24 February, 2006

Have we moved?

"A GROUND breaking organic wool production scheme which could protect rare island sheep breeds is being launched in Shetland, with the help of people on neighbouring islands Orkney and Mull."

So Mull moved did it; or was it us?

Sue Beer





17 February, 2006

Just paying Danegeld

SO IT seems from your report (Box Safe for Three Years - 15 February) that all the parties bar one want to work for Scottish trawlermen, that one being my own, the UK Independence Party.

A few facts amid the hype. The Stihler Report did not "fight off" an armada of Mediterranean fishermen as is claimed by the other parties. Far from it. It merely commented upon a statement already prepared by the Commission. It was what is called an 'own initiative' report and thus had no legislative impact. Essentially it was a back slapping exercise that made a few suggestions to add to what had already been decided.

To be fair to Ms Stihler the deal that she supports, that is 40 per cent of the quota being secured for British trawlers is the best deal on the table. But that is because she, and her colleagues in the other parties, all agree with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that has decimated both the Scottish fishing fleet and fish stocks around Britain.

In the UK Independence Party we believe that British waters are British, not a European Common resource. The hypocrites in the Conservatives, Scots Nats, Lib Dems and Labour feel that 40 per cent is a good deal. It isn't.

When Britain regains control of her territorial waters the number of British boats could be doubled, the number of British jobs could be doubled and we could still conserve stocks better than the European Union has done.

In no way is the CFP a good deal for Britain, her trawlermen and her fish stocks.

Only last year the Tory Party had as a manifesto Commitment that they would repatriate the CFP, but they know that this was hypocrisy. Time and time again the European Commission has made clear that if Britain was to do this it would be expelled from the EU.

The most recent restatement of the EU's position on British withdrawal from the CFP was in a response to the author of yesterday's report Catherine Stihler (Question E-3587/04) "there is no possibility for one Member State to decide unilaterally that it can be exempt from its obligations stemming from Common Fisheries Policy rules."

The UK Independence Party is the only party that both recognises this fact and welcomes it. The rest are just paying Danegeld.

Yours sincerely,

Nigel Farage MEP (UKIP)





8 February 2006

Fuel poor in an oil rich county

The irony of living in a rich country but being fuel poor, British Gas rises, will not be lost on the population of a country that discovered oil and against all the odds got poorer.

We can thank Gordon Brown and the other Labour Party hacks given a name check on the Radio 4 programme about the civil service in London making the political case against Scotland's Oil wealth funding Independence. Gordon Brown et al put career first, well ahead of the prospects of the people of Scotland.

What would have happened in Scotland had we followed Norway's example and set up a Scottish Statoil to manipulate the oil to Scotland's benefit? Norway is a wonderful example of a small country that discovered oil, got richer and had the wit to stay out of the EU.

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Spokesperson
Free Scotland Party
www.freescotlandparty.org




7 February, 2006

Greening the SIC

Re recent news item "Cash to cut car use"

AS THE largest employer in Shetland the SIC is in the best position to embrace this Scottish Executive initiative. This idea is not new though, in fact ideas to cut the growing queue of single occupant cars all streaming into Lerwick in the morning then out again at tea time has been suggested in the past.

Car sharing is a great idea on its own merits but the potential goes further than the journey to and from work, it could be used to cut the queue of SIC staff travelling to the outer isles all in their own vehicles.

I was on the Yell ferry last summer and I counted seven SIC personnel in their own cars heading for meetings in Yell or Unst - here is an opportunity to look at car-sharing savings in several areas.

Some years ago when the SIC had severe accommodation problems and were renting all sorts of expensive private commercial office space (maybe they still do?) I put forward the idea to identify how many SIC posts could be done from home or decanted into the rural areas, which staff would like to work from home or in their community - either on a full time or so many days per week etc. We could see social care, education, development, planning etc having personnel giving advice/support etc. Local council outposts would bring council services into the community, provide additional economic activity, reduce any office accommodation pressures, allow employees that see working from home as a definite benefit and reduce commuting for both SIC workers and folk needing council service/advise.

I was almost laughed at but think about it for a moment! We have seen millions of £s spent on village halls that sit empty for days if not weeks, particularly during the working week.

There are lots of resource saving ideas both big and small, perhaps this Scottish Executive "Cash to cut car use" initiative and the council's recent positive move to adopt an environmental policy will herald a new vision for the future?

Vic Thomas
Sandwick