Shetland Island threaten to snub Scotland and retain their British nationality should Scotland becomes independent

The people of Shetland has given Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon a big blow with respect to her clamour for a second independence referendum for Scotland.

Lord Norman Lamont has come out to publicly condemn Sturgeon’s independence campaign, threatening that, in the event of the First Minister successfully taking Scotland out of the rest of the UK, Shetland Islands could possible become a British overseas territory.

The former chancellor branded the nationalists’ threat of a second referendum “wrong” as he disputed in favour of the Shetland Islands cutting ties from an independent Scotland.

Faroe Island and Denmark were cited as examples to what may happen, if Scotland becomes independent from the rest of the UK, by the Lerwick born Tory peer.

Made up of 18 islands, the Faroes are part of Denmark but have control of their own domestic affairs and rejected EU membership when the Danes joined in 1973.

Lord Lamont disclosed this during a press statement with the Shetland Times, as he said: “In the event of Scotland becoming independent if a majority of Shetland Islanders thought that was a sensible thing and a good thing, I think it should be pursued if Scotland were independent.

“I think looking for a Faroese-type devolution would be a perfectly legitimate thing to ask for.”

Lord Lamont, who backed Brexit but is against Scottish independence, insisted he was not trying to “stir it up” but “it’s always seemed to me an idea that was likely to rear its head again in the event of Scottish independence”.

He was quick to blast the SNP’s attempt to hold a second separation vote, just three years after Scot rejected the idea in 2014.

Also speaking, he said: “I hope we won’t have a second referendum.

“Referenda should be occasional, you can’t just keep testing public opinion until you get the answer you want - that’s quite a wrong way of proceeding.

“I think referenda ought to be rare events to measure the detail of public opinion.”

For the meantime, backing for the Shetland Islands remaining part of Britain is gathering force among islanders themselves. 

Also, Andrea Mason, a Shetland councillor and leading figure in the political movement Wir Shetland, described the islanders' plan to remain part of Britain as “wonderful”.

She said: “We would like control of the seabed around us, the fishing ground around us, and the freedom to get rid of some of the bureaucracy that comes down from the EU, Westminster and the Scottish parliament.

"Our seas are being plundered by foreign boats. We also contribute an enormous amount of money to the national economy through taxes, through the oil revenues, and yet we don't get back our fair share."