Shetland debate

Published on 23/01/2013 00:00

As a footnote to the Shetland independence debate that recently appeared in your paper, it should be noted that during his appearance on Andrew Neil’s Politics Show discussing that topic, the Western Isles MP, Angus B MacNeil, put forward the interesting suggestion that – following the referendum of 2014 – Scotland could be divided into “cantons” being governed in a similar way to Switzerland.

This is clearly a system well suited to that nation, as it possesses a great variety of languages – such as French, German, Italian and Romansh – as well as mountain ranges that were impassable until recent times.

Would someone be good enough to tell me if the Scottish Government intends to pursue this policy? Or was Mr MacNeil simply “yodelling”, making his contribution to public debate in this country in his customary Double-Dutch or fluent “Cantonese”? I think we should be told.

Donald S Murray

Shetland