Local By-elections

'Dr Wills, who lives on Bressay, has had a varied political career standing as Labour candidate for Orkney and Shetland in 1974 and in 1999 for the Shetland seat at Holyrood. He left the Labour Party in 2001, saying he currently supports the SNP, and "sometimes the Greens or the Liberal-Democrats, depending on the quality of their parliamentary candidates and individual policies" and does not feel "party politics are useful in local councils".' Shetland News, 6 th February 2008.

Lerwick South (Shetland) 28 th February 2008

There was a by-election in the Lerwick South ward of Shetland Council following the death of Cllr Cecil Eunson, who died on Christmas Day 2007.

Lerwick South is in the Orkney & Shetland Westminster parliamentary seat (held by Liberal Democrat & Alistair Carmichael MP) and in the Shetland Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Liberal Democrat Tavish Scott MSP). In May 2007, four Cllrs were elected: Gussie Angus, Cecil Eunson and Jim Henry (no label) and Cecil Laing Smith (Independent).

Independent hold.

Cllrs for Lerwick South

Cllr Dr Jonathan Wills Independent Newly elected Cllr	Cllr Gussie Angus Independent	Cllr Jim Henry Independent	Cllr Cecil Laing Smith Independent

Lerwick South 28 th February 2008

First Preference Votes

Candidate	Logo	Party	1 st Pref	Share	Quota	Count	Status	Seat
Jonathan Wills		Independent	332	25.08 %	0.50	7	Made Quota	1
Peter Campbell		Independent	233	17.60 %	0.35	7	Not elected
Lyle Williamson		Independent	228	17.22 %	0.34	7	Eliminated
Robbie Leith		Independent	183	13.82 %	0.28	6	Eliminated
Maurice Mullay		Conservative & Unionist	169	12.76 %	0.25	5	Eliminated
Geoff Feather		Independent	87	6.57 %	0.13	4	Eliminated
Larry Dayell		Independent	63	4.76 %	0.10	3	Eliminated
Vic Thomas		Independent	29	2.19 %	0.04	2	Eliminated

Count Details

Adjustments				Exclusion of Thomas	Exclusion of Deyell	Exclusion of Feather	Exclusion of Mullay	Exclusion of Leith	Exclusion of Williamson
Candidate	Logo	Party	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7
Jonathan Wills		Independent	332	+ 3 335	+ 15 350	+ 11 361	+ 41 402	+ 60 462	+ 114 576 Elected
Peter Campbell		Independent	233	+ 7 240	+ 6 246	+ 26 272	+ 45 317	+ 53 370	+ 95 465 Not elected
Lyle Williamson		Independent	228	+ 1 229	+ 5 234	+ 11 245	+ 41 286	+ 51 337	- 337 0 Eliminated
Robbie Leith		Independent	183	+ 5 188	+ 16 204	+ 12 216	+ 12 228	- 228 0 Eliminated
Maurice Mullay		Conservative & Unionist	169	+ 2 171	+ 6 177	+ 22 199	- 199 0 Eliminated
Geoff Feather		Independent	87	+ 4 91	+ 5 96	- 96 0 Eliminated
Larry Deyell		Independent	63	+ 3 66	- 66 0 Eliminated
Vic Thomas		Independent	29	- 29 0 Eliminated

Lerwick South 3 rd May 2007

First Preference Votes

Candidate	Logo	Party	1 st Pref	Share	Quota	Count	Status	Seat
Cllr Cecil Eunson		No label	489	26.43 %	1.32	1	Made Quota	1
Gussie Angus		No label	473	25.57 %	1.27	1	Made Quota	2
Cecil Laing Smith		Independent	199	10.76 %	0.54	7	Made Quota	3
Maurice Sinclair Mullay		Conservative & Unionist	159	8.59 %	0.43	7	Eliminated
Robbie Leith		Scottish Socialist Party	150	8.11 %	0.40	9	Eliminated
Jim Henry		No label	127	6.86 %	0.34	9	Made Quota	4
Michael Peterson		Independent	116	6.27 %	0.31	6	Eliminated
Cllr Geoff Feather		Independent	97	5.24 %	0.26	5	Eliminated
Lindsay Smith		Independent	40	2.16 %	0.11	4	Eliminated

