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The Islands Bill should herald a change in mindset if it is to be more than a tick-box exercise, opposition MSPs have warned. Isles MSP Tavish Scott has reiterated Liberal Democrat calls for the Bill to undo damage caused by centralisation. Meanwhile, the Tory member who chairs Holyrood's rura... Read more...
An MSP has likened getting Scottish government answers on HIE centralisation to "wrestling with jelly" after the Edinburgh administration failed to release details of its controversial plans. (more…) Read more...
New findings by the chairman of HIE into the agency's future governance has faced criticism by politicians amid ongoing fears over centralisation. Lorne Crerar's report has been slammed as an end to Highlands and Islands decision making by Isles MSP Tavish Scott. Last month the SNP administrat... Read more...
A call has been made for a parliamentary inquiry after claims a series of errors were made by fire control room operators following the controversial move from Inverness to Dundee. (more…) Read more...
An SNP MP has proposed a compromise deal aimed at ending the bitter row over controversial changes to Highlands and Islands Enterprise. (more…) Read more...
By RYAN TAYLOR A planned review of governance in education has come under heavy fire today by members of the SIC's education and families committee. The Scottish government in Holyrood was compared with a right-wing Westminster Tory government by one of the committee's religious representative... Read more...
The Scottish government has confirmed the abolition of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise governing board, sparking renewed fears that Shetland could lose out through centralisation. (more…) Read more...
A new "plan for the islands" aimed at combating Scottish government decisions has been put forward by Shetland's MSP. Tavish Scott has endorsed a "real debate" on Shetland's future, and has praised Wir Shetland as a way of combating "endless centralisation" of the Scottish government. He has ... Read more...
Figures have been produced which could scotch a widely-held belief in rural areas that council services are largely centralised towards Lerwick. A table presented to members this week from finance chief James Gray show the average council revenue spend for a Lerwick resident will be £4,609 durin... Read more...
Shetland's needs are being pushed out to the boundaries following the centralisation of emergency services. That was the warning at last night's meeting of Lerwick Community Council. (more…) Read more...