Shetland Times poll: Should public bodies provide financial support to help new recruits relocate? Yes: 49% No: 51% Period: 25 September - 2 October 2026 Sample size: 57 (Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Orkney and Shetland (Westminster constituency), Find Out Now/Electoral Calculus MRP projection, 4-11 September 2026: Liberal Democrats: 57% (+2) Scottish National Party: 18% (+2) Green: 11% (-1) Reform UK: 9% (-2) Conservative: 2% (-1) Restore Britain: 2% (-1) Labour: 0% +/- vs. 23-30 June 2026

Orkney and Shetland (Westminster constituency), More in Common MRP projection, 21 August - 21 September 2026: Liberal Democrats: 54% (+9) Scottish National Party: 20% (+2) Green: 9% (-7) Reform UK: 8% (-8) Labour: 6% (+4) Conservative: 2% (-1) Restore Britain: 2% (+2) +/- vs. 5-28 June 2026

Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland (Liberal Democrat) has told Shetland News that he will likely contest the next UK general election. He has been Orkney and Shetland's MP since 2001, winning seven consecutive elections in that time. www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/09/27/l...

MP looking ahead to 2029 election as he moves into new office

LONG-serving Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has confirmed that it is “more likely than not” that his name would again be on the ballot paper for the...

shetnews.co.uk

Shetland Times poll: Would a tourism tax damage local business? Yes: 34% No: 66% Period: 18-26 September 2026 Sample size: 44 (Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Orkney and Shetland (Westminster constituency), Survation MRP projection, 20 August - 4 September 2026: Liberal Democrats: 53% (+3) Scottish National Party: 25% (+3) Reform UK: 4% (-6) Labour: 4% (-4) Green: 3% (-3) Conservative: 2% (-1) +/- vs. 22-27 July 2026

Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency), parliament election: for the first time since it began contesting elections in 2006, the Liberal Vannin Party (LVP-*) has failed to win any seats. The party's sole MP, Lawrie Hooper, finished fourth in the constituency of Ramsey with 9.2% of the vote.

Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency), parliament election: the new parliament will have the lowest level of representation by political parties in decades. Only two MPs from political parties were elected - both members of the Manx Labour Party (MLP-*), which maintained its level of representation.

Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency), parliament election: the incumbent Chief Minister (head of government), Alfred Cannan (Ind-*), has been re-elected in his constituency of Ayre and Michael. He finished in second place with 18.8% of the vote, securing the constituency's second seat.

Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency), parliament election: Final result (seats won) Ind.-*: 22 (+1) MLP-*: 2 LVP-*: 0 (-1) CM-*: 0 (new) TIM-*: 0 (new) +/- vs. 2021 election Majority = 13 seats #IsleofManElection2026

Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency), parliament election: Final result (vote share) Ind.-*: 89.4% (+3.1) MLP-*: 4.8% (-0.3) LVP-*: 2.8% (-2.5) CM-*: 2.6% (new) TIM-*: 0.3% (new) +/- vs. 2021 election #IsleofManElection2026

Orkney and Shetland (Westminster constituency), YouGov MRP projection, 23 August - 18 September 2026: Liberal Democrats: 50% (+1) Reform UK: 17% (+1) Scottish National Party: 11% (-2) Green: 10% (-1) Labour: 5% (-1) Conservative: 5% (+1) Restore Britain: 2% (+2) +/- vs. 31 August-24 September 2025

Shetland's constituency MSP, Hannah Mary Goodlad (SNP), won the "One to Watch" award at the annual Holyrood Magazine awards. Also in contention were Joe Fagan (South Scotland, Labour) and Jenny Young (Central Scotland and Lothians West, Labour).

Heather Woodbridge (Independent), leader of Orkney Islands Council, has become Scotland's first council leader to take maternity leave, following the birth of her first child orcadian.co.uk/council-lead...

Council leader gives birth to first child - The Orcadian Online

Leader of Orkney Islands Council (OIC), Heather Woodbridge, has welcomed her first child, the local authority has announced. She is the first female council leader in Scotland to have a baby while in ...

orcadian.co.uk

Shetland Times poll: Would you vote for Scottish independence? Yes: 46% No: 54% Period: 11-19 September 2026 Sample size: 637 (Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Shetland Times poll: Do you think the 'unitary authority' will improve services? Yes: 27% No: 73% Period: 4-13 September 2026 Sample size: 41 (Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Shetland Times poll: Would you support random drug testing of council staff? Yes: 52% No: 48% Period: 28 August - 6 September 2026 Sample size: 124 (Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

The Scottish Government's programme for government has pledged to reduce the number of health boards in Scotland from 14 to two and to continue exploration of the single authority model for islands, which could see island health boards merge with the islands councils.

Nominations are currently open to run for the Scottish Youth Parliament. Open to young people aged 14-25, the deadline to stand to be a candidate is on 25 September. Full details here: www.shetland.gov.uk/news/article...

Young people sought for Scottish Youth Parliament – Shetland Islands Council

Young people in Shetland aged 14 to 25 are being invited to put themselves forward for election to the next term of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

shetland.gov.uk

Salmon production by Scottish marine region, 2024 (tonnes): North Coast & West Highlands: 51,795 (-2,946) Shetland: 42,533 (-253) Outer Hebrides: 40,126 (+12,916) Argyll & Clyde: 35,151 (-760) Orkney: 22,395 (+11,321) +/- vs. 2015

Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency) election, candidates by party: Ind.-*: 67 (+11) CM-*: 5 (new) LVP-*: 4 MLP-*: 4 (+1) TIM-*: 2 (new) IMGP-*: 0 (-2) +/- vs. 2021 election Seats up for election: 24 Election date: 24 September 2026

Farmed salmon total harvest rate, 2022: Shetland: 66.5% (-11.9) Scotland: 61.8% (-5.1) +/- vs. 1991

Annual salmon aquaculture production in Shetland as a proportion of the rest of Scotland: 1991: 26% 2001: 29% 2011: 22% 2021: 21% 2023: 22% 2024: 22%

Iceland: European Union membership negotiations referendum 🇮🇸 #Iceland Icelandic voters have rejected reopening EU accession negotiations. The final result: Yes: 47.17% No: 52.83% Explore: europeelects.eu/2026/08/28/e...

Iceland: European Union membership negotiations referendum today 🇮🇸 The latest Maskína poll, published and conducted yesterday, shows 50.4% in favour of resuming EU accession negotiations and 49.6% against (n = 3,274). Explore: europeelects.eu/2026/08/28/e...

Iceland: EU membership negotiations referendum 🇮🇸 Polls suggest that the race between 'Yes' and 'No' is too close to call. Explore: https://europeelects.eu/2026/08/28/election-dashboard-icelandic-european-union-membership-negotiations-referendum-2026/

Shetland Times poll: Should a sanctioned goose cull be introduced in Shetland? Yes: 74% No: 26% Period: 21-29 August 2026 Sample size: 91 (Note: unweighted, unscientific poll)

Salmon aquaculture employees in Shetland as a percentage of all Scottish employees: 1991: 31% 2001: 29% 2011: 26% 2021: 24% 2023: 27% 2024: 24%

Number of people employed by salmon aquaculture in Shetland, 2024: Full-time: 262 (+60) Part-time: 5 (-97) +/- vs. 1991

There has been a steady decline in the number of shellfish businesses in Shetland in the past 25 years.