, to make their views known.”

    i.e. an “opportunity” for those who wish to frustrate the democratic decision of the British people to leave the EU. It was quite clear that voting Leave implied leaving the single market.

    This election will be about Brexit which suits the LibDems, nationally. however it creates a problem for Mr Carmichael. Shetland voted 56.5% to 43.5% to Remain and in the coming contest, that 56.5% will be split between himself and the SNP, Labour and the Greens, opening the way for the Conservatives to take the 43.5% who voted Leave.

    In campaigning against Brexit, Mr Carmichael and the LibDems are undermining the UK negotiators and his complete disregard for the prospects of Shetland’s vitally important fishing industry may well come back to haunt his election campaign.

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    • Brian Smith

      • April 18th, 2017 18:02

      Wir Shetland – hardly ever heard about these days – began life as Wir UKIP. UKIP is now in a state of collapse, largely because the loathsome Mrs May has adopted its policies and tone. Unsurprising, then, that Mr Tulloch is now talking up the Tories’ chances.

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    • James J Paton

      • April 19th, 2017 1:14

      Mr Tulloch, as we know, has a very skewed, self-interested, narrow and partisan notion of democracy, being a lover of the 17th century model and its patronage.

      How can people take or make a decision, when they are so ill-informed and all the major parties are so universally to be mistrusted? Unfortunately due to our lack of civic and political education, compared to most other European countries, as well no ‘free’ press, given our very narrowly owned, controlled and biased media.

      For both Scottish Independence and EU votes, the truth, in a fake news, post truth political era, was absent. This will also be the case in the the coming election.

      Mr Tulloch has a point, but is blinded by his own crude analysis. A sensible, moderate anti-austerity, anti-Brexit, pro-independence, pro-investment in new small scale sustainable & recycling business, including energy, could take votes from all including perhaps swing Tory voters.
      Who could that be? The Tory loving Liberal Democrats? The Scottish Labour Party? The dubious SNP? Are any of them the answer for Orkney & Shetland – no And neither are the Tories. However a Green Party candidate – now you’re talking.

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      • Ian Tinkler

        • April 19th, 2017 12:01

        ” a Green Party candidate – now you’re talking.” A Green Party candidate who would champion burning wood pellets on Shetland. 40 % more greenhouse gas (CO2) than coal, 10 times more polluting than Total gas.
        Nice one James. Do you enjoy inhaling particulates? Does the word “green” here refer to one’s complexion?

      • John Tulloch

        • April 19th, 2017 21:39

        James J. Paton,

        I assume you have deserted Labour in favour of the Greens? If so, I have no issue with you considering my political opinions “very skewed… narrow and partisan.” Indeed, I consider it a compliment.

        However, I would appreciate it if you would explain why you think my views are predicated on “self-interest”?

    • Derick Tulloch

      • April 19th, 2017 13:13

      John

      The people of Scotland didn’t vote to leave the EU. 62% Remain. Every single counting district Remain. Including Shetland. Is ‘autonomy’ only desirable when it chimes with your own views

      And no area of the UK voted to leave the Single Market. Indeed many of the backers of the Leave campaign specifically stated that leaving the EU didn’t mean leaving the Single Market

      “Absolutely nobody is talking about threatening our place in the Single Market” —Daniel Hannan MEP
      “Only a madman would actually leave the Market” —Owen Paterson MP, Vote Leave backer

      “The Norwegian option, the EEA option, I think that it might be initially attractive for some business people” —Matthew Elliot, Vote Leave chief executive

      “Wouldn’t it be terrible if we were really like Norway and Switzerland? Really? They’re rich. They’re happy. They’re self-governing” —Nigel Farage, Ukip leader

      Norway is in the Single Market via EEA / EFTA. The preferred choice for Scotland of many SNP members – including me!

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      • John Tulloch

        • April 19th, 2017 19:27

        Derick, Derick! Trying to rewrite history, again?

        The prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer plus “Leave” leaders Gove and Johnson all stated, on television, that voting Leave meant leaving the single market, so let’s not try to re-write history. Here’s another:

        NICOLA STURGEON (19th, June, 2016):
        “So I’ll be voting Remain for a variety of very good reasons – such as access to a single market of more than half a billion people…… But if you are basing your decision on what it means for independence, let me be very clear – the only sensible and logical vote is one for Scotland to remain in Europe.”

