True to himself (Allan Pring)

On 5th May I will vote for Billy Fox because I trust him. I trust Billy Fox because I have no doubt that he loves the isles of Shetland, their natural beauty, the wildlife which depend for their very existence on the unspoiled environment, and he truly cares about the people of Shetland and those who realise how fortunate they are to live in such beautiful circumstances. I supported Billy Fox in his efforts to bring about a debate on the Viking Energy project but that debate, such as it was, is over. There was no debate because debates should end with a vote, there was no vote.

Tavish Scott initially called for a referendum to settle what was the most divisive argument ever to affect the lives of all who live in the Shetland Isles. There was no vote and the principle of democracy has been negated. Billy Fox is not opposed to wind-power generated electricity but is opposed to the needless destruction of a landscape the quality of which has been recognised world wide. The fate of Shetland will be decided, if it has not already been decided, by, in effect, faceless Scottish politicians who, in truth, have no interest whatsoever in Shetland or what becomes of its unique land and seascapes.

The Scottish First Minister is committed to the dream of Scotland becoming dependent solely on renewable energy by 2020. This dream is viewed by most knowledgeable experts as just that, a dream divorced from reality. But Mr Salmond has another dream, or vision, of Scottish independence.

Yet signs of panic were apparent at the prospect of closure of RAF bases in Scotland: would he expect the Royal Navy to continue at Faslane if Scotland became separate from the rest of the UK?

I would trust Billy Fox , if elected, to continue to be his own man, with the true Shetland character to say what he means and mean what he says and always to strive in the best interests of all of Shetland. He would be independent of party dogma, he would not have to follow the party line, or fear the consequences to his political ambitions if he deviated from national policy.

He would not be tainted if his party chose to abandon long held aims just to achieve an element of power, and as a true independent he might well hold a position of influence if established parties held no overall majority. I would trust Billy Fox to be true to himself, as in the words of Shakespeare, if a man is true to himself it follows that he cannot be false to any other man.

Shetland voters have been taken for granted for far too long, both locally and nationally. It is time for change.

Allan Pring
Dunrossness.