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The first candidate to stand against Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael in the December general election has been declared. Scottish Labour members in the Northern Isles have endorsed chairwoman of the Orkney Labour party Coilla Drake as their candidate for the forthcoming election. On... Read more...
Vote counting in the Shetland by-election is under way at the Clickimin centre in Lerwick to announce the next isles MSP. A total of 10 candidates, representing six parties and four independents, are vying to be the isles’ new representative following the resignation of long-standing politician... Read more...
Alistair Carmichael has voiced his "delight" at being elected as Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland for the fifth consecutive term, while his closest opponent – the SNP's Miriam Brett – has publicly thanked those who supported her. Mr Carmichael secured his seat with a large majority... Read more...
The polls are open for what Theresa May has dubbed "the most important election" of her lifetime and in Shetland and Orkney the result looks set to be a tight one. After achieving a narrow victory in 2015 incumbent Alistair Carmichael is sure to be worrying an SNP surge in the constituency, which... Read more...
The would-be main contenders like, predictably, to characterise the Orkney and Shetland election as a “two-horse race”. However, I’m not so sure. Both Labour and the Tories have been rising in the polls, Labour particularly rapidly from a low base, and the overarching political backdrop of Sc... Read more...
Political campaigning in pea soup-like fog was the job in hand for Labour candidate Robina Barton on Friday. There was confusion surrounding a post-Brexit Britain although the haar on Staney Hill started to clear on as Ms Barton began knocking on doors. Leaflets in hand, she hit Commercial Str... Read more...
It seems John Tulloch can try to dish out "advice" through your pages, but can never quite seem, on any occasion, to take it. Physician heal thyself? Mr Tulloch seems to demonstrate arrogance, ignorance and insularity in one sentence about existing bodies of law, EU or otherwise. Bodies of law... Read more...
I have voted Labour at every election since 1970, except in those when I chose the Scottish Socialist Party. On this occasion I won’t, for several reasons. 1. The performance of Shetland Labour Party since 2014. Labour in Shetland used to be an active and vocal party. Three years ago, however, ... Read more...
Robina Barton takes exception to the idea of tactical voting. But this is something which is forced on the intelligent voter where they have to elect a constituency representative under the deeply flawed first-past-the-post electoral system, a system which the Tories and Labour have long clung to be... Read more...
I gather the Liberal Democrats are circulating "hand-written" letters from Tavish Scott asking Labour and Tory voters to vote Lib Dem to keep out the SNP. I think tactical voting is all wrong. We should vote to make the change we want, not to prevent change we don't want. If you want SNP, Labo... Read more...