Stuart Hill is standing as an Independent candidate for the Orkney & Shetland constituency. Here he gives his views on what he can offer the electorate.

One of the reasons claimed by the UK government that Shetland is part of Scotland is that we send representatives to parliament. In other words, by electing an MP, we validate the UK’s power here. Is it better to give somebody a fat salary and send them to be one of 650 MP’s trying to get their voice heard, or is it better to keep our money and decision making here?

The madness is compounded when all the UK has to back their presumption of authority is a magazine article.

The problem of equality runs far deeper than Robina Barton, Labour candidate seems to think. Big government, Big business and Big banking all work together to make themselves bigger at the expense of little people. Nothing will change until we stop giving them our support and consent.

Orkney and Shetland have the chance to do just that. Normally we are never given the choice of whether to elect an MP or not, except by just not voting. This time we have that choice. I have no intention of pledging allegiance to what is, in essence, a foreign occupying power. Shetland’s net contribution (after we pay all our taxes and get back all the subsidies) is £82 million every year. We subsidise the UK with £82 million for them to spend on illegal wars, bail out privately owned banks, high speed trains and so on.

If we don’t send it to the UK in the first place, for them to send to the EU, each getting their cut before we get back the dregs, that £82 million will solve the poverty problem in Shetland. It will stop our rural schools being closed, cut or eliminate ferry fares and a whole lot more.

Most importantly, a vote for me takes agriculture and fisheries off the Brexit negotiating table – a claim none of the party candidates can make. I say we must take back the power and wake up on June 9^th owning our land, our seas and our seabed.

What we do in Shetland will ripple out to the rest of the world. This election has far more importance than many people realise.

General Election 2017: Orkney and Shetland Candidates
Labour: Robina Barton
SNP: Miriam Brett
Liberal Democrats: Alistair Carmichael
Independent: Stuart Hill
Conservative: Jamie Halcro Johnston
UKIP: Robert Smith