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She promises to give us something which was promised two years ago... as well as something the Council has been negotiating over for years (inter island ferry funding)...

Is she saying if she doesn't get elected we won't get these things.. which we have already been promised by her Government?  :ponders:

She also says she would like to see the CFP reformed or scrapped (hurrah!) but that seems at odds with her parties stance of rejoining the EU.

I don't want to vote SNP or Lib Dems due to their current tendency to ignore democratic results. I don't want to vote for the Tories because I basically disagree with everything they do (minus there candidates stance on the fishing industry). Maybe I will protest vote for Stuart Hill, at least he supports Shetland autonomy, although I have always disagreed with his methods. 

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^ what was their westminster group needing an economic advisor for anyway - to figure out whether they could afford chocolate degestives or have to make do with plain ones

 

its not like that group have a function, fifty odd against five hundred odd - it didn't win at the alamo and doesn't work in london either

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I'm all for keeping the pressure on the SNP to fulfill their promise of cheaper ferry fares for Shetland and Orkney sooner rather than later but as far as I can see they've not reneged on that Scottish election manifesto pledge.

They only won the election this time last year, they're one year into a five year parliamentary term, if at the end of the five year term there's no reduction in ferry fares then they can be judged at the ballot box.

If this unexpected early UK election spurs them on then all the better, I've got a ferry to book later in the year and family visiting after that.

Edited by Capeesh
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i dont really get the lower ferry fares thing the vast majority of folk travelling are doing so for pleasure not necessity its a choice they make

 

are freight charge reductions not far more important the cheaper it is to import and export the more bouyant the local economy is and the more money is about to keep wages up and pay for fares whatever their cost.

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I'm more concerned about keeping well paid jobs in Shetland.

 

If folk do not have such jobs then i guess they will not be in a position to travel on the ferries anyway.

 

We need to get our priorities correct.

What jobs are you referring to and how do you propose we keep them? Per capita I reckon there are a lot of higher paid jobs in Shetland, this is reflected by our massive contributions to the national economy. 

 

 

i dont really get the lower ferry fares thing the vast majority of folk travelling are doing so for pleasure not necessity its a choice they make

 

are freight charge reductions not far more important the cheaper it is to import and export the more bouyant the local economy is and the more money is about to keep wages up and pay for fares whatever their cost.

 

Assume (and hope!) you are referring to the Northlink rather than the inter island ferries. Comparing the two is apples and oranges but far more people depend on travelling on the inter island routes daily. As you say, Northlink freight charges are more relevant economically than passenger fares. 

 

However, overly high fares stifle tourism which is bad for the economy and also restricts peoples ability to travel to the Mainland, sometimes but not always a necessity. Even still, it is a (massively) subsidised, domestic, lifeline service - if it is too expensive for the average family to go to the Mainland once a year then there is something far wrong with it IMO.

 

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i dont really get the lower ferry fares thing the vast majority of folk travelling are doing so for pleasure not necessity its a choice they make

 

are freight charge reductions not far more important the cheaper it is to import and export the more bouyant the local economy is and the more money is about to keep wages up and pay for fares whatever their cost.

 

Assume (and hope!) you are referring to the Northlink rather than the inter island ferries. Comparing the two is apples and oranges but far more people depend on travelling on the inter island routes daily. As you say, Northlink freight charges are more relevant economically than passenger fares.

 

yup definitely two entirely different things

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With the economic changes in the oil and building industry, zero hour contracts,also modern technology reducing the need for manpower if what I hear on the grapevine is correct a number of well paid jobs are at risk throughout .

 

Lerwick Harbour Trust has spent thousands at Dales Voe preparing a site for decommissioning work but with this new vessel that can now remove the oil rigs directly of there legs possibly I'm being sceptical but i cannot see much of that line of work coming this way. 

 

Just possible that there is already some contracts in place

 

is there any political influence that will help. :roll:

 

Jobs come and go but looking back a few years their is not so many steady well paid good pensioned positions around that used to be.

 

But when all is said and done if all ferry fares could be reduced that would be a help.

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