Orkney votes to explore 'alternative governance'

Orkney councillors person voted to analyse alternate methods of governance amid heavy frustrations implicit backing and opportunities.

Council person James Stockan said the land had been "held down" and accused the Scottish and UK governments of discrimination.

His motion led to media speculation that Orkney could permission the UK oregon go a self-governing territory of Norway.

It was supported by 15 votes to six.

It means assembly officers person been asked to people a study to Orkney's main enforcement connected options of governance.

This includes looking astatine the "Nordic connections" of the archipelago and crown dependencies specified arsenic Jersey and Guernsey.

A further alteration which would spot the revival of a consultative radical connected law betterment for the islands was accepted without the request for a vote.

On Monday, the premier minister's spokesperson rejected the proposition the islands could loosen its ties with the union.

Mr Stockan urged councillors to backmost his thought to find caller ways to get greater fiscal information and economical opportunities for Orcadians.

Speaking to councillors connected Tuesday, helium said the question was "not astir america joining Norway".

He added: "I accidental it's clip for authorities to instrumentality america earnestly and I accidental it's clip for america to look astatine each the options we've got.

"There is simply a acold bigger suite of options present - this could adjacent beryllium that we could get our wealth nonstop from the Treasury successful London and look aft our ain future.

"We person been held down and we each cognize astir of what I could accidental contiguous successful presumption of favoritism against this assemblage from governments. We each cognize however overmuch little we get compared to different land groups."

Orkney Islands Council previously voted successful 2017 to look astatine whether the islands could person greater autonomy.

While councillors wanted to person a "stronger voice", they did not backmost afloat independency for Orkney.

Currently, astir of the island's 21 councillors beryllium arsenic independents - 2 are Greens.

Mr Stockan has said an ageing ferry fleet is among the issues being faced by islanders.

He antecedently told the BBC the concern was "critical" due to the fact that the ferries, which are older than the Western Isles fleet, were opening to fail.

His concerns were wide shared by different councillors, nevertheless immoderate raised issues with self-governance, specified arsenic the outgo of carrying retired specified investigations.

Cllr Steven Heddle besides mentioned disadvantages including having to bargain backmost the oversea bed, and tuition fees for students wishing to survey successful Scotland.

He called Mr Stockan's efforts "politics of grievance" and said that each assembly felt hard done by, citing roads successful Edinburgh that were "worse" than Orkney's contempt the assembly having acold much funding.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's authoritative spokesperson said: "First and foremost determination is nary mechanics for the conferral of Crown Dependency oregon Overseas Territory presumption connected immoderate portion of the UK.

"We person nary plans to alteration the devolution colony we are supporting Orkney with £50m to turn the economical prosperity of the Scottish islands, done the islands deal.

"But the government's presumption is that the UK is stronger united."

Orkney was antecedently held nether Norwegian and Danish power until it became portion of Scotland successful 1472.

The islands were utilized arsenic information for the wedding dowry of Margaret of Denmark, the aboriginal woman of King James III of Scotland.

The Scottish authorities said successful 2023-24 Orkney Islands Council would person £89.7m to money services, with an other £4.6m from an summation successful assembly taxation by 10%.

A spokesperson added it was "committed to supporting land communities".

The Norwegian authorities declined to remark connected the proposals.