No doubt where his support lies

No surprise, just disappointment in Tavish Scott’s response to my recent challenge on his and Alistair Carmichael’s position on the Viking Energy windfarm: https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2011/02/21/inquiry-justified

If the windfarm is the most divisive issue he has come across in Shetland since being elected, then it was even more conspicuous by its absence in his Parliamentary News leaflet that recently dropped out of The Shetland Times. The leaflet of course covered all the politically safe issues.

His decision to hang his fence sitting position on the strength of a Shetland Times poll without even mentioning the overwhelming majority of objections through official planning procedure to the energy consents & deployment unit beggars belief. Setting such store by poll results he must presumably be preparing himself come May for Scotland’s worst Lib/Dem results since the Scottish Parliament was formed.

With 2,736 objections to the ECDU as opposed to 1,114 letters of support, 75 per cent opposition at the consultation meetings, a local petition with 3,474 signatures of objection, local media correspondence running from day one at a ratio of over three to one against the project. Not to mention the march and rally of 350 objectors in Lerwick on Saturday, the majority opposition to the project is undeniable. Not a single elected politician, local or national, deemed to attend or witness this significant event, again illustrating how democracy in Shetland is being disenfranchised.

Instead Tavish chooses to ignore this majority opposition and align himself with the ill-judged interpretation being adopted by the controlling cabal of conflicted councillors, plus Viking Energy Ltd and their orchestrated supporters. There is no doubt in my mind where his support lies, come election time I feel his prevaricating stance will be in the minds of a great many more Shetland voters.

Billy Fox
Chairman,
Sustainable Shetland.