The leader of Shetland Islands Council has urged the incoming UK government to engage with the islands and consider backing plans for improved inter-island connectivity, saying ministerial support could make a “positive impact” on delivery of transformational infrastructure such as tunnels.
Call for attention from Westminster
Emma Macdonald, who represents the Shetland North ward, made the appeal ahead of the expected appointment of Andy Burnham as prime minister. She said Shetland stands ready to talk to any administration in Westminster or Holyrood about the islands’ strategic needs and emphasised the role of transport investment in enabling growth.
“I would obviously be very happy to see more interest in Shetland from the UK Government… I would hope a new prime minister and new government would be looking at ways to make a positive impact and what better way than to visit Shetland and then commit to supporting us to deliver these transformational tunnels.”
Macdonald described the loss of the UK Islands Forum as a missed opportunity for direct engagement with UK ministers and reiterated the council’s ongoing work on options for tunnels linking the mainland of Yell and Unst with the rest of Shetland.
Local impact and funding context
The council says better connectivity is essential if Shetland is to realise economic opportunities, but noted uncertainty over replacement funding since the UK Government’s levelling-up programme — which delivered nearly £27 million to Shetland for the Fair Isle ferry replacement — has ended.
- Council leader seeks early engagement with incoming UK ministers
- Inter-island tunnels to Yell and Unst cited as potential priorities
- Loss of levelling-up funding leaves a gap for island infrastructure projects
Macdonald stressed the need to work with both governments to progress projects that could be transformational for the islands, rather than to rely on short-term interventions.
| Project or topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Potential tunnels | Yell and Unst inter-island links under consideration by SIC |
| Recent UK funding example | Nearly £27 million from levelling up for Fair Isle ferry replacement |
What next for Shetland?
The council leader said she would welcome a visit from the prime minister and urged any incoming administration to consider how powers and resources can be aligned to support Shetland’s long-term needs. Any move towards deepening devolution or creating new mechanisms for island engagement would be of direct relevance to the council’s ambitions.
For residents and businesses the immediate questions will be whether Westminster will restore a dedicated forum for island issues and how long-term funding can be secured to turn proposals into deliverable projects. The council’s message is clear: such commitments would not only improve daily life in the islands but could also underpin economic contributions to the wider UK.
