In The Shetland Times this week…
• Cecil Smith emerges as leader with council roles appointed.
• Fetlar ferryman tackles house fire with a garden hose.
• Coastguard rescue dog who went over cliffs.
• SNP pair pack out museum twice over for Q&A event.
• Frozen food for care homes plan receives frosty response.
… and much more
The SNP has “broken its promise” to tackle food insecurity, according to Labour Highlands and Islands MSP, Rhoda Grant. The Shetland Foodbank this year distributed…
READ FULL STORYThe national Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has escalated its concerns over Shetland’s fire stations to the government’s workplace health and safety regulator. FBU health and…
READ FULL STORYA fundraiser has been launched to help a popular business get back on its feet after it was damaged by fire and and then a
READ FULL STORYA former general election candidate for the SNP has spoken out against future oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
READ FULL STORYFetlar and Unst will have a single vessel for the first two weeks of 2025 due to “unplanned changes” in the dry-docking schedule. Both the Geira…
READ FULL STORYAn MSP has called on Serco NorthLink to reintroduce shared cabins on its ferry services. SNP elected member Emma Roddick has urged the company’s managing…
READ FULL STORY
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Chris Williams
Can someone explain as to why the Shetland Islands Council requires to waste public money on having a Political Leader when the past and present council is not held by any political party but is classed as an independent council?
Michael Garriock
Not another one who cannot distinguish between ‘political’ and ‘party political’.
The so-called ‘Political Leader’ is simply the chosen title for the Chairperson of the council for its political business (as opposed to its civic business – the ‘Convenor’ is its representative for that).
As you quite correctly note, both this incarnation, and previous incarnations of the SIC is, and were ‘independent’, but the business they conduct(ed) is/was no less ‘political’ than that conducted by any other council dominated by members of one political party or another, who would almost inevitably have put one of their own in as leader. So its actually quite logical and reasonable that as the SIC is a politically independent council, it has an independent political leader.
‘Political’ is the job description, not a title conferred only by being a member of some club or other whose business is politics when you’re doing that job.
I agree with you though, it would be best to have only one ‘leader’ whatever title goes with it doesn’t mater, too many cooks, too many letterheads and all that guff, with the status quo.