I know the weather this summer – especially during the recent Island Games – has been pretty kind to the islands to say the least, so let’s hope that Storm Floris is a distant memory by the time folk start flocking to the Bignold Park for the biggest event of Orkney’s agricultural calendar.

As this is the final season of agricultural shows ahead of next May’s Scottish Parliament elections, I have definitely been getting vibes on what voters are looking for ahead of that visit to the ballot box, and I suspect Orkney will be no exception.

I am keen to hear where folk are at in terms of independence and what it means to them as we look ahead to the vote in nine months time.

From where I stand, I would not be an MSP if it hadn’t been for the 2014 referendum on independence, and that was all about wanting to make a difference and realising that such a vote would allow me to have an influence. It was my belief in fairness, in community and in the idea that decisions about our future were better made by the folk in Scotland than elsewhere, that led me to the SNP.

My belief is even stronger today, in a Scotland that has been taken out of the EU against our will, and which is suffering under a Labour government at Westminster that has picked up where the disastrous Tories left off.

While many voters may need some persuading, myself and other SNP activists will be laying out the argument for an SNP win in 2026 as the only way to deliver independence and the fresh start this country so desperately needs.

Remember that, while my summer surgeries reflect where I will be holding meetings, visiting organisations and meeting with constituents who have already asked for face-to-face support, you don’t need to wait for a surgery to raise an issue with me.

Contact me at any time and I will do what I can to help.

Get me on email at emma.roddick.msp@parliament.scot, 

phone 014635 63036,

or write to me at M4.04 Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP.

Last but not least, if you are like me and use the Northern Isles Ferry services run by NorthLink regularly, you might want to respond to a consultation from Transport Scotland, which is aimed at shaping the next generation of ferry contract, ensuring the ferry services are reliable and resilient for years to come.

The survey runs until 13th October, and you can take part at this link: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/ferries/northern-isles-ferry-services-4/

This is a regular column by SNP MSP Emma Roddick, all Highlands and Islands MSPs have been offered the same space to share their personal views in The Orkney News.