“Constructive outcome” after islands campaign targets Westminster

The leaders of the three Islands councils have welcomed a commitment from the coalition government to continued dialogue on their campaign for the devolution of more powers from London and Edinburgh.

The move follows discussions at Westminster with the new secretary of state for Scotland, Alistair Carmichael MP.

Mr Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, said the councils and the UK Government share a belief that greater decision-making should rest with local communities.

The leaders of the local authorities in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles welcomed this as a positive step forward for the campaign.

The meeting with the secretary of state formed part of a busy two-day round of talks across Whitehall with ministers and senior government officials.

The council leaders took the Our Islands – Our Future campaign to London in a concerted effort to engage with the coalition government and put forward the case for greater powers for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.