        “If Scotland votes to leave, then our immediate future will be one inside the UK but outside the EU.”

  • Ian Tinkler

    • April 18th, 2017 19:36

    Robbie McGregor, a man who absolutely no one has voted for in Shetland, Scotland, Europe, Planet Earth, or anywhere else. Robbie McGregor, for that matter, good smile though, who are you laughing at?

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  • Steven Jarmson

    • April 18th, 2017 23:43

    I notice from Sturgeon comments she’s already too scared to call this election a referendum about bullying her way to another “once in a lifetime” divisive referendum.
    But, if the SNP retain even half of their current MPs, you can guarantee she’ll say that is a mandate to have her way.
    Many people who voted SNP last year kept saying she wouldn’t go for another one so soon, so they were comfortable voting for them based on their other policies.
    Now, the cat is out the bag, hopefully those who voted SNP thinking the SNP accepted 2014 will know better.
    I at least expect Orkney and Shetland will see that voting for the SNP will be against our better interests.

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    • Dean Clark

      • April 19th, 2017 13:40

      Also, you prefer Carmichael to the Snp candidate which if I remember right was a retired school teacher as opposed to an opportunist liar?

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  • Ali Inkster

    • April 19th, 2017 9:33

    I keep asking snp members and spokespersons yet none are able or willing to answer. So I will post it here so folks can ask snp members themselves see if they can get a straight answer.
    SNP policy is to take us back into the EU doing so will mean a return to the CFP but this time without the Hague agreement which gives the UK fleet a far larger share of quota than the CFP would otherwise allow.
    So my question is this. WHICH BOATS FROM THE SHETLAND FLEET SHOULD BE SCRAPPED TO FULFILL THIS DREAM OF EU PENSIONS FOR SCOTI POLITICIANS?

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    • Derick Tulloch

      • April 19th, 2017 13:02

      Ali

      For the umpteenth time, the answer is ‘none’

      SNP policy is ‘Independence in Europe’.

      And there is more than one way to be ‘in Europe’, specifically the EEA Single Market which comprises the (currently) 28 EU members and 3 of the 4 (currently) EFTA members.

      Read ‘Scotland’s Place in Europe’ which sets out why the single market is essential, and how we could stay in it.

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      • John Tulloch

        • April 19th, 2017 19:36

        Derick, kindly do some research on your own party’s policy. Meanwhile, may I remind you:

        SNP Policy on EU:
        “The SNP believe…. that the best way to build a more prosperous and equal Scotland is to be a full independent member of the EU.“

  • James Watt

    • April 19th, 2017 12:05

    John, if it was quite clear that voting leave implied leaving the single market why did the Conservatives release a video saying the exact opposite/

    It wasn’t just the Conservatives claiming this, the Chief Executive of Vote Leave Mathew Elliot just two weeks before the vote said

    “We are the fifth largest economy in the world, while many of them are in a desperate state due to the failing single currency. There is no question about it, Britain will still have access to the single market after we vote leave”

    Can’t say I really follow your logic that the Tories could automatically be the party of choice for leave voters either, unless leave voters support policies like the two child tax credit cap, withdrawing housing benifits for 18-21 year olds, disability benifits that have seen £30 a week cut to payments and tens of thousands are losing access to mobility vehicles. I don’t think voters here will look past these kinds of issues and vote Tory purely on the promise of a hard Brexit.

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    • John Tulloch

      • April 20th, 2017 9:13

      James, you guys make me laugh, keep it up. Here’s PM Cameron and Chancellor Osborne on leving the single market:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn2hSVfqtYc

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      • James Watt

        • April 20th, 2017 12:26

        John not only have I kept up, I was actually ahead of you, I have provided links to official leave campaigners contradicting you but for some reason the Shetland Times have removed the links from my first post.
        I tried to post the links again on Wednesday night but my comment has not made it through moderation, I can only assume that The Gardian and Conservative Home have websites that The Shetland Times don’t allow linking to.

