Do it the Shetland way (Robbie McGregor)
Dear members of the “We The People of Shetland of Shetland” group. In response to your open letter to the political parties in Shetland I would make the following points.
The controversy surrounding Alistair Carmichael’s continuance as our MP must be dealt with in a considered manner in line with the Shetland way of doing things, focusing on the democratic entitlement of the people of Shetland to effective representation in parliament.
This is not about making personal comments directed at the man. Far from the SNP being in a frenzy over this debacle we have tried to be measured. I personally have written one short letter to the press and have encouraged a thoughtful approach to the issue.
I believe in second chances, but they must be freely given and in my view Mr Carmichael can only be given one by successfully winning an honest, open and fair election.
The electorate deserves a second chance as well as Mr Carmichael. I consider that an election is the political equivalent of a job interview.
If any one of Mr Carmichael’s constituents were to tell a lie of this severity they would undoubtedly lose their job. There should not be one rule for politicians and another for the general public.
I would like to ask the leaders of the parties who have expressed a view that they are against a by-election to explain why?
This whole issue is dividing the people of Shetland and healing is required and that can only be provided by a further fair election.
Meanwhile the situation is not being helped by some of the letters and public utterances being made against those of us who are only asking for a fair chance for the people of Shetland.
It is in Mr Carmichael’s own interest to obtain a mandate from the people of Shetland to finish this matter once and for all and if he succeeds in winning a by-election I will go into print to congratulate him as I did immediately after the parliamentary election and before the lie involved in his cover up was revealed.
I urge that this matter be brought to a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible. We need effective representation in parliament and an opportunity to reunite the community.
Robbie McGregor
Convener,
Shetland Branch SNP
“Dumyat”,
3 North Heights,
Quarff.
Rory MacGregor
Robbie is the measured and polite face of the SNP. Remember good cop bad cop? SNP just want to sow more discord in a beautiful community that has taken much from the legacy of Auld Joe. To give Mr Carmichael a second chance is to shut up, let him get on with his work, and ultimately judge him on that work!
John Tulloch
Too little, too late, Robbie – far too late.
No use coming with that now that the legal action is under way, you’d have to quieten down for that, anyway.
Yes, let’s do things “the Shetland way”. You can start by addressing that to your own pals in SNP Shetland, Douglas Young, Charlie Gallacher, Bill Adams, etc.., not to mention “Buster” who needs to start moderating the comments on the Yes Shetland Facebook page.
Gordon Harmer
Robbie, Maybe you would like to comment on the findings in this link on how the SNP in the Lossiemouth, Hopeman and Burghead branch in the Moray constituency of SNP Westminster Group Leader, Angus Robertson have acted in what this proves to be, a witch hunt against Mr Carmichael.
http://forargyll.com/2015/05/snp-shuts-down-shetland-branch-twitter-proving-witch-hunt-against-carmichael/
Do you have anything to say about why they closed the Twitter account rather than come clean and admit what they have done and why SNP members and branches from other constituencies are getting involved in what is a matter for the Orkney and Shetland folk.
Gordon Harmer
As both the blog and the FB pages will show, one of the orchestrators of this appalling campaign is believed to be behind The Orkney Vole blog page and Facebook page –
https://www.facebook.com/theorkneyvole?fref=ts
Why would anyone need a facebook page to hide behind to conduct a hate campaign? Answers its self does it not.
Are these the same people who berated Mr Carmichael over the Cyril Smith affair?
All the above speaks for itself, this is a hate campaign, it has nothing to do with democracy, Salmond and others have tried to besmirch David Mundell as well, why?
David Mundell is the last Conservative in Scotland. We surely must have none of those either and EIl Magnifico himself has already set off in panting pursuit of him, asserted accusations in hand.
Something will be concocted to ramp up a mob against Ian Murray in Edinburgh South next.
These last remnants of pluralism standing against what is the ever more noisy tramp of the SNP brigades, are becoming a threatened species.
Gordon Harmer
Robbie, in your letter you ask this question, “I would like to ask the leaders of the parties who have expressed a view that they are against a by-election to explain why”? I presume you expect an answer, on that presumption do you not think it would be nice, or polite even if you answered the questions I posed.
John Tulloch
Robbie MacGregor,
Your letter above is sheer humbug. You need to start with your preaching much closer to home. For example, the Yes Shetland Community site, from which I was blocked for addressing my responses to comments by the name of the contributor – apparently this is “aggressive” (???) – has permitted this little ditty for the past three days:
“(From) Graham Knight……300 years since we last tried to gain our independence ………from the London royalists and traitor allies in our midst that would betray the Scots…..many a local ,true, loyal and humble hardy Scotsman…stood up to the English …and their Scottish traitors…..and died in doing so in their cause, let us never forget those…….that gave their lives to gain this freedom…and……… us Scots again have the chance to bring Scotland home……… without the Scots noble traitors still trying to sell us out…….., Scotland is not for sale Mr Cameron and you and your Westminster perverts, crooks , liars, expense frauds….will never rob us of our freedom again , why should we bargain with the Westminster crooks, perverts, frauds, liars and jail birds, its 2015 Mr Cameron and….we are sick of you…. Mr Cameron along with your cash collecting sidekicks and….Westminster silver spoon fed and private school politician…….Scotland will never belong to Westminster again,…Hands off god’s country……it’s our land and NOT yours or your rich mates Mr Cameron…….
3 · 29 May at 18:30”
Well, Robbie, what do you think of that one?
John Tulloch
Robbie,
Rory MacGregor referred to the “good cop, bad cop” routine and suggested you are acting as the “good cop”.
Here’s your deputy and former SNP Shetland Chairman Charlie Gallagher in action:
“Charlie Gallagher
June 5th, 2015 16:23
John,
I know that in Arrochar you live in the shadow of Beinn Artair and it seems to have affected your brain, for once again you are writing a load of ‘Cobblers’. Grow-up and present a decent properly researched honest arguments and not your usual diatribe of unionist lies.
Out of courtesy please note that this conversation ends here.”
https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2015/06/05/politicians-oppose-plans-to-sell-final-royal-mail-share#comment-1584940
This, along with the Yes Shetland example I provided above, suggests that, either, your above letter is humbug or, alternatively, that you have no influence, far less, control over the hotheads on your committee, don’t you agree?
Steven Jarmson
Do it the Shetland Way.
That’s the headline.
I’ve already asked if we can do things the Shetland Way with regard to the Crown Estate.
But, no response from the top Nats about that.
Devolve the Crown Estate and we’ll run our Crown Estate “the Shetland Way.”