Count Details

Adjustments				Surplus of Eunson	Surplus of Angus	Exclusion of L. Smith	Exclusion of Feather	Exclusion of Peterson	Exclusion of Mullay	Surplus of C.L. Smith	Exclusion of Leith
Candidate	Logo	Party	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8	Count 9
Cllr Cecil Eunson		No label	489 Elected	- 118 371
Gussie Angus		No label	473 Elected	+ 0 473	- 102 371
Cecil Laing Smith		Independent	199	+ 27.75 226.75	+ 22.86 249.61	+ 9.45 259.05	+ 22.73 281.79	+ 47.90 329.69	+98.59 428.29 Elected	- 57.28 371
Jim Henry		No label	127	+ 19.55 146.55	+ 22.64 169.19	+ 3.75 172.93	+ 28.15 201.09	+ 34.35 235.44	+ 33.53 268.97	+ 16.04 285.01	+ 79.89 364.90 Elected
Robbie Leith		Scottish Socialist Party	150	+ 14.72 164.72	+ 9.70 174.42	+ 7.31 181.73	+ 13.28 195.02	+ 27.38 222.40	+ 11.44 233.84	+ 8.36 242.20	- 242.20 0 Eliminated
Maurice Sinclair Mullay		Conservative & Unionist	159	+ 10.62 169.62	+ 10.57 180.18	+ 2.78 182.96	+ 24.15 207.11	+ 10.98 218.09	-218.09 0 Eliminated
Michael Peterson		Independent	116	+ 13.03 129.03	+ 7.98 137.01	+ 12.37 149.38	+ 15.55 164.93	- 164.93 0 Eliminated
Cllr Geoff Feather		Independent	97	+ 8.93 105.93	+ 7.33 113.26	+ 5.70 118.96	-118.96 0 Eliminated
Lindsay Smith		Independent	40	+ 7.00 47.00	+ 5.82 52.82	- 52.82 0 Eliminated
Non-transferable votes			0	+ 16.41 16.41	+ 15.10 31.51	+ 11.47 42.98	+ 15.09 58.07	+ 44.31 102.38	+ 74.53 176.91	+ 32.88 209.79	+ 162.31 372.10

Candidates

	Peter Campbell
	Independent
	Peter Campbell has lived for over thirty years in Shetland, firstly as the teacher in Foula, then in Ollaberry and for twenty years he has lived in the Lerwick South Ward. Recent electoral experience.
	Larry Dayell
	Independent
	Larry Dayell is 33 years old, with four children, and has lived in Lerwick South for most of his life. He has worked in many areas of the council, having been a youth worker, an auxiliary in schools, as well as working with Bells Brae ASN unit's Summer Playscheme. He is currently working within Environmental Services as a Graduate Placement after earning a BSc in Environment & Heritage Studies at the University of the Highlands & Islands through the Shetland College. Recent electoral experience.
	Geoff Feather
	Independent
	Geoff Feather was elected councillor for Gulberwick, Quarff & Upper Sound in 2003 with 52 % of the vote against a Lib Dem candidate. He contested the new four ward Lerwick South constituency in 2007, coming eighth. Recent electoral experience. 2007 Shetland Council election, Lerwick South, 97 First preference Votes (5.24 %) 2003 Shetland Council election, Lerwick Upper Sound, Gulberwick & Quarff, 276 votes (51.96 %) (elected)
	Robbie Leith
	Independent
	In 2003, Robbie Leith stood in the four Cllr ward as a Scottish Socialist candidate, coming fifth in First preference votes. Recent electoral experience. As a Scottish Socialist Party candidate: 2007 Shetland Council election, Lerwick South, 150 First preference Votes (8.11 %)
	Maurice Mullay
	Conservative & Unionist
	Maurice Mullay is the Conservative candidate. He contested the new four ward Lerwick South constituency in 2007, coming fourth in terms of first preference votes, but lost ground to Jim Henry (who was elected) and Robbie Leith in the adjustments. Recent electoral experience. 2007 Shetland Council election, Lerwick South, 159 First preference Votes (8.59 %)
	Vic Thomas
	Independent
	Vic Thomas has lived in Shetland for over 30 years - 2/3rds of his life. Recent electoral experience.
	Lyle Williamson
	Independent
	Lyle Williamson used to own and manage his own business. Recent electoral experience.
	Dr Jonathan Wills
	Independent
	Dr Wills was born in June 1947 qnd educated at Warwick School and the Anderson Institute in Lerwick and Edinburgh University where he was Rector from 1971 to 1972. He currently lives on Bressay. He stood as Labour candidate for Orkney & Shetland in 1974 and in 1999 for the Shetland seat in the Scottish parliament. He left the Labour Party in 2001. He currently supports the SNP, and "sometimes the Greens or the Liberal-Democrats, depending on the quality of their parliamentary candidates and individual policies" and does not feel "party politics are useful in local councils". He has had a long career in the local media, setting up BBC Radio Shetland, editing The Shetland Times and co-founding The Shetland News, Britain's first local daily internet news service. As well as running his tour company, he is a freelance writer, researcher, editor and children's author. His books include 'A Place in the Sun - Shetland and Oil' (1991) and 'Innocent Passage - the Wreck of the Tanker Braer' (1993). In 2001 he received and published secret documents proving the Braer was unseaworthy when she left Norway in January 1993. He is a member of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Shetland marine safety sub-committee. After the Braer oil spill he helped with the eight year campaign to persuade the government to station a salvage/rescue tug in Shetland waters. He is a past chairman of the Shetland Tourism Association and has served on the Shetland Geopark steering group and the Shetland marine biodiversity advisory group. For many years he has argued for more local control over Shetland's coastal fisheries. Recent electoral experience. As a Labour candidate: 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Shetland, 2,241 votes (22.46 %) 1993 Shetland Council election, Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale, (elected) October 1974 Westminster Parliament election, Orkney & Orkney & Shetland, 2,175 votes (12.50 %) February 1974 Westminster Parliament election, Orkney & Orkney & Shetland, 2,865 votes (15.45 %)