  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 19th, 2017 20:05

    @Ian Tinkler – again you do yourself no favours. I am not an SNP member but Robbie McGregor has impressed me as a thoughtful, left leaning social democrat committed to public service through dignified dialogue. Robbie is supported by a great many Shetland SNP branch members and has served them, and democratic debate in Shetland, ably and well. Personal attacks need some substance behind them Ian, not bilge and bile. Try playing the ball not the man occasionally or you will get nowhere. Carmichael, however, though he has also served well to a degree, has shown he can’t be trusted on too many counts. It is clear what the SNP stand for. The Lib Dems, when not sitting on the fence, are however unreliable, sly opportunists, too full of contradictions. They promise freedom for business and freedom for the individual but are Tories at heart when these conflict. They will not be in a position to be of any use to Shetland for a generation. I put up posters for the Labour candidate last election but voted Danis Skene, SNP and would urge everyone to consider bringing an end to Westminster’s backward ways and the dominance of little Englander politics.

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    • John Tulloch

      • April 20th, 2017 14:12

      Peter, did you mean to say this or has there been some mistake: “I put up posters for the Labour candidate last election but voted Danis Skene, SNP “?

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  • Ian Tinkler

    • April 20th, 2017 6:50

    Peter Hamilton, you do me a huge favour. Your words, ” Westminster’s backward ways and the dominance of little Englander politics.” Shows exactly how prejudiced your views are! “Little Englander” what xenophobic nonsense. I would hate anyone to think I condoned such . I draw your attention to, ” MSPs congratulate McGregor. (10:52 Wednesday, 05 April 2017). Now what is there to congratulate, Robbie McGregor, for? He has not had a single vote cast for him on Shetland. His achievement is absolutely nothing. He has absolutely no mandate whatsoever. Now if he were honorable, he would do a Terisa May, step down and represent himself for a new, real election. I for one would commend him if he had the guts to do that. How is that the view for a one half little Englander, and proud of it.

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  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 20th, 2017 13:20

    Really Ian it simply isn’t Robbies fault if there were no other candidates in the south end. His MSPs were happy for him. Why the fuss? At least we can agree that xenophobia is a bad thing, even if you choose not to recognise the inward looking nature of recent voting patterns.

    Are you saying there are no Little Englanders? Do you think Westminster is a modern parliament? Perhaps you think the Brexit vote and the success of UKIP have nothing to do with the right wing media’s hostility to asylum seekers. This in itself Ian, let alone the number of bees in your bonnet, should warn folk off voting for you. If you do get onto the council you will get nothing done with your present highly personal approach. Westside beware!

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    • Ali Inkster

      • April 20th, 2017 17:25

      So UK nationalism is racist but Scottish nationalism is not, funny that. how about little scotlander syndrome or is that not the same?

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      • Graham Fleming

        • April 21st, 2017 19:46

        The pursuit of greater England erism or British imperialism took the lives of over 150 million people without one word of an apology to its victims ,- definitely racism. Scotland seeking self government inside a democratic European Union is not racism, it is normal rationale for most Europeans. The British brat Brexiteers maybe think they are going to recreate some of their former glories ,isolating themselves away from mainstream thinking and laws but as in the case of Gibraltar ,this continent at least will quickly bring them back to reality.

  • Ian Tinkler

    • April 20th, 2017 14:32

    “Little Englanders”, nice Peter, perhaps time you looked in a dictionary and understood the meaning of your words. Regarding my personal approach, if you are uncomfortable with that, tough. I am doing no more than telling the truth, without prejudice, just stating the fact. No one has voted for Robie, Little Englanders is a xenophobic comment, now if I were you I would stop digging that hole deeper you have just jumped headlong into.

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    • ROBERT SIM

      • April 20th, 2017 21:06

      How can you dig while upside down in the hole?

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    • Ray Purchase

      • April 20th, 2017 21:40

      Oxford English Dictionary
      Little Englander: noun. A person who opposes an international role or policy for England (or, in practice, for Britain).

      Not defined as a xenophobic insult in any way Ian. Think you’re getting a bit carried away again – calm down.

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      • ian_tinkler

        • April 21st, 2017 13:16

        Ray Purchase, in the context, Peter Hamilton used the words “Little Englanders” was that not an Anglophobic insult (xenophobic)? Your definition makes no sense whatsoever! Ray, have you actually read what Peter said. Just a bombast against Westminster and the anti-English insults. Perhaps, Peter was the one getting carried away. Now note my comment “He (Robbie McGregor) has absolutely no mandate whatsoever. Now if he were honorable, he would do a Teresa May, step down and represent himself for a new, real election. I for one would commend him if he had the guts to do that.”

      • Ray Purchase

        • April 21st, 2017 16:35

        Now now Ian, it’s not my definition of the phrase, it’s the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of the phrase. Just because you thought it meant something else it doesn’t make the dictionary wrong.

