Friday, May 15, 2015

Freedom for Nairnshire! - but what if Inverness gets there first?

Yesterday saw our local Highland Councillors debating their differing views on bringing back some local democracy to Nairn. At that meeting there were also calls for Inverness to get "Independence" from the Highland Council. The Press and Journal had a front page spread on the topic and the paper's editorial said:

"On the day when George Osborne was unveiling more devolved powers for English cities, "independence for Inverness suddenly became a