Cecil Eunson: A champion of the underdog

By Peter Hamilton in the Shetland News, 31 st December 2007

ON CHRISTMAS Day Shetland unexpectedly lost a unique and remarkable public figure. The week before Cecil Eunson was taken ill saw him entertaining neighbours, striving to make sure the charitable trust properly consider his proposal to build a new hospital and planning how to brighten the festive season for those closest to him. He died in Aberdeen, five days before his 79th birthday, 28 years to the day after his wife Beth.

Cecil Eunson's life very nearly didn't start at all. His pregnant mother fell into the sea during a 'flit boat to ship' transfer off the Fair Isle on her way to Lerwick in case of complications.

That Cecil should have developed a passion for the underdog was unsurprising. As a youngster he was brought up in one half of an impossible to heat, corrugated iron house - tied accommodation shared with another farm labourer's family. His mother shopped last thing on a Saturday night to eke out his father's poverty wage as a dry stane dyker. His father was told if he wanted a rise he'd need to get a new house!

Financially further education was not an option, but Cecil's rise from farm hand at Berry to successful butcher was due to hard work, his personable nature as well as his natural wit. After working for a while in the Scalloway butcher's he paid every penny back on the personal loan he got to buy his first butcher shop in Lerwick - no easy money back then.

Cecil understood business and "knew how to turn a penny". On securing Norwegian fishing customers for Shetland mutton he realised Lerwick bankers collaborated to pay less than the going rate for kroner so he exchanged his south by post. Business success saw him able to take his daughter Karen to America on the QE2 and back by Concorde in the early 80s. Some turn around in one lifetime this.

Even before becoming a public figure as a councillor in 1986 Cecil had touched many lives as a butcher, sheep buyer and sociable character, entertaining with his wife Beth in their home on Breiwick Road. He was widowed in 1979.

Cecil relished telling a good story and many tales involving him will have been recalled. To meet up with Cecil, for me, either for a family roast, at election night, the Alting, the fisheries college or (regrettably not often enough) at his house in East Voe of an evening, was to be regaled by anecdotes and acute observations. As a neighbour, host and family friend he was welcoming, generous and entertaining. As a critic of those fellow councillors and of senior public servants who too easily forgot whose interests they were meant to serve, he had an able turn of phrase. Whether you agreed with him or not, he took a clear and forthright stand - no fence sitting for Cecil.

In his early years on the council Cecil often supported Bill Smith, and, despite some differences, broadly shared his maxim that the council first and foremost was there to look out for those who could least look out for themselves; the young and old, the disabled and those with special needs.

As a politician Cecil was very honest, saying what he felt such that his sincerity was never in doubt. He would champion causes by describing issues in blunt terms and bidding high. This often produced unexpected victories but when he lost he was not vindictive or spiteful, instead eager to find the next cause. For all he may have enjoyed his "loose cannon" reputation, I know he took as much satisfaction from the many smaller victories he quietly achieved for his constituents.