        I did read Peter’s sensible and well written comment thanks. You seem to read it differently from how anybody else would.

        As for your cut and paste, I read it the first time and your repetition of it makes it no less puerile.

        Puerile: adjective. Meaning: childishly silly and immature

      • ian tinkler

        • April 21st, 2017 22:13

        Done that a few times Robert, respectfully, we could work together.

      • ian tinkler

        • April 21st, 2017 22:15

        Ray, medication may be an answer.

  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 20th, 2017 20:34

    Ok Ian, if there are no Little Englanders then call narrow minded xenophobes in England what you will in your own special and entirely non-prejudiced way. It must be wonderful for you to be so prejudice free. Btw. I find xenophobic Scots and Little Shetlanders equally troubling, whether or not they exist in your curious world view.

    Over to John Tulloch. Yes John I did encourage others to vote Labour and then gave my vote both to someone I respected who other Labour supporters had unfairly trashed, much though I wrestled with this and respected the Labour candidate. No regrets. Danus was a decent man, a conviction politician, and the best hope of unseating our much adored blow-in-the wind light weight MSP Tavish Scott. When John Major was PM Tavish was saying “I’m an economic conservative.” No time thereafter, as Scottish Transport Minister in coalition with Labour, he was freely spending cash Gordon Brown had raised, but without securing any lasting mechanisms for Shetland. Not long after Alastair Carmichael was breaking his promises to English students whilst needlessly propping up an cruel and elitist austerity-fixated Tory government.

    Please keep on blaming the SNP for Westminster’s neo-liberal Tory cuts gentlemen.

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  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 21st, 2017 12:03

    Yes John Tulloch, my first vote went SNP. The bigger threat remains the inward looking nationalism of austerity fixated Toryism, so willingly strengthened by Lib Dems. Skene represented an outward looking Scottish internationalism.

    Danus was a conviction politician and I sincerely hoped he would win and put a stop to Tavish’s glib tricks.

    I did give my second vote to Labour and was pleased to see Robina Barton do reasonably well.

    This time around Shetland will have the option securing influence or irrelevance. The Liberal Democrats have shown themselves to be unreliable, blow with the wind opportunists, from which Alastair Carmichael will surely have earned himself a seat in the House of Lords, and good luck to him. The Lib Dems are going nowhere.

    Let’s remember the SNP has looked after the Western Isles pretty well. Their support for cultural diversity across Scotland should also reassure. There never was any threat that Shetland schools would be forced to teach Galic btw – more Tavish trickery.

    The SNP have not been able to do all they have wanted – but it is Alastair Carmichael’s Tory bedfellows that hold the purse strings. Vote anti-austerity. Reject narrow minded British nationalism. Dump the Glib-Dems.

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    • John Tulloch

      • April 21st, 2017 13:50

      Interesting. I think we may safely assume your candidacy for Labour won’t be repeated.

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    • Wayne Conroy

      • April 24th, 2017 14:08

      @Peter Hamilton
      “Let’s remember the SNP has looked after the Western Isles pretty well. Their support for cultural diversity across Scotland should also reassure. There never was any threat that Shetland schools would be forced to teach Galic btw – more Tavish trickery.”

      At the same time we will remember how the SNP has not looked after Shetland in the same way. They gave the Western Isles large reductions in their travel costs while Shetlands fares increased.

      As for your comment about Tavish and Gaelic in schools – (dredging up a 14mths old story) – “The legislation also contains measures to: promote Gaelic education by PLACING A DUTY on councils both to assess the need for Gaelic medium primary education following a parental request and to ACTIVELY PROMOTE AND SUPPORT LEARNING AND TEACHING OF THE LANGUAGE IN SCHOOLS”
      (Source Scottish Government website. http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Education-Bill-2219.aspx)

      Seems pretty clear to me!

      Bringing up old news and saying how well the SNP have looked after other places in Scotland doesn’t really help the case for the SNP in Shetland. Nothing but “blow with the wind” unfulfilled election promises (Re: cutting travel costs) and cuts to hospital and council funding. (nothing to do with Westminster as the SNP hold the purse strings for these)

      Add to this the fact that the SNP wish to stay in the EU and as such would damage any prospect of regaining control over fishing rights I wonder how anyone with Shetlands interests in mind would think the SNP deserve their vote.

