donald Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 If anyone hasn't yet signed the petition at the Scottish Parliament's website calling for referenda to be held in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles, this is to urge them to do so. The referenda, to be held on 25 September 2014, one week after the Scottish independence referendum, will allow islanders to decide the status of our islands. For each island group, the available options will be as follows: 1) to become an independent country2) to stay in Scotland And if Scotland voted the week before to become independent, there will also be a third option: 3) to leave Scotland and stay in the UK. Anybody may sign the petition by clicking here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/islandgroups . The process of signing takes about 15 seconds. Click on the following links for coverage of the petition in the world media: Shetland News, Orcadian, Stornoway Gazette, Herald, Press and Journal, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times, Business Week, Fox News, Washington Post, USA Today, in China, Russia, India, Australia, the Lebanon, etc. etc. etc. Please note that this is not a petition in favour of any particular option. Whichever option you prefer, or if you haven't made up your mind, you should sign this petition if you support islanders having the right to decide the status of our islands. Not indirectly, through politicians. Not "in principle". But directly, by voting in an official referendum on 25 September. Please also note that whereas of course only islanders will have a vote in the referenda, signatures are very welcome from anybody who wants us to be able to decide the status of our islands. It doesn't matter whether they live in the islands, in mainland Scotland, elsewhere in the UK or anywhere else in the world. The demand for these referenda has already been publicised around the world, and that's a very positive thing. If you are a non-islander and you don't think islanders should have a referendum, then hey, maybe cheer up a bit and live and live! If you are an islander and you don't think islanders should have a referendum, then either stop being so pessimistic about your neighbours or...simply abstain in the referendum. Easy! The petition will close on 28 April 2014. In the first week and a bit, it has already gained over 900 signatures, but it would be good to gain many more, perhaps 10,000. We are already past the stage where the Scottish Parliament will have to debate the request for islands referenda. They will certainly do that now. But we wish to make our voices so loud that the Scottish Government will have no choice but to hold the referenda! Please circulate this notice if you wish the petition to be successful! Donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davie P Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I think this is a very interesting idea, and I can't see a reason why not to sign the petition. The worst that can happen is that it'll put Shetland (et al) in a stronger bargaining position with the rest of Scotland / the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 As Shetlands greatest export is people, this could be a way for them to have a say on their own thoughts about their roots. Some may not want folk to have the choice for fear of the "wrong" choice. As with the "Yes" or "No" vote it is up to residents really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna M Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Does anyone know of a site similar to Shetlink but for Orkney or the Western Isles? I'd like to post a notice like Gordon's there, about this petition I spent ages searching the web and I couldn't find anything as vibrant and popular as Shetlink, but the other island groups have got similar sized populations, so surely something of the kind exists? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.smith Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Why would we want to spend money on yet another referendum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Orkney Live is up and running, sister to Shetland Live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 (edited) just one little point your sending the referendum to the wrong place. until Scotland gains its independence you need to send it to London. The Scottish Parliament does not have the powers or rights to grant such a thing. It wont be a week afterwards either Scotland won't be independent until quite a while later. further to that you can't change the question within a week. that smacks of the Russian option. Do you want to be part of Russia now or latter. Edited April 1, 2014 by paulb brian.smith 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.smith Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 just one little point your sending the referendum to the wrong place. until Scotland gains its independence you need to send it to London. The Scottish Parliament does not have the powers or rights to grant such a thing. It wont be a week afterwards either Scotland won't be independent until quite a while later. further to that you can't change the question within a week. that smacks of the Russian option. Do you want to be part of Russia now or latter. And some thoughts on financial implications might also be usefull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 (edited) just one little point your sending the referendum to the wrong place. until Scotland gains its independence you need to send it to London. The Scottish Parliament does not have the powers or rights to grant such a thing. It wont be a week afterwards either Scotland won't be independent until quite a while later. further to that you can't change the question within a week. that smacks of the Russian option. Do you want to be part of Russia now or latter. I don't know what you mean about "Do you want to be part of Russia now or later". These referenda won't ask trick questions or offer false choices. The options are very real and very different. The Scottish Parliament doesn't publish petitions which are frivolous. Let the Scottish Parliament make the Scottish Government back these referenda. The Scottish Government can certainly do that, and they will do it if there's enough pressure on them. The British Government could technically block them, but I don't think they would - do you? As for the Scottish Government, they have already said they support Shetland's right to self-determination, albeit only in a mealy-mouthed way. The argument that what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander is very clear. We need a clear declaration as soon as possible and a fixed date for these referenda. They should be held regardless of what the Scottish result was, not only after Scottish independence. If Scotland is going to go independent, Shetland's status should be decided before it actually does. Obviously if Scotland goes independent, then Shetland's status will certainly change one way or another. The question is what is the best change. The reason that the option of leaving Scotland and staying in the UK would only be included if the Scottish result was "yes" is because there is substantial support for leaving Scotland and staying in the UK if Scotland becomes independent whereas there is hardly any support (nowadays) for doing so if it doesn't. If what I've just said is shown to be false, then I would agree that option 3) should be included no matter what. All options should be included which might get substantial support. That's what it means for islanders to have the right to decide. If someone can show there is substantial support for a Norwegian option, which I don't think they can, then that should be included too. Edited April 1, 2014 by donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 And some thoughts on financial implications might also be usefullI agree. Once the referenda are called, that will doubtless be debated at length and in detail. The figure often quoted is that an independent Scotland will lose 67% of its oil if it doesn't include Shetland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna M Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 An image that says it all: http://i57.tinypic.com/wgrixi.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 if shetland joins with the remainder of the uk the red ring will be 12 miles around us. which equals no oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna M Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 (edited) if shetland joins with the remainder of the uk the red ring will be 12 miles around us. which equals no oil.That's just SNP propaganda. Sometimes they cite this article by Mahdi Zahraa, but it doesn't support what they say. The Exclusive Economic Zone of the Faroe Islands runs for 200 miles, and they even have UN-recognised rights outside of that zone. (Source). Edited April 1, 2014 by Lorna M Frances144 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasmie Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 If the 12 mile zone applied Scotland would'nt have any oil at all at all. so no need for the SNP to worry about oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.smith Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 And some thoughts on financial implications might also be usefullI agree. Once the referenda are called, that will doubtless be debated at length and in detail. The figure often quoted is that an independent Scotland will lose 67% of its oil if it doesn't include Shetland. what happens when it runs out as it will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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