A recent victory saw him again collaborating with Bill Smith to look out for pensioners. Cecil successfully moved standing orders be suspended and Bill presented a petition with the result that charges for meals and wheels and lunch clubs were held down and the home-help service was kept free. Cecil understood that those who most needed these services would stop accessing them if charges were applied, causing needless personal tragedies and greater expense to the authority in the long term.

Cecil was a family man, proud of his children and very fond of his grandchildren. He strode between eras in Shetland, often championing causes fellow councillors would rather have seen fail. His passion for social justice saw him famously determine pensioners should receive direct benefits from the oil wealth via the pensioners' Christmas bonus. He wanted to see arguments contested and his short stay in the Gilbert Bain Hospital added to his determination to press for a new hospital for Shetland. Such passions kept the gleam in his eye.

Cecil's many public achievements included improving disabled access to public buildings. He was credited in 2006 as having been instrumental, as a result of his tenacious questioning, in the setting up of a national register of people with multiple sclerosis. The Shetland branch of the MS society is currently raising money to fund local research and donations made at the funeral will go to further this.

Lerwick South Ward By-Election

From Shetland Islands Council, January 2008

In consultation with the Chief Executive, the Returning Officer has decided that polling will take place to fill a vacant seat for one member of the four member Lerwick South Ward on Thursday 28 February 2008.

The formal Notice of Election will be published on 25 January 2008, from which time nomination papers will be available. For further information, please contact the Returning Officer, Jan Riise, on Lerwick 744551 or 744554, or e-mail returning.officer@shetland.gov.uk

Date for Lerwick by-election set

By Hans J Marter in the Shetland News, 9 th January 2008

A BY-election for Shetland Islands Council has been called in the Lerwick South ward for Thursday 28 February.

The by-election has become necessary following the sudden death of councillor Cecil Eunson, who died on Christmas Day.

In May last year the Lerwick South Ward was hotly contested with nine candidates fighting for the four seats under proportional representation (PR).

A notice of election is due to be published in the local media on Friday 25 January after which nomination papers will become available.

Counting of votes will take place on 29 February in the Lerwick Town Hall.

Eight men stand for Lerwick South

By Hans J Marter in the Shetland News, 6 th February 2008

EIGHT candidates have lined up to fight for a seat representing Lerwick South on Shetland Islands Council.

The eight men standing at the by-election on 28 February are:

• former headmaster and EIS official Peter Campbell, of 8 Sandyloch Drive, Lerwick;
• Larry Deyell, of 61 Nederdale, Lerwick;
• former councillor Geoff Feather, of Klingrahoull, Shurton Brae, Gulberwick;
• former candidate Robbie Leith, of 128 Sandveien, Lerwick;
• former candidate and Shetland Islands Tourism chief executive Maurice Mullay;
• environmental campaigner Vic Thomas, of The Cluve, Hoswick;
• computer technician Lyle Williamson, of 5 Knab Road, Lerwick;
• and former councillor and newspaper editor Jonathan Wills, of Sundside, Bressay.

Wills stands again

From the Shetland News, 6 th February 2008

FORMER councillor Jonathan Wills is the first candidate to publicly throw his hat in the ring for the Shetland Islands Council by-election, saying he would work to protect the islands' "inheritance" from the oil industry.

Jonathan Wills today (Monday) confirmed he would stand as an independent candidate for Lerwick South on 28 February. The poll was called after the death of councillor Cecil Eunson on Christmas day.

Nominations close at 4pm tomorrow (Tuesday) when all the candidates will be announced.

Dr Wills described Mr Eunson as "a brave and formidable defender of the public interest" who set a pace it would be hard to follow.

The 60 year old former newspaper editor and radio producer, who currently runs the award winning Seabirds-and-Seals wildlife tourism business, served as an independent councillor for Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale between 1993 and 1995.

Submitting his nomination papers yesterday Dr Wills said he was standing again to defend Shetland's public services and local economy, which are under threat from "unelected officials in Brussels... trying to stop Shetlanders using our own money".

He said: "The Eurocrats' recent ruling on state aid turns upside down the regional development policy we've followed throughout Europe for the past 30 years or more.

"It flies in the face of the sensible idea that businesses in small, remote communities like Shetland are entitled to support from public funds to allow them to compete on equal terms with big business in the big cities.