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      • Graham Fleming - an tabhartas

        • April 24th, 2017 19:03

        What is the neo racist problem about teaching Gaelic anywhere in Scotland including Shetland. The Lib Dems like all political parties supported the setting up of the original present LAW.Anybody with Shetland and its history at heart would really understand where Ogham came from and what language the Papar were speaking there, the Faroes and Iceland, long before any Scandinavian influence. Scottish bairns hae tha richt tae be taught thar ain culture an tongues like the rest o’ Europe – sadly Holyrude and Waste minster at present have different agendas mainly speaking down to and over the common folk.

      • Ali Inkster

        • April 25th, 2017 17:02

        These papar you speak of were monks and not really ones for breeding and passing on their genes so there would be nobody to inherit their language, so hardly a case for teaching a foreign language to their non existent descendants today.

      • Derick Tulloch

        • April 26th, 2017 13:45

        Given that there are at least 95 brochs and contemporary forts in Shetland, and the people who built them spoke a Celtic language, namely Pictish, there must have been a hels lok a monks aboot at da time! LOL.

        Number of brochs in Scotland = 700
        Number of brochs in Denmark and Norway = Nil

        Incidentally the Gaelic Language Act 2005, introduced by the Labour/Liberal Coalition was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament on 21 April 2005. Unanimous generally means nobody voted against it. Which presumably means Tavish voted for it.

  • ian tinkler

    • April 21st, 2017 22:29

    Graham Fleming
    April 21st, 2017 19:46
    The pursuit of greater England erism or British imperialism took the lives of over 150 million people without one word of an apology to its victims ,- definitely racism. Scotland seeking self government inside a democratic European Union is not racism, it is normal rationale for most Europeans. The British brat Brexiteers maybe think they are going to recreate some of their former glories ,isolating themselves away from mainstream thinking and laws but as in the case of Gibraltar ,this continent at least will quickly bring them back to reality.
    Scotish Nationalism in a nutshell. What a good reason for Shetland autonomy.

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  • Peter Dodge

    • April 22nd, 2017 13:15

    I fail to see why the sobriquet “Little Englanders” raises the hackles of so many “British” folk who frequently by innuendo try to portray it as being racist terminology and the creation of some Scottish nationalist.
    It has long been internationally recognised that the term itself arose directly from Brussels and Strasbourg (from E.U. staff and/or M.E.P.s) back in the time of handbag wielding Margaret Thatcher during her crusades of the 1980s.
    As now, with not only UKIP but some Conservative and Unionist members,exhibiting the disgraceful and vile disdain demonstrated then to their European neighbours and fellow politicians was an embarrassment to any reasonably fair minded and decent person regardless of their nationality but particularly to MEPs from elsewhere in the U.K..
    M.E.P. Alynn Smith’s recent, diplomatically crafted responses to several of Nigel Farage’s outburst provide a very welcome antidote and go far towards establishing a balance reflecting the decent side of the people who inhabit the geographical region with its composite nations known as Britain.

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    • ian tinkler

      • April 25th, 2017 8:29

      A classic piece of SNP anglophobia, some thing never change!
      “It’s very obvious tae onybody, Shetlander or incomer that the promoter of this line of attack always comes from that behemoth nation tae the sooth of Scotland, never the Poles or the Estonians, the Germans, the French etc….. who arrive, bide and contribute to the community.” (Peter Dodge, May 11th, 2011, Shetland Times.) Quod erat demonstrandum.

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  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 23rd, 2017 4:36

    Lazy and incoherent criticism Ian. Take one of Graham’s points at a time and provide reasons why he is wrong. Quoting all he wrote and then adding a short unlinked and unexplained rebuttal does not a reasoned argument make.

    If you extracted teeth this way as a dentist you would have spent more time slagging off your patients for how they dressed than actually treating them. What did you not like about what Graham said and what have you got to say against it?

    I have spent most of my life attacking inward looking nationalism but hopefully each step of the way I bothered to explain why. You, however, appear to back British natiionalism and Shetland exceptionalism in a knee jerk way over contemporary Scottish nationalism – a nationalism which is perfectly happy to look at each corner’s needs and devise solutions with those that live there. Why?

    It feels as if you would have been happiest living in the Falklands under Thatcher. Did you ever consider retiring there?

    Here is a chance which I suspect you have been waiting for Ian. Please explain. What is your problem (with the SNP) and why do you revel in being so unpleasant?

