Orkney welcomes conference delegates

September 19, 2013 at 3:40 pm

conference1 — OIC convener, Councillor Steven Heddle, addresses the delegates during the first day of the Our Islands – Our Future conference in Kirkwall. (Craig Taylor)

The Our Islands Our Future conference got under way at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall today, Thursday.

The conference brings together leading figures from the political, academic and business sectors to discuss the issues raised by the Our Islands Our Future campaign, which has seen Orkney Islands Council join forces with colleagues in Shetland Islands Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to press the Scottish and UK Governments for more powers following the independence referendum in September, 2014.

Leading the conference is award-winning political journalist Iain Macwhirter.

He is joined on the conference programme by an array of speakers, including Ian Davidson MP, who is chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, Derek Mackay MSP, who is minister for local government and planning, and Lord Wallace of Tankerness.

● Although the conference is not open to the public, a live blog and audio feed is available here. People can also keep up with events at the conference via a new Twitter feed — @islands2014