Orkney Island Council have launched a debate into the constitutional status of its territory.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001nl7p/the-nine-03072023
On BBC Scotland’s Nine last night, council leader James Stockan, Member of the British Empire, was interviewed and told us that a ‘vox pop‘ along the street found support for ‘alternatives.’
The MBE and its significance for this issue was not mentioned.
The vox pop was allowed to stand unchallenged despite the last census in 2011, indicating that the share of people in Orkney who said they identified as Scottish only was exactly the same as the national average, 62.4%.
He also mentioned ferries but the interviewer didn’t bite. I don’t suppose he wanted to mention the recent fires and and an upturned, unmanned, ferry in Norway.
Best or worst of all, the 500 years in a union that began only 316 years ago, doesn’t seem to have been noticed by the presenters. It’s common for English reporters to confuse England with the UK with, for example, claims of a 1 000 year history, but these two went to school in Scotland, or did they?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
The last census 2011 , yes , but there was a Scottish census carried out 2021 delayed a few months by covid but still completed 2022 .At present they tell us they are consulting various groups of people on what they want from the census and will have a committee decide how and when to release the information .
I find that very strange , it used to be that all the information was just made available to the public but now they want to pick and choose how and when parts of it are released.
Fee fi fo fum I smell the blood of an Englishman involved here , I suspect they might be planning to release information near the time of the next general election ( yes I know that could be months and months away ) so they can influence a favourable view of unionism.
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According to Neil Oliver’s BBC series “Britain’s Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney” Orkney was the guiding light in these islands before Stonehenge was built.
If I mind right this was based on the DNA from the jawbone of a pig that could have been raised in Orkney being found in a Stonehenge pit.
They were also shown to be crossing the Pentland Firth in coracles at that time, no mean feat for the guy who must been transporting that pig in the pit.
Maybe it was only a pocket sized piglet at the time of the crossing and grew to maturity during the long walk to Stonehemge.
Don’t underestimate the Orcadian.
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There is little difference between aspirations of mainland Scots and Orcadians in desiring greater autonomy, who can forget the “Vow” (Look at the small print) which swung the last Indy referendum back from almost certain HMG humiliation 9 years ago, it’s more than a generation….
What does make a difference is the BBC Scotland presentation of James Stockan’s “discussions” being about Orkney fed up with Holyrood governance rather than Westminster, https://www.irishnews.com/news/uknews/2023/07/04/news/motion_on_orkney_s_future_not_about_joining_norway_says_council_leader-3407739/ whilst conveniently overlooking the uncomfortable fact the UK didn’t exist in 1472, although JRM’s existence at the time is hotly disputed.
None would criticise Orkney for examining options, but coming off the back of the Tory campaign to bypass Holyrood, the aroma of Eau de Latrine (made in London) lingers..
As to the contorted Norway construct of “Vikings” etc., the islands population was predominantly from Caithness….
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I suppose the only positive to come out of the Orkney Secession fantasy is that the BBC Staff are indeed as thick as ..
Why none of them seem to realise that are making utter fools of themselves and their employer via this Councillor and his delusions is beyond most Scots including Orcadians.
Oh, for a Michelle Mone attempt of a story maybe an angle on her “high end” yacht, nope that is totally beyond their capabilities
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