Councillors - Elections & Golden Goodbyes

[bigdandancingman]

Hans from Shetland News is offering all candidates a "cyber soapbox" on the website, they are creating a section just for the election. Drop him an email to let him know you are standing.

 

Do you think I could get away with Bidandancingman on that ?

[bigdandancingman]

well folk tomorrow is the final deadline!!

 

So far da folk dat I know have declaired are: Bill Manson, Alastiar Cooper, Barbara Cheyne, Kenny Hughson and maybe me??

 

Anybody ken of anyone else wi-in da Nort end?

[Mary]

Bigdancingman, Go for it - you may not get in but it's a chance to highlight all the issues you've just brought up. Northmavine's sent young eens to da Cooncil afore - Chris Dowle was in his twenties when he won the seat. Good luck

[Jonners]

So bigdancingman is unmasked as Daniel Robertson, the youngest person to be standing for the Shetland Islands Council in the Shetland north ward. Good luck Daniel!

 

It seems that democracy is alive and well in Shetland - there seems to be a huge amount of people standing this time.

[Muppet]

It seems that democracy is alive and well in Shetland - there seems to be a huge amount of people standing this time.

 

It might be an intersesting bit of fun to set up a mock poll on here! Have to trust people to only vote in their own wards though.

 

Moderators

[pernjim]

Thank the Lord I'm not voting in the South Lerwick ward. I'd be hard pushed to find one decent candidate.

 

Yes, there's certainly plenty of candidates standing across the board - but on the whole they're a rum bunch. I'm quite disappointed, I thought there would be more women and less old fools.

[peeriebryan]

BigDanDancingMan in the news

[JustMe]

Fascinating choice for me......Sandy Cluness from the council against Caroline Miller from the Chris Hodge debate and Allan Wishart from the "don't build a bridge there" campaign. Alternatively a postman, a socialist and an independent woman. To be honest I have yet to decide how my votes will be arranged and I intend to keep an open mind until I have heard from the candidates as to why they deserve my vote.

 

One good thing to come from the new system is that we all have a choice of candidates. The SIC has power to make decisions that affect our lives and it has to be right that we get that choice.

 

To those that might ask why, if I want choice, I did not stand myself is a reasonable enough question and deserves an answer. Stress!........I would be awake at nights worrying about the decisions we had made or were about to make.

 

Of course having got elections we really should try to vote in both elections. Either for the party or the candidate and we have little choice of party in the SIC election but following belief or instinct we still should vote.

[BigMouth]

It is unlikely that I will vote.

 

I have always thought that it is a shame that you can't convert an unused vote into cash

[Ghostrider]

It seems that democracy is alive and well in Shetland - there seems to be a huge amount of people standing this time.

 

Am I alone in thinking that while the ward shake up, "pensioning" off some of the present encumbents etc etc may have generated some interest, on the whole what we're being asked to vote for is more of less just more of the same as we've always had.

 

I'll reserve judgement until I've heard all the manifestoes of what I have to choose among, but on the face of it the only reason I see that's going to make me vote for anyone, is to make sure one certain individual doesn't get in....

[Bluemax]

I have read the manifesto's that are available for the South Mainland ward on the Shetland news website, and am certain that I wont be voting for the present incumbent, time for a change and some new faces, I wonder how much as the council's "transport spokesman" he truely knew about the SLAP investment in Scatsta?

[Rasmie]

YES YES YES.

Well past the sell by date. We really don't have a choice I'll be voting

Nickerson, Budge and Hunter

 

the gruelly heads haven't come up with a viable candidate only a ?liberal? jehovah witness! and no cunschels

[penfold]

I would certainly back candidates that would vigoursly back investment in the South Mainland, while the airport should certainly be supported, I feel that there should be an effort to diversify the economy of the area further.

[shetlander]

It seems that democracy is alive and well in Shetland - there seems to be a huge amount of people standing this time.

 

Am I alone in thinking that while the ward shake up, "pensioning" off some of the present encumbents etc etc may have generated some interest, on the whole what we're being asked to vote for is more of less just more of the same as we've always had.

 

I'll reserve judgement until I've heard all the manifestoes of what I have to choose among, but on the face of it the only reason I see that's going to make me vote for anyone, is to make sure one certain individual doesn't get in....

 

Well who are those new faces going to be if they aren't you or me?

 

As I’ve said before, many of us will have our reasons - or in some cases excuses - to decide not to stand. But if those reasons are good enough for us, aren't they just as good for everyone else? So why should we expect a broader spectrum of candidates to stand (and then moan about the same-old-same) if we recognise why we don't want to ourselves?

[Ghostrider]

^^^Fair comment. However the point I was trying to make was that the changes which have been made this time round to attempt to encourage new blood have made little difference. It's costing the taxpayer a considerable sum, yet is producing little by way of results.

 

Obviously the old arguments of there being "no point in trying to go up against the present incumbent", and of it not being finiancially viable to stand, don't hold just all that much water. The real reasons for apathy obviously lie elsewhere and are yet to be identified and tackled.