First Minister John Swinney has said the SNP is “working ever harder” to win Shetland at May’s Scottish Parliament election as he visits the islands for the third time since taking office.
The SNP leader said momentum is building locally and urged voters to “grasp the opportunity with both hands” when they head to the polls.
In 2016 the Liberal Democrats won the Shetland seat by 4895 votes, but in 2021 the SNP narrowed the gap to just 806 votes.
The party’s candidate this time is geologist Hannah Mary Goodlad, whose campaign has drawn attention across the islands.
Swinney pointed to previous government commitments including £20 million to support connectivity in the Northern Isles, including work exploring fixed links such as tunnels and bridges.
He also highlighted the decision to scrap mid and peak seasonal ferry fares for islanders, aimed at making travel more affordable throughout the year.
John Swinney said:
“Momentum is firmly with the SNP right across Scotland and every time I come to Shetland, I get the sense people want something different, that they know the Westminster system is broken and that Shetland needs a fresh start.
“Westminster’s tax on Scotland’s energy, its broken promises to our fishing communities and its hoarding of power in Whitehall is felt nowhere more acutely than in Shetland, it is for that reason, that I am more optimistic than ever that Hannah Mary Goodlad and the SNP can acheive a historic victory here.
“Our commitment to Shetland is clear, we’ve scrapped peak ferry fares and got the ball rolling to explore tunnels and bridges and that’s in no small part thanks to our SNP candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad.
“There is no doubt that in Hannah Mary Goodlad, Shetland would have an impressive and influential voice at the top table in Holyrood.
“While chaos has continued to absorb the Westminster parties, the SNP has been getting on with delivering on the priorities of people who live here, be that opening GP walk-in centres or scrapping peak fares, that is what the trusted leadership of an SNP government firmly on Scotland’s side guarantees.
“A fresh start with independence is within touching distance and the SNP is working ever harder to win here, the opportunity for Shetland in May is clear and it’s there to be grasped with both hands.”
The Shetland contest is once again shaping up as one of the most closely watched battlegrounds of the election, with a narrow margin last time and both sides stepping up their campaigns.
