Convener’s letter was personal, says council

Orkney Islands Council has stressed that comments made in a letter published in today’s The Orcadian by OIC convener, Steven Heddle, were his personal opinions.

Although Mr Heddle’s letter to the newspaper was written in a personal capacity, deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon has today welcomed “the backing of the convener of Orkney Islands Council,” heralding it a “significant boost” to the Yes campaign.

A council spokeswoman said this afternoon: “Steven Heddle was writing in a personal capacity to The Orcadian and not as convener of Orkney Islands Council.  It would therefore be inappropriate for the council to comment further on the contents of the letter.”

Earlier today, the SNP also highlighted the support of NHS Orkney’s chairman, John Ross Scott.  His comments, also made in a personal capacity, were greeted as a “fabulous endorsement” in a statement headed “Orkney health chief backs Yes to protect our NHS.”

Mr Scott is quoted as saying: “I’ve been on a 40-year quest for devolution and having seen the benefits of devolved powers to Scotland come to fruition and prove so successful, independence is the next step. But the journey won’t end there.

“The Scottish Government’s track record of investment in health – and not being sucked into the creeping privatisation agenda of health care south of the border – highlight exactly why the future of the NHS in Scotland can only be secured with a Yes vote.

“We need to devolve powers under an independent Scotland back to communities and I am extremely optimistic about the prospects for a Yes vote in the referendum next month.”

An NHS Orkney spokeswoman said: “The views about the vote expressed by Mr Scott are his personal ones and not those of the NHS Orkney Board.”