SNP ‘working harder than ever to win Shetland’, Swinney says

John Swinney has said the SNP is “working harder than ever” to win Shetland at the next election.

Speaking on his third visit to the area since becoming First Minister, Mr Swinney said “the momentum is firmly with the SNP” as he attempts to unseat the Liberal Democrats in the area.

The SNP pointed to the the party’s falling vote share in recent years with it winning the Holyrood seat by 806 votes in 2021 – down from 4,895 in 2016.

He said “the opportunity for Shetland in May is clear and is there to be grasped with both hands”.

He added: “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 achieve a historic victory here.”

Mr Swinney, who also visited Orkney on Sunday, said his commitment to Shetland was “clear” and pointed to Sunday’s announcement on the removal of mid and peak season ferry fares for the Northern Isles Ferry Service for locals.

He also said his party had “got the ball rolling to explore tunnels and bridges” which he said “was 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,” he said.

“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.”

Emma Macdonald, Shetland Islands Council leader and Liberal Democrat candidate for Holyrood, said: “While John Swinney is in Shetland, he should announce that our tunnels will be funded, that our share of the ScotWind money that his party snatched is going to be returned and that his Government will be making energy developers pay to cut bills for islanders through a proper community benefit system.

“He can make all the speeches he likes. People care about action and that’s where his party has consistently let us down.

“He should also be honest about where his priorities lie. For me, I care about delivering on fishing, healthcare and the other issues that people are raising with me when I am knocking on doors.

“The bottom line is that John Swinney cares about breaking up the UK more than anything else and every other SNP candidate will follow his lead.”