Who will Orkney send to Holyrood?

Tomorrow, Orkney will decide who will represent us in the Scottish Parliament for the next five years.

Orkney’s race to Holyrood has, perhaps, been quieter and less exciting than what Shetland has experienced, these past few weeks.

What that truly says for any cultural and political divide we have with our northerly neighbours, only Friday’s results will tell.

Though our contest lacks the same sign-stealing, headline-grabbing tussle, there is no doubt that ours is just as important and passionately fought.

Civility between the five candidates for the Orkney constituency seat should not be confused for a lack of debate.

Indeed, on Tuesday, a leafleting campaign got under way against Reform UK, which has fielded its first-ever candidate here for this election, John Coupland.

The event, organised by Orkney Resists, has been publicly backed by Orkney’s Labour candidate Mike Macleod, SNP candidate Robert Leslie and Scottish Greens list candidate Kristopher Leask.

Making their final appeal to voters, Mr Leslie has, this week, called for an end to Orkney’s long-held “allegiance” to the Scottish Liberal Democrats, whose candidate Liam McArthur hopes to retain the seat he has held 19 years.

Mr Leslie believes that Lib Dems would “hand Labour the keys to Bute House” as part of a potential coalition government.

Orphir’s Jamie Halcro Johnston, meanwhile, has urged voters to vote Conservative on their Highlands and Islands regional ballot to “stop the SNP”.

The Orkney candidate, who hopes to retain one of seven regional seats up for grabs, claims that a vote for the Lib Dems will be “wasted” when it comes to the peach ballot.

As polls open across the county, voters who have not already mailed in their ballots will have a decision to make between five Orkney constituency candidates. They will also be able to give their preference of party to represent the Highlands and Islands in seven regional seats.

Over the past five weeks, The Orcadian has shared the views of candidates for the Orkney seat on a variety of “hot topics” — the economy, transport, public services, energy, and industry.

Though their opinions on each of these areas vary, there is no doubt that each of these candidates believes they and their party have the right idea of how to make life better for folk in Orkney — and Scotland as a whole.

This week, we asked each of those contesting the Orkney seat for a “final pitch” to voters, which you can read in full on pages 24 and 25 of this week’s The Orcadian.

On pages 26 and 27 you will find messages from other parties and independent candidates included on the Highlands and Islands regional ballot.

Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate Liam McArthur has represented Orkney at Holyrood since 2007. He believes the next parliament will be filled with plenty of new faces, regardless of the result, as many MSPs stood down ahead of the election.

He is confident, however, that Orkney’s voice is best in the hands of its tried and tested representative.

“As Orkney’s MSP, I have always sought to be accessible, approachable and pragmatic,” said Mr McArthur.

“Listening to and working alongside constituents, I have prioritised the needs of constituents and this community!”

The Holyrood hopeful highlights his track record, which includes pressing ministers to rethink their approach to “greening” proposals in farming; securing rates relief for island businesses, and successfully pushing for the removal of peak fares on NorthLink service.

Jamie Halcro Johnston has represented Orkney’s interests as a Highlands and Islands regional MSP since 2017. As a candidate for both the Orkney seat and a regional seat for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, he is keen to “hold to account an SNP Government that rarely looks beyond the central belt”

During his nine years as an MSP, Mr Halcro Johnston has fought for a fair deal for local councils, supported the campaign for a new Orkney abattoir, and supported the county’s small businesses on the national stage.

SN’s Mr Leslie is, by now, an experienced contender when it comes to Orkney politics.

The SNP candidate has run for office at every Westminster and Holyrood elections since 2019, and has typically placed second in the voting tally.

Also a long-term campaigner for fairer energy prices, Mr Leslie says that a new SNP government will “demand powers over energy to be devolved to Scotland”.

Criticising Orkney’s long-held allegiance to the Liberal Democrats, the SNP candidate claims that “their legacy sadly now is the impact of Tory austerity enabled by Alistair Carmichael” and that this has led to “a busy foodbank in Orkney, ironically opened by Liam McArthur”.

Labour’s Mike Macleod is a new candidate to Orkney. Hailing from Harris in the Western Isles, Mr Macleod has been treading the streets up here to spread the message of his party.

This is, in his words that “in ordinary times, this massively under-performing SNP Government would get a P45″.

Mr Macleod stands by his open opposition of Mr McArthur’s Assisted Dying Bill, has called for a three-mile limit on trawlers, and hopes his party could end the “unfair postcode lottery” for NHS treatment should it lead the Scottish Government.

Orkney’s first-ever Reform UK candidate is John Coupland, who feels his party offers a platform centered on “common sense”.

Mr Coupland, who lives in Dingwall, joined the Nigel Farage and Malcolm Offord-led party less than two years ago.

He claims that a Reform-led government would realign Scottish income tax in favour of the taxpayer, cutting “waste in gov-ernment” to achieve this goal.

Mr Coupland, who believes Orkney has not seen a fair deal for its role in renewable energy generation, would see net zero targets scrapped and North Sea oil and gas licences fast-tracked.

Polling stations open at 7am on Thursday, May 7, and close at 10pm.

Ballot counting will begin on Friday at 9am.

For further information about where to vote, and how the voting system works, visit https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/elections/ scottish-parliament-election-7-may-2026/