Shetland Elects

08/01/2024

Jersey's Chief Minister, Kristina Moore (St Mary, St Ouen, and St Peter, Independent), is facing a vote of no confidence lodged by infrastructure minister Tom Binet (Independent, St Saviour).

She was first elected in 2022, defeating Reform Jersey's Sam Mézec by 39 votes to 10.

07/01/2024

'From the edge of Europe to the heart of a Labour government - can Labour win in the Western Isles at the next general election?'
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/from-the-edge-of-europe-to-the-heart-of-a-labour-government-can-labour-win-in-the-western-isles-at-the-next-general-election/ar-AA1mnQSC?goal=0_1fbc473d9a-179bfbe6b2-487161549&mc_cid=179bfbe6b2

07/01/2024

'From the edge of Europe to the heart of a Labour government - can Labour win in the Western Isles at the next general election?'

The Western Isles has been SNP for almost two decades – but journalist Torcuil Crichton is hoping to change that at the next election

07/01/2024

Orkney (Scottish Parliament regional list) indicative projection, January 2024:

Liberal Democrat: 34.0% (+2.8 )
Scottish National Party: 20.0% (-9.1)
Labour: 17.0% (+10.7)
Conservative: 12.0% (-7.0)
Green: 11.0% (+1.5)
Alba: 2.0% (+1.2)..

+/- vs. 2021 election

07/01/2024

'THERE appears to be a “growing apathy” towards local democracy, Shetland Islands Council has said in a response to a Scottish Government consultation.'

'The council said it feels local government is reaching a “critical point” as election candidate numbers continue to fall, and a lack of diversity remains a key issue.'

'It said feedback from prospective candidates as well as candidate numbers signalled a growing passivity towards local democracy in the islands.'

'At the last SIC election in 2022, the North Isles ward only had two people come forward for its three seats, while Shetland North was uncontested with three candidates going for the three spots.'

'While the top two posts in the council chamber – leader and convener – are held by women, the gender split among the 23 councillors lies heavily towards men.'

THERE appears to be a “growing apathy” towards local democracy, Shetland Islands Council has said in a response to a Scottish Government consultation. The council said it feels local government is reaching a “critical point” as election candidate numbers continue to...

31/12/2023

Applying the same crude methodology to the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency, we can see that 2023 was the year Labour likely pulled ahead of the SNP.

(This doesn't account for Angus MacNeil's independent candidacy, which presumably further harms the SNP's chances)

31/12/2023

As we look ahead to the UK general election expected sometime next year, here is a crude chart projecting Scottish polling onto the Orkney & Shetland constituency.

Rather than a forecast, this offers an indication of how the constituency might vote if it followed national trends.

While the constituency likely remained competitive between the Liberal Democrats and SNP from 2019 into 2022 - the SNP perhaps even the slight favourite during their pandemic surge - trends this year point increasingly to a Liberal Democrat hold, with Labour rising to 3rd place.

31/12/2023

Faroe: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, the autonomous territory's head of state, has announced her intention to abdicate in January.

She has served as Faroese head of state since 1972.

22/12/2023

The 2027 Island Games will now be hosted in Faroe after Ynys Môn withdrew citing the cost of holding the games.

This will be the second time Faroe has hosted the games, following on from 1989.

21/12/2023

Meanwhile, in more Åland news, the Finnish Parliament has rejected a proposal by the Åland Parliament for the autonomous archipelago to gain its own Member of the European Parliament.

166 MPs voted against and just 8 voted in favour, including Åland's MP, Mats Löfström.

21/12/2023

Åland: Katrin Sjögren has been elected the territory's new Premier.

Previously holding the position from 2015 to 2019, she leads a centre-left coalition comprising her own Liberals for Åland, Åland Centre and the Åland Social Democrats.

18/12/2023

Shetland Islands Council Leader Emma Macdonald (Shetland North) has joined the Liberal Democrats.

However, she will continue to sit as an independent councillor.

EMMA Macdonald, the leader of Shetland Islands Council, has joined the Liberal Democrats, it has emerged. Elected on an independent ticket in May 2022, the Shetland North councillor said she will continue doing her council work without any party affiliation. Shetland Islands...

17/12/2023

Faroe polling average, 2019 - present

17/12/2023

Faroe, Spyr poll, 5 December 2023:

Preferred Prime Minister

Bárður á S. Nielsen (Union): 29.2%
Beinir Johannesen (People's): 26.0%
Aksel Johannesen (SDP, incumbent): 18.9%
Høgni Hoydal (Republic): 8.0%
Ruth Vang (Progress): 4.7%
Jenis av Rana (Centre): 3.0%

17/12/2023

Faroe, Spyr poll, 5 December 2023:

Union Party: 28% (+4)
People's Party: 26% (-4)
Social Democratic Party: 19% (+1)
Republic: 14%
Centre Party: 6%
Progress: 5%
Self-Government: 2% (-1)

+/- vs. 9 November

16/12/2023

The SNP have announced councillor Susan Thomson as their candidate to contest the Na h-Eileanan an Iar House of Commons constituency, after incumbent MP Angus MacNeil left the party.

She was first elected to the Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla ward last year.

Breakdown of the SNP Selection vote in Na h-Eileanan an Iar:

Susan Thomson: 104 votes (53%)
Angus MacLeod: 92 votes (47%)

09/12/2023

The election for Shetland's members of the Scottish Youth Parliament has been extended following technical problems with the Young Scot e-voting platform. Due to this, results have yet to be announced.

Following discussions with our Local Authority and National Voluntary Organisation partners, our Board has today taken the decision to approve the following changes to the SYP elections with a phased approach.  Elections in Local Authorities and at National Voluntary Organisations that were not usi...