"Hundreds of local enterprises, including my own, have been helped by grants and loans from Shetland's oil funds. This financial assistance doesn't 'distort the market' or give us an unfair advantage, as the Brussels free market privateers imagine; it simply reduces the unfair disadvantages of greater distances and higher costs."

Dr Wills said that, if elected, he would support Shetland Islands Council convener Sandy Cluness in his efforts to reverse Europe's recent ruling on state aid.

"This isn't even the state's money. It's our money, earned by this community under the Zetland County Council Act of 1974. That Act of Parliament is still in force, whatever they think in Brussels. There's nothing illegal about the council's economic development policy and nothing to apologise for. On the contrary, by helping to create a successful local economy, Shetland has set an example that other island groups would like to follow."

He also stressed the need to safeguard the islands' nest egg of oil funds managed by Shetland Charitable Trust, which is the focus of a campaign to remove it from local authority control.

"If that means councillors taking a back seat and having a majority of directly elected trustees, then that's what ought to happen. But the decision has to be taken on the best legal and financial advice, not on woolly notions from poorly attended public meetings where, bizarrely, councillors are excluded. It's urgent that we take whatever action is necessary to protect Shetland's inheritance."

Dr Wills, who lives on Bressay, has had a varied political career standing as Labour candidate for Orkney and Shetland in 1974 and in 1999 for the Shetland seat at Holyrood. He left the Labour Party in 2001, saying he currently supports the SNP, and "sometimes the Greens or the Liberal-Democrats, depending on the quality of their parliamentary candidates and individual policies" and does not feel "party politics are useful in local councils".

He has had a long career in the local media, setting up BBC Radio Shetland, editing The Shetland Times and co-founding The Shetland News, Britain's first local daily internet news service.

As well as running his tour company, he is a freelance writer, researcher, editor and children's author. His books include 'A Place in the Sun - Shetland and Oil' (1991) and 'Innocent Passage - the Wreck of the Tanker Braer' (1993). In 2001 he received and published secret documents proving the Braer was unseaworthy when she left Norway in January 1993. He is a member of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Shetland marine safety sub-committee. After the Braer oil spill he helped with the eight year campaign to persuade the government to station a salvage/rescue tug in Shetland waters. He is a past chairman of the Shetland Tourism Association and has served on the Shetland Geopark steering group and the Shetland marine biodiversity advisory group. For many years he has argued for more local control over Shetland's coastal fisheries.

Vic will refuse to sit on trust

From the Shetland News, 6 th February 2008

LERWICK South candidate Vic Thomas launched his election campaign shortly after the closure of nominations yesterday afternoon (Tuesday), putting his weight behind the campaign to separate Shetland Charitable Trust and Shetland Development Trust from the local authority.

In his election address, the prominent environmental campaigner said that if elected he would refuse to sit on the charitable trust until democratic elections were held for trustees.

Mr Thomas lives in Hoswick, in the south mainland, and runs the Shetland Scrapstore for COPE Ltd, the successful social enterprise which helps disabled people find employment.

Here is Mr Thomas' election address in full:

"I have lived in Shetland for over 30 years ­ two thirds of my life and have been very active promoting and campaigning for good environmental practice, open, honest and inclusive involvement for all in the decisions that affect our lives.

"I am proud to have stood up against polluting, unwanted or bad developments, supported ndividuals and small communities aggrieved about decisions or developments that compromised their lives or their community and acted as an advocate for folk who did not think they had a voice, the confidence to speak out or the support of their local councillor.

"I also support the move to reform the control of the charitable trust away from the council and see it run on an independent basis. To this end I will, if elected, refuse to sit on the trust until such time as proper and open elections are held. I also think that all the other charitable trust-funded trusts need to be looked at, particularly the way their trustees are appointed.

"The experience of being part of the management team at COPE Ltd, exploring and developing new and innovative services and products designed to provide meaningful work and training opportunities for folk with physical and learning difficulties, allows me to follow the sterling work of the late Cecil Eunson, champion of disability issues for the whole of Shetland."

Claims and counter claims over trust

By Hans J Marter in the Shetland News, 14 th February 2008

SHETLAND Charitable Trust has been told it cannot continue to have a majority of councillors as trustees, according to Lerwick South by-election candidate Jonathan Wills.

The claim was immediately denied last night (Wednesday) by SCT chairman Bill Manson who said that such an advice had not been received from OSCR, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

In a statement issued late last night, Dr Wills said: "I've received information from an impeccable source that within the past month OSCR has told the charitable trust it is no longer acceptable for all but two of its trustees to be also SIC members. Councillors can be a minority but not a majority.

