ELECTION: Former SIC leader Gary Robinson elected to Lerwick North and Bressay

Andrew Hirst May 6, 2022 0

ELECTION: Former SIC leader Gary Robinson elected to Lerwick North and Bressay

Gary Robinson. Photo: Dave Donaldson.

Former leader Gary Robinson has made his return to the council after being voted into the Lerwick North and Bressay ward.

Mr Robinson, who is also the chairman of the health board, said it felt “really good to be back” – although also “a bit of trepidation”.

“I know there are huge challenges ahead of the council, so I’ve not come in with any illusions about that,” he said.

Firstly, Mr Robinson wants to ensure all the new councillors work well together because “we can’t afford to split”

“We need to pull together and start addressing some of the major issues that lie ahead of us,” he said.

Top of that list, for Mr Robinson, is housing, “because that seems to be at the heart of so many issues that we’ve got just now”.

“There isn’t enough housing, there isn’t enough accommodation and in trying to move the economy forward that’s where it always seems to come back to,” he added.

“Also fixed links. That’s been a fairly constant topic throughout the campaign. It’s been raised everywhere, not least Bressay, so I think we do need to drive that forward.”

Mr Robinson said “the last thing we need is more consultants” and the way forward was to look to the “Scandinavian model” where fixed links are more commonplace.

While Mr Robinson has been busy as health board chairman, he said that with the pandemic easing it was beginning to feel more like “business as usual” and therefore he felt he could manage both roles.

“I wouldn’t be the first who has one both,” he said. “I will be busy, that’s for sure.”

Incumbent Stephen Leask, received the most first preference votes, said he was “surprised and delighted”.

“The first thing I’d like to do is thank the good people of Lerwick North and Bressay foir their vote.

“I feel honoured and somewhat proud to represent and serve for another five years.

“The people of the ward have laid me with the burden of responsibility and I will do my utmost to stay true to the pledge I made n the doorstep and that was that if they voted for me I would work for them

Mr Leask thanked his son, grand son and his “darling wife” for their help during the election, and also paid tribute to the other candidates for the “friendly and dignified manner” in which they conducted the election.