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    • ian tinkler

      • April 24th, 2017 7:24

      You see, Peter Hamilton, I can sometimes agree with a Nationalist,s comment, however unpleasant!
      Peter Dodge, “If there are any able and principled persons with integrity in the Shetland community who are prepared to stand for a thankless and unrewarding job to replace several of our local vacuous political time-servers, Shetland would welcome your future candidature.”
      (Shetland News. 17 February 2011 00:00 Peter Dodge)
      Note Bene; “principled persons with integrity”. Peter Hamilton, When you pseudo backed Labour, had you the integrity to tell them you were closet SNP and that you would be voting Danus Skene or were you playing the fifth column?

      .

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  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 23rd, 2017 4:45

    “How is that the view for a one half little Englander, and proud of it.” April 20th 2017 – Ian Tinkler in a nutshell.

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  • Peter Hamilton

    • April 25th, 2017 8:08

    Returning to Tavish slaying the Gaelic paper tiger Wayne, if no parents request Gaelic the SIC’s assessment of the need for provision was going to be quick and would have shown no need for teaching or promotion. No bairns were threatened at any time in the making of that pantomime.

    Younger SIC officials close to all this were likely baffled by Tavish’s headline-stealing antics. Older hands will instead have recalled the hours wasted by his self-promoting tendancies as a councillor.

    Speaking of hours wasted, has anyone calculated the number of office hours wasted, and associated cost, of the cabinet inquiry caused by, and then prolonged by Alastair Carmichael’s deception?

    Presumably less time and money would have been wasted had he owned up promptly. I don’t recall if his apology covered this but perhaps there should have been direct recompense. What was the timing? Had he owned up at that point would his costly lie have been exposed before the poll? Wasn’t he morally obliged to assist the inquiry? I can’t imagine Jim Wallace behaving in the same way, but can you ever really know which way a power-hungry LibDem will jump next? Anti-poverty, pro-austerity Carmichael argued against Labour’s minimum wage.

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    • Ali Inkster

      • April 25th, 2017 16:50

      So what if a parent requests it, how much will that cost us?
      As for Carmichael yes he lied about whether or not he knew about the memo, but the enquiry also found the content of the memo was likely to be true. And because Carmichael lied this was all covered up in the fallout

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      • Graham Fleming

        • April 25th, 2017 23:33

        Gaelic is the oldest living language of the British Isles many of its words exist in language we speak today.London for example comprises of two words Lon(meaning a bog or a field) and don(meaning brown) the old name translated pre Roman – to brown swamp.The fact that gaelic can be taught anywhere in Scotland is a marvellous achievement . Most of us are probably genetically part Siol nan Gael as Thule( Iceland) has over 25% gaelic blood today. Only bigots/ racists and ignorants would deny bairns in Shetland the right to be taught the language if they wanted It. Here’s hoping people can get out of the brown swamp mentality and realise there’s other bigger world’s away from their own mental confinments. THA GU DEARBH.

      • ROBERT SIM

        • April 26th, 2017 23:04

        “…the enquiry also found the content of the memo was likely to be true.” What’s your evidence for that, Ali? The First Minister and the French ambassador, who were supposed to have had the conversation, both denied that Nicola Sturgeon had expressed any preference for a Tory victory in May 2015.

  • ian tinkler

    • April 26th, 2017 18:01

    Grahm Fleming, can you ever get anything right. Whatever will you make up next?
    When a settlement was set up by Plowonida the celts added a place name suffix ‘on’ or ‘onjon’ giving Plowonidon or Plowonidonjon, but the British Celts did not pronounce the P and so through linguistic change it developed into Lundonjon and then Lundein or Lundyn which is the form of the name that the Welsh used and …3 Mar 2003
    Legends of London’s Origins – Cultural Heritage Resources
    http://www.chr.org.uk/legends.htm

    Londinium, !t was common practice for Romans to adopt native names for new settlements. A common theory is that it derives from a hypothetical Celtic placename Londinion which was probably derived from the personal name Londinos, from the word lond meaning ‘wild’.
    Londinium – Wiktionary
    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Londinium

    REPLY
  • Haydn Gear

    • April 26th, 2017 22:06

    For reasons of clarity, we in Wales refer to London as Llundain. For people travelling from Paddington station in London there used to be a sign which read Wales——-Llandofopportunity. As miners and steel workers would claim, the Tory objectives soon tried to snuff that out but we’re fighting back.

    REPLY

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