02/11/2023

Three candidates are running to represent Shetland in the Scottish Youth Parliament:

*Brandon Kennedy
*Joe Smith
*Bertie Summers

Voting for Shetland's two MSYPs is open to all young people aged 12-25 from 6-19 November.

VOTING will open next week for the elections to the Scottish Youth Parliament, with three candidates stepping forward to represent young people in Shetland. Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament, known as MSYPs, are aged between 14 and 25, and elected every two years with two...

29/10/2023

Ynys Môn (House of Commons constituency), indicative projection, October 2023:

Labour: 36% (+5.9)
Plaid Cymru: 29% (+0.5)
Conservative: 20% (-15.5)
Reform UK: 8% (+2.0)
Liberal Democrats: 4% (+4.0)
Greens: 4% (+4.0)

+/- vs. 2019 election

29/10/2023

The Scottish Greens have adopted a motion supporting Shetland's political/economic autonomy up to Faroese status in the event of Scottish independence, 'directed by the democratic will of the people of Shetland.'

The motion was proposed by Shetland South councillor Alex Armitage.

23/10/2023

Shetland's flag will fly at half mast from the Lerwick Town Hall this Saturday in respect for former councillor Laura Baisley, who recently passed away.

Laura Baisley represented the North Isles ward from 2007 to 2012.

The Shetland flag will fly at half-mast following the death of former councillor Laura Baisley.

29/09/2023

Highland Council (Tain & Easter Ross) by-election, 28 September 2023:

First preferences

Maureen Ross (Ind): 41.5% (+41.5)
Charles Stephen (Lib Dems): 24.5% (+3.0)
Gordon Allison (SNP): 18.8% (-11.8)
Veronica Morrison (Conservative): 8.4% (-2.2)..

27/09/2023

Faroe, Spyr poll, 25 August 2023:

Social Democratic Party: 25.4% (+1.3)
People's Party: 21.9% (-1.3)
Union Party: 19.6% (+0.2)
Republic: 16.9% (-2.0)
Progress: 8.5% (+1.6)
Centre Party: 5.8% (+0.4)
Self-Government: 1.9% (-0.4)

Governing parties: 50.8% (+1.0)
Opposition parties: 49.2% (-1.0)

+/- vs. 7 June

25/09/2023

According to Shetland Elects' indicative (i.e. take with a pinch of salt) projection, the SNP would lose ground in Orkney and Shetland if an election were to be held today, allowing the Liberal Democrats to be returned by a safer margin - while Labour emerge as a third force.

25/09/2023

The SNP have selected Robert Leslie for the next UK Parliament election in Orkney and Shetland. He previously contested the constituency in 2019, finishing in 2nd place with 34.0%.

He also contested the Orkney Holyrood constituency in 2021, again coming 2nd with 29.1%.

Leslie's 2019 result in Orkney and Shetland was the second best vote share the SNP had ever achieved in the constituency. And although his 2021 vote share in Orkney was lower, this was still the best SNP result ever in the strongly Liberal Democrat constituency.

24/09/2023

Orkney Islands Council's Policy & Resources Committee has approved a staged plan to implement the council's July vote to explore 'alternative models of governance.' Councillors will have to agreed to progress beyond each stage.

Stage 1 involves:

*Briefing members on efforts undertaken to date
*Reviewing implementation of Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 'to ensure that all powers and duties contained within it are being utilised to maximum benefit to address island issues' - including requests for devolution
*Exploring and identifying existing mechanisms to address inequalities experienced by Orkney, e.g. council funding, ferry replacements, Road Equivalent Tariff
*Expanding existing Nordic links
*Further research efforts, including into crown dependency models and Nordic connections

Stage 2:

*Progress with selected options while scoping political, legal and financial implications
*Consult with Orcadian public, including with an "islanders' assembly"

Stage 3:

'Development of the chosen option or options including addressing financial and legal implications and further consultation and engagement with the Orkney public. Final review and approval of an option for delivery. '

Stage 4:

'Delivery of the approved option.'

This process will be overseen by a revived Constitutional Reform Consultative Group, comprised of eight councillors.

The next report is anticipated to be submitted to the Policy & Resources Committee in early 2024.

The 'Alternative Models of Governance' policy is expected to require one one full-time equivalent post for the first stage, with subsequent stages taken from existing resources. The Council will also consider commissioning studies from external experts.

Link to the full report:

Dates, times and other details of all Council Committee and Sub-committee Meetings.

14/09/2023

Percentage of population aged 14 and under:

Shetland: 16.8%
Orkney: 14.8%
Highland: 14.7%
Na h-Eileanan Siar: 14.1%
Argyll & Bute: 13.6%

Scottish average: 15.3%

14/09/2023

Percentage female population:

Argyll & Bute: 51.2%
Highland: 51.0%
Orkney: 50.9%
Na h-Eileanan Siar: 50.4%
Shetland: 49.8%

Scottish average: 51.4%

14/09/2023

Percentage of population aged 65 and over:

Argyll & Bute: 27.2%
Na h-Eileanan Siar: 26.6%
Orkney: 24.9%
Highland: 23.7%
Shetland: 21.8%

Scottish average: 20.1%

14/09/2023

Populations of H&I council areas, 2022 census:

Highland: 235,400 (+2,300)
Argyll & Bute: 86,000 (-2,200)
Na h-Eileanan Siar: 26,200 (-1,500)
Shetland: 22,900 (-300)
Orkney: 22,000 (+600)

TOTAL: 392,500 (-1,100)

+/- vs. 2011 (rounded to nearest 100)