Sandys List
At the time of his election in 2004, SIC Convenor Sandy Cluness, is reported in the Shetland Post as saying:
"I hope to see a more successful Shetland with an economy that's moving forwards while maintaining the very high standard of services that we have, Essentially I believe that Shetland has the potential to be a much bigger community. But I think a degree of autonomy is essential to achieve that."
What he's after is what's known as the Wallace Amendment to the original Scotland Act, which would give us control over this list of services: passenger and road transport; sea and air transport; police; fire services; water and sewage; functions of SEPA; coast protection; inshore fisheries; powers held by the Crown Estate; liquor licensing; Historic Scotland functions; tourism; land use; planning; further education; careers advice; sport and arts. He's particularly keen on the idea of local control of our fisheries, which he sees as the main plank in building a strong local economy."
The article goes on:
"What's more, he wants a campaign for and a referendum on local autonomy for the isles, going so far as to raise our own taxes to pay for our own government."
It continues:
"We need to persuade the Scottish Executive to allow us to proceed along these lines, but first the Shetland people have to show that they want to do this. If they are content to just be a local government area of Scotland, then that's it."
So far, no referendum and little progress on these ambitions.