Orkney ditches plan to break from UK

Civic leaders in Orkney have abandoned plans to loosen ties with the UK after a report concluded that it would be too expensive.
Officials on the islands, ten miles north of Scotland, spent two years exploring opportunities for greater autonomy, which included becoming a self-governing territory of Norway.
However, Orkney Islands council has accepted that it must remain part of the UK after an investigation into 'alternative governance' concluded the proposals were too difficult and costly to pursue.
Members have agreed instead to explore a single authority model to reform how public services are delivered.
Orkney's bid to break away from the UK made headlines in 2023. It stemmed from frustration with the financial support it received from both the Westminster and Holyrood governments.
James Stockan, the former council leader, was backed by his fellow councillors, who voted by 15 votes to six in favour of exploring 'alternative models of governance'.
Mr Stockan, who stood down from the council in January last year, said at the time that Orkney did not get fair funding with its current relationship within the UK.
He argued that funding from the Scottish Government was significantly less per head than Shetland and the Western Isles received to run the same services.
Mr Stockan also pointed out that, despite Orkney contributing to the Scottish economy over four decades through North Sea oil, 'the dividend we get back isn't sufficient to keep us going'.
He said he wanted to consider the model of Crown Dependencies such as the Channel Islands and overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands.
He suggested Orkney could be like the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark, and floated the idea that Orkney could rejoin Norway.
The islands were gifted to Scotland, along with Shetland, by King Christian I of Denmark and Norway in 1472 as security for a wedding dowry. The debt was never repaid and the islands remained part of Scotland.
When the report Mr Stockan set in motion finally appeared before councillors, its conclusion that Orkney had no realistic prospect of changing its relationship with the UK was accepted without comment.
Instead, the council is mapping out a new direction with the Scottish Government to reform how local services may be delivered in future through the single authority model, with preliminary talks already held.
Heather Woodbridge, Orkney's current council leader, assured members during their meeting that this was just the start of a more detailed appraisal and implementing the model was not a foregone conclusion.
The Scottish Government believes the single authority model could also work in Argyll and Bute and the Western Isles. It has indicated it will publish more details and a timeline for implementation by the end of this parliament next year.

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