Shetland Elects

Swinney to return to the isles on two-day visit First minister to be main guest at a public event hosted by SNP parliamentary candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad

Scottish First Minister John Swinney (SNP) will be visiting Shetland later in the month. He will attend a public event hosted by Shetland's SNP candidate in next year's Scottish Parliament election, Hannah Mary Goodlad. www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/08/11/s...

Shetland, Scottish Parliament regional list vote, Shetland Elects August 2025 projection:

Liberal Democrats: 30% (+3)
Scottish National Party: 22% (-12)
Reform UK: 17% (+16)
Greens: 14% (+4)
Labour: 12% (+4)
Conservatives: 3% (-13)
Alba: 2% (+1)

+/- vs. 2021 election

Shetland, Scottish Parliament constituency, Shetland Elects August 2025 projection:

Liberal Democrats: 48% (+1)
Scottish National Party: 25% (-1)
Reform UK: 15%
Greens: 7%
Labour: 4% (+1)
Alba: 1%
Conservatives: <1%

+/- vs. June 2025 projection

Shetland Times poll:

Are the school summer holidays too long?

Yes: 33%
No: 67%

Period: 4-8 August 2025
Sample size: 985

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Australia, Final election result:

Tasmania regional seat projection

LIB (Centre-right): 14
ALP (Centre-left): 10
GRN (Green): 5
Ind. (*): 5 (+2)
SFF (Right): 1 (+1)

+/- vs. Last election result

➤ oceaniaelects.com/australia

Australia (Tasmania): The Liberal Party (Centre-right) won the plurality of votes in every electoral division at the 2025 state election. Independents (*) gained seats in Bass and Franklin, while SFF (Right) won their first seat in Lyons.

➤ oceaniaelects.com/australia

Shetland Times poll:

Should the late cancellation fees be introduced for NorthLink Ferries bookings?

Yes: 58%
No: 42%

Period: 25-31 July 2025
Sample size: 720

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Imagine if Shetland had this!

The funeral of former councillor Mary Colligan (known as Maisie) was held last week. She represented various Delting wards between 1990 and 2003.

Her one contested election was in 1999, which she won handily.

Shetland Times poll:

Should the UK voting age be lowered to 16?

Yes: 39%
No: 61%

Period: 18-26 July 2025
Sample size: 303

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

It took just three weeks for this new printing arrangement to be disrupted by fog.

And to celebrate, Faroe will be hosting the 21st Island Games in 2027 - a third 'win' on the horizon?

This is only the second time that Faroe has won the most gold medals in the Island Games - after 2009.

Number of times each island has 'won' the games:

Jersey: 7
Isle of Man: 5
Guernsey: 4
Faroe: 2
Åland: 1
Gotland: 1

Faroe has won the 2025 Island Games! Final medal tally:

Faroe: 95
Isle of Man: 80
Jersey: 75
Guernsey: 59
Cayman Islands: 37
Orkney: 31
Shetland: 17
Isle of Wight: 16
Åland: 15
Menorca: 14
Western Isles: 11
Gibraltar: 9
Ynys Môn: 8
Saaremaa: 7
Bermuda: 5
Falkland Islands: 5
Greenland: 5
...

Shetland Times poll:

Are the flies worse than ever this summer?

Yes: 75%
No: 25%

Period: 11-18 July 2025
Sample size: 472

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Faroe: a Spyr poll in May found the conservative People's Party surging to 34%.

This is the highest any party has polled in Faroe since at least 2019 and it would mark a decisive defeat for the incumbent government led by Aksel V. Johannesen of the centre-left Social Democratic Party.

2025 Island Games medal tally:

Jersey: 60 (+40)
Faroe: 59 (+26)
Isle of Man: 47 (+22)
Guernsey: 38 (+23)
Cayman Islands: 23 (+14)
Orkney: 23 (+16)
Menorca: 11 (+8)
Shetland: 13 (+10)
Åland: 11 (+5)
Gibraltar: 9 (+3)
Western Isles: 6 (+4)
Isle of Wight: 6 (+4)
Saaremaa: 6 (+4)

+/- vs. 15 July

2025 Island Games medal tally:

Faroe: 33
Isle of Man: 25
Jersey: 20
Guernsey: 15
Cayman Islands: 9
Orkney: 7
Gibraltar: 6
Åland: 6
Shetland: 4
Menorca: 3
Falkland Islands: 3
Western Isles: 2
Ynys Môn: 2
Isle of Wight: 2
Saaremaa: 2
Greenland: 1
Gotland: 1
Gozo: 1

Shetland Times poll:

Should The Shetland Times change its spelling of Up-Helly-A' to Up-Helly-Aa?

Yes: 80%
No: 20%

Period: 4-12 July 2025
Sample size: 1,346

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Orkney and Shetland UK constituency, More in Common MRP projection:

Liberal Democrat: 38% (-15)
Scottish National Party: 19% (+7)
Reform UK: 17% (+1)
Labour: 6% (-5)
Conservative: 5% (+3)
Green: 2% (+2)

+/- vs. April 2025

Fieldwork: 13-30 June 2025

Debate around single authority for Western Isles Councillors discuss the pros and cons following concerns about a £26.5m budget deficit.

The BBC recently ran an article on the debate in the Western Isles over introducing a single island authority model - an option that is also supported by Orkney Islands Council but has been rejected for Shetland by Shetland Islands Council www.bbc.com/news/article...

Shetland Times poll:

Do you think offshore windfarms can benefit Shetland?

Yes: 28%
No: 72%

Period: 27 June - 6 July 2025
Sample size: 605

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

According to Shetland Elects' projection, the Liberal Democrats are currently the overwhelming favourite to hold the seat next year. In June 2025, the party was projected to have the support of 47% of voters, with the SNP in second place at 26%.

The election is 10 months away.

BREAKING: Emma Macdonald, leader of Shetland Islands Council, has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland's constituency in next year's Scottish Parliament constituency.

She won against Environment and Transport Committee chair Moraig Lyall in a vote among local party members.

Shetland Times poll:

Should all drugs be legalised and regulated?

Yes: 63%
No: 38%

Period: 20-28 June 2025
Sample size: 707

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Orkney and Shetland UK constituency, YouGov MRP projection:

Liberal Democrat: 49% (-6)
Reform UK: 16% (+8)
Scottish National Party: 15% (-2)
Green: 8% (-2)
Labour: 7%
Conservative: 5% (+2)

+/- vs. 2024 election

Fieldwork: 29 May - 18 June 2025

New future beckons for the paper - The Shetland Times After a period of uncertainty, the future of The Shetland Times has been secured.

BREAKING: The Shetland Times has been purchased by Highland News and Media, publisher of The Inverness Courier and the John O'Groat Journal, thereby saving the newspaper from closure.

The paper will now be printed on the mainland and go on sale on Thursdays.

www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2025/06/27/n...

Shetland Times poll:

Would you be willing to try surströmming (fermented herring)?

Yes: 27%
No: 73%

Period: 13-21 June 2025
Sample size: 262

(Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Orkney Islands Council's Policy and Resources Committee has decided to stop exploring 'alternative models of governance' and instead focus on the 'single authority model', which would see services and representative bodies across the island group integrated into one democratic body.

It's worth adding that Shetland, due to its status as a protected island constituency, will have an electorate that's 70% below the constituency quota. This means that Shetland will continue to have significantly more representation in the Scottish Parliament than the average constituency.