Orkney council considers whether or not to develop into territory of Norway
O
rkney Islands Council is about to discover its “Nordic connections” because it discusses different types of governance which may see the islands’ authorized standing change.
Council chief James Stockan has put ahead a movement which says it’s time for Orkney to think about different types of governance which may present extra financial alternative.
It suggests this might embody taking a look at crown dependencies equivalent to Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
“Nordic connections” are additionally steered, with a report going earlier than a council assembly this week mentioning the Faroe Islands – a self-governing territory of Denmark within the North Sea.
The council chief’s movement doesn’t commit the council to any of those choices and the officers’ report notes that any constitutional change would seemingly require a mix of petitions, referenda and laws at Holyrood and Westminster.
Mr Stockan instructed the BBC he felt that Orkney is being “failed dreadfully” by Governments in each Edinburgh and London.
Funding is much less per head than Shetland and the Western Isles obtain, he mentioned.
Orkney was below Norwegian and Danish management till 1472 when the islands got to Scotland as a part of Margaret of Denmark’s wedding ceremony dowry to King James III of Scotland.
Mr Stockan instructed the BBC: “We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom.
“On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry, when are we going back to Norway.
“There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible.”
The Scottish Lib Dem MSP for Orkney, Liam McArthur, mentioned he supported empowering island communities however warned there are risks in “putting up barriers”.
He mentioned: “I am due to meet local councillors on Monday and will be interested to learn more about what is envisaged.
“There were similar proposals considered by OIC around the time of the last independence referendum and I am keen to understand how these would differ.
“Locally, I think islanders will also want to be reassured that this exercise won’t result in council resources being taken away from the day-to-day running of services at a time when these are under real pressure.”