"Presumably the ruling means the trust deed must now be changed as a matter of urgency, to protect over £200 million of our community's oil revenues. Otherwise we seem to be running the risk of having trust funds treated like any other council money and thus, effectively, clawed back by the Treasury.

"This is a very serious situation. The decision comes as no surprise to those who've been following the controversy over the trust's membership. What's worrying is that it appears to have been kept secret from the public in whose interests the trust is required to act."

But Mr Manson responded: "Local authority trust will be reviewed by OSPR sometime between 2010 and 2015. We would expect to fall into that timeframe.

"We certainly have had no advice from the regulator that they find us illegal.

"When they will review us, I think that they will be uneasy to say the least that 22 out of 24 trustees are coming from the local authority

"If we were to be told that it would be treated as a matter of immediate urgency. We would not be waiting until our next scheduled meeting to consider it. But we had no information of that kind," he said.

Dr Wills also claimed he had received information that the charitable trust had received "very unwelcome" legal advice concerning the £3 millionbudget allocated to the Viking wind farm project.

Again, Mr Manson denied that such an advice had been received by the trust.

Election hustings

From the Shetland News, 19 th February 2008

LERWICK Community Council has organised a hustings for the upcoming Lerwick South Ward by-election. The event will be held on Saturday at 11.30am in the Sound Hall.

As of last night (Monday) seven of the eight candidates had agreed to take part with just Maurice Mullay yet to confirm his participation.

To submit questions to the candidates please contact community council chairman Jim Anderson at e-mail: chair@lerwickcc.org.uk

Poll tradition revived

From the Shetland News, 27 th February 2008

AN OLD Lerwick political tradition will be revived this evening (Wednesday) when candidates in the Lerwick South by-election take voters' questions at an old-style eve of poll rally.

The eight candidates standing in the ward are reporting considerable interest in local politics at the end of their three weeks of campaigning.

The meeting, at 7.30pm in Islesburgh House, will have an independent chair from Lerwick Community Council.

Polling stations in the Gulberwick Community Centre and Gilbertson Park Games Hall are open at 7am on Thursday and will close at 10pm. A result is expected around lunchtime on Friday.

Votes cast in Lerwick's by-election

By Ryan Taylor in the Shetland Today, 29 th February 2008

TURN-OUT for yesterday's Lerwick South by-election began quite slowly, but as the day developed, and the weather showed some signs of improvement, more and more voters turned up at the polling booths to cast their votes. A spokesperson from the office of returning officer Jan Riise said up-take had been relatively slow to start off with, with only 50 votes being cast by 9am, but the figure had picked up considerably by the afternoon.

Voters could choose between the Gulberwick Hall and the Gilbertson Games Hall polling stations to make their choice of candidates.

For the eight candidates: Vic Thomas, Robbie Leith, Maurice Mullay, Larry Deyell, Jonathan Wills, Peter Campbell, Geoff Feather and Lyle Williamson ? the day marked the end of weeks of campaigning on issues central to Shetland's future such as wind energy, single status and the future of the SIC's trusts.

Major construction projects that have long since been in the pipeline ? like the new Anderson High School and the town's much anticipated cinema and music venue ? have also been discussed and debated at length.

As the votes were cast, the candidates were able to reflect on their performance at an eve of poll hustings debate, which took place at Islesburgh House on Wednesday night.

Or at least, four of them were. With only Messrs Wills, Campbell, Leith and Feather attending the debate, half of the candidates absent from event, leaving the remaining candidates to field questions and discuss the many issues on the minds of the electorate, most notably public spending.

The election was held following the death on Christmas Day of respected and long-standing councillor Cecil Eunson, who championed social welfare issues throughout his many years at the Town Hall.

The count will be carried out at the Town Hall this morning.

Wills wins

By Hans J Marter in the Shetland News, 29 th February 2008

SAFEGUARDING Shetland's oil funds is the most pressing issue Shetland Islands Council faces, according to newly elected councillor for the Lerwick South ward, Dr Jonathan Wills.

Following a closely fought contest with eight candidates, Dr Wills was declared as the winner at lunchtime (Friday) after seven rounds of counting under the new single transferable voting (STV) system.

The by election was prompted by the sudden death of long serving councillor Cecil Eunson on Christmas Day.

