Orkney and the Shetland islands could remain part of the UK even if Scotland votes ‘yes’ to independence
The possibility of Scotland becoming independent teeters on a knife edge given current polling but if it happens, there is the possibility that the peoples of the oil rich Orkney and Shetland islands could choose to remain with the UK.
Orcadians and Shetlanders, according to The Telegraph’s political editor Simon Johnson, have “traditionally been extremely hostile to Scottish independence and preferred Westminster government to that from Holyrood”.
Of the possibility, Travish Scott, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland commented:
“If it’s a geographical share of oil and gas you’re after, I think Orkney and Shetland have a pretty big stake in that debate too”.
“I think we have some pretty good (bargaining) chips to play and those are the ones the people of the islands should decide how they want to play in these coming years”.
Many of the 42,500 islanders are said to view Norway as their “spiritual home” and the Faroe Islands “as their closest cousins in the North Atlantic”.
Whatever next? Independence from London and the rest of the UK for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea? Why not? It’s as wealthy as Monaco after all.
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