Gibson blasts Earl of Caithness over self-rule comments
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CLAIMS that Orkney and Shetland should have the right to remain in the UK if Scotland became independent have been criticised by the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.
Rob Gibson dismissed comments made by the Earl of Caithness, Malcolm Sinclair, who argued a referendum vote favouring self-rule should not be binding on the Northern Isles, unless the majority of islanders voted yes.
He said a yes vote in a Scottish referendum should be followed by a referendum held throughout the UK as he tabled amendments to the Scotland Bill which is due to be discussed by the House of Lords this week.
But Mr Gibson has said his opinions on the issue have left him isolated and widely ridiculed.
"The days of local earls and lords telling the Highlands how it’s going to be are well and truly over," he said.
"The truth is residents of the Northern Isles need only look east to our Scandinavian neighbours for a vision of the personal prosperity they will enjoy under independence. The Northern Isles have reaped limited rewards from North Sea oil, but things could be so much better.
"My message to the Northern Isles is this, do not let London plunder your vast natural resources any longer. Let’s channel the isles’ potential to build a more prosperous Orkney and Shetland, because these two great island groups are as much Scottish as Thurso or Tain."
*Find out the Earl of Caithness’s reaction to these claims in Friday’s John O’Groat Journal.
*Do you want to have your say on Scotland’s independence early? Comment below or take part in our new online poll.
