Orkney independence: Why is archipelago exploring 'alternative governance'?
The archipelago off the north of Scotland, which is made up of 70 islands, is exploring how it is governed.
Orkney is considering breaking away from the UK and could become part of Norway under new proposals.
The archipelago off the north of Scotland, which is made up of 70 islands, is going ahead with exploring how it is governed.
Orkney Islands Council backed a motion on Tuesday to investigate "alternative forms of governance".
Councillors have voted to explore alternative forms of governance, and now council officers will compile a report on the future of how the islands are run.
An amendment attempting to block the motion was defeated by 15 votes to six.
There is growing frustration on the islands that Orkney does not receive fair funding from Scotland and the UK.
It could mean the islands changing their status within the UK or even becoming a self-governing territory of Norway.
On Tuesday, the leader of the council, James Stockan, told the meeting that Orkney had been subject to "discrimination" by the Scottish and UK governments.
He said: “I have been a councillor now for 20 years, but for the last number I’ve been in negotiation with our governments to get what I believe is an equitable solution of position for the Orkney Islands in funding and in the opportunity that we have in and around these islands to benefit not just us, but to benefit our neighbours, to benefit our nation and to benefit the world.
“But we have been restricted in every conversation, we have been held down, and what I would say is we all know most of what I could say with regard to the discrimination that we’ve had against this community from governments in the funding settlement we have.”
He added: “I say it is time for government to take us seriously, and I say it’s time for us to look at all the options we’ve got.”
But he said: “This is not about us joining Norway. There is a far bigger suite of options here – this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future.”
Yahoo News UK examines what it could mean for Orkney...
Where is Orkney?
Orkney is one of the two archipelagos of the Northern Isles of Scotland – the other is Shetland.
Orkney is located 10 miles north of the coast of the county of Caithness. A ferry to Orkney runs twice daily from the village of John O'Groats.
Orkney is made up of dozens of islands and is about 300 miles away from Norway.
Orkney mulls return to Norwegian ownership after being 'failed' by government (Herald Scotland, 3 mins)
What is the population of Orkney?
There are 70 islands in Orkney, 20 of which are inhabited.
According to official figures, the population of Orkney was 22,540 as of June 2021.
The islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years.
The largest Orkney island – the Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona – is an area of 200 square miles.
The largest settlement on Orkney is the town of Kirkwall, which has a population of about 10,000 people.
- Orkney Islands to consider break from UK governance and explore 'Nordic connections' (Sky News, 2 mins)
What is the history of Orkney?
Orkney did not always belonged to Scotland and the UK. It was annexed by Norway in the year 875 and settled by Norsemen.
But in 1472, Orkney and Shetland was brought into the Kingdom of Scotland after the failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark.
The islands had been used as security for the marriage, seen as a way of uniting Scotland and Denmark following years of discord about taxation of the Hebrides Islands.
Orkney Islands declared Britain's best rural place to live (Yahoo News UK, 2 mins)
Could Orkney choose independence?
James Stockan, the leader of Orkney Islands Council, has put forward a motion saying it is time for Orkney to consider other forms of governance.
He has suggested Orkney should consider a similar model to crown dependencies, such as Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
He has also put forward using "Nordic connections”, which could mean following the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark in the North Sea.
The motion notes that any constitutional change would likely require a combination of petitions, referenda and legislation at Holyrood and Westminster.
Why might Orkney want independence?
Stockan told the BBC he felt that Orkney is being “failed dreadfully” by governments in both Edinburgh and London.
Funding is less per head than Shetland and the Western Isles receive, he said.
“We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom," he said.
“On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry, when are we going back to Norway.
“There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible.”
Orkney explores options after being 'failed dreadfully' by UK and Scotland (PA Media, 2 mins)
What has the reaction been?
No 10 has shut down the proposals, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman saying: “First and foremost, there is no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK.
“But fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom, we have no plans to change that.
“We’ve got no plans to change the devolution settlement.”
