Highlands and Islands MSP, Rhoda Grant, Labour, has criticised the deal reached between the Scottish Greens and the SNP to form a Government in Scotland – the Bute Agreement – in May last year.

Rhoda Grant insists that an Islands Impact Assessment – Islands Proofing – should have been done before the deal was agreed.

She said:

“The SNP knew when they signed up to this agreement that it would have significant impacts on transport links, infrastructure, environmental policies and energy policies to name a few.

“Those issues are felt more keenly and require tailor made solutions in Scotland’s islands and so the entire agreement should have been robustly tested with an ICIA well before the Government committed itself so completely to implementing compromises designed around large central belt population centres.

“The Bute House Agreement has had an immediate impact on people requiring new government supported central heating system.  These are not compatible with old drafty houses.  Yet our islands where fuel poverty is rampant are being refused any other type of heating regardless of whether or not heat pumps are suitable. 

“This is forcing more people into fuel poverty and may mean that elderly people are being left with no heating at all.  Yet no Island impact assessment has been carried out on such a key policy.

“By not undertaking an ICIA from the start the Government has in practical terms admitted that they don’t care what detrimental impacts these assessments show up, it’s a tick box consultation exercise where people are presented with Fait Accompli’s.

“The SNP and the Greens have no intention of centring island communities as part of the policy building process. They’ve sold these communities out on everyday lifeline issues just for another few years at power and to flog the dead horse of independence.”

Replying to Rhoda Grant John Swinney, Deputy First Minister said :

“Island Communities Impact Assessments (ICIAs) and all other relevant impact assessments will be undertaken, as appropriate, as and when individual policies and programmes set out in the Shared Policy programme come forward for implementation.”

2021 Scottish Parliament Elections – Results – Islands Authorities & Regional Vote

Scotland has a Proportional Representation voting system for the elections to The Scottish Parliament. Electors vote for a Constituency MSP (candidate vote) and for a Regional MSP (political party vote).

In the 3 Islands Authorities – Orkney, Shetland, Na h-Eileanan an Iar – the voting totals were as follows:

The Scottish Greens did not field candidates in the Constituencies

	Con/Unionist	Lab	Lib/Dem	SNP
Na h-Eileanan an Iar	2,116	4,013	353	7,454
Orkney	699	290	11,596	3,369
Shetland	503	424	5,803	4,997
MSP elected	0	0	2	1
Total	3,318	4,727	17,752	15,820

In the Highlands and Islands Regional vote which includes the three Islands Authorities, electors vote for a political party the votes were as follows:

	Con/Unionist	Lab	Lib/Dem	Scot Greens	SNP
Votes	60,779	22,713	26,771	17,729	96,433
MSPs	4	1	0	1	1

Fiona Grahame