Speaking immediately after being elected, Dr Wills said he was disappointed but not surprised by the low turn out of just under 40 per cent. He said that as there had been no polling station in Sound a lot of people without cars from the Sandveien and Nederdale area decided not to walk to the polling station at the Gilbertson Park Games Hall in the terrible weather on Thursday.

At the end 576 votes out of a total electorate of 3,382 were enough for him to make it into the council chamber.

He said: "The council has to protect its oil money and spend its other money very carefully. None of us fighting in this election campaign were making any big promises. There are no big promises to make.

"All of us councillors will probably be quite unpopular by the next election, because of some of the very tough decisions we have to make to keep the finances in this community on an even keel."

The toughest decisions of all will surround how Shetland can protect its oil funds from central government and the European Union.

Dr Wills said: "The most pressing issue for this council is to protect the charitable trust and it looks as though we have to make it a completely independent trust where councillors can no longer have a majority. That causes problems, but will also give us longer term security.

"We have to remember what the Shetland Charitable Trust is for. The principle behind it is that everyone in this community will share in the prosperity brought to us by oil and possibly in future by wind power and other alternative energy sources.

"That is a very important principle. It is a social democratic principal; it is a welfare state principal. What we have done in Shetland since 1972 is to create the best local welfare state anywhere in the UK. And that is now under threat and it needs to be defended." He added: "The reserve fund for industrial and commercial development in Shetland is vital for the health of our economy. "My own business (wildlife tour operator) wouldn't have started without assistance from the oil funds. Many other businesses are the same.

"The problem now is that we have to start lots of new businesses to keep us going and that is going to be much more difficult if this European state aid ruling is allowed to stand. We have to defeat it or we are in big trouble."

Talking about the Lerwick South constituency, he said: "I have to represent a lot of different views in the constituency. Lerwick South is probably the most varied ward in Shetland and it has a lot of quite serious issues to be dealt with such as housing and the Gulberwick road."

Previously, Dr Wills was a councillor for the Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale ward from 1993 to early 1995 when he resigned from the post.

"I thought of standing in May last year but then decided not to. This time, and completely unexpected, a by election came up for a very sad reason and by now I was so concerned about the states of public finances and the unrealistic demands some people are making on them that I felt I should get back," he said. Yesterday's runner up, former teacher and EIS secretary Peter Campbell, said he was disappointed not to have been elected, adding that he had lost against a "well seasoned campaigner".

"I am convinced that Dr Wills will do a good job in representing the Lerwick South ward," he added.

The other candidates were Lyle Williamson, Robbie Leith, Maurice Mullay, Geoff Feather, Larry Deyell and Vic Thomas.

Wills wins Lerwick South by-election

By Ryan Taylor in the Shetland Today, 29 th February 2008

JONATHAN WILLS returned to local politics today (Friday) when he won the Lerwick South seat in the Shetland Islands Council by-election.

Wills, who sat on the council more than ten years ago, won the seat from nearest challenger Peter Campbell at today's count at Lerwick Town Hall.

Wills received the most first preference votes with 332, Peter Campbell had the second most first preference votes at 233, just ahead of Lyle Williamson at 228.

Of the other candidates Vic Thomas was eliminated at the first stage of today's count, Larry Deyell at the second stage, Geoff Feather (third stage), Maurice Mullay (fourth stage), Robbie Leith (fifth stage), and Williamson (sixth stage).

In the final stage Mr Wills beat remaining candidate Peter Campbell by 576 votes to 465 to win the election.

There had been a disappointing 39 per cent turn out.

Speaking after the result Mr Wills said he was delighted to have won, and maintained he would be dealing with the wide range of issues that were of concern to his constituents.

He said: "The issues that came up were the windfarm, housing shortages in Lerwick, and the future of the Charitable Trust.

"What I've been saying to people is that Shetland has had people living in it for the last 6,000 years, but we've only had prosperity for the last 40 years.

"Our first priority has to be to safeguard  our oil funds, and we also have to seek new sources of revenue for the Charitable Trust ­ and I'm looking at windfarms here.

"We also need to make sure the council lives within its budget."

Mr Wills said he was disappointed with the low turn out, but said it was unrealistic to expect elderly people without a car to turn out in bad weather.

The result marked a return to the council chamber for Wills, former editor of The Shetland Times, who resigned as councillor for Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale in February 1995.

The by-election was held following the death on Christmas Day of respected and long-standing councillor Cecil Eunson, who championed social welfare issues throughout his many years at the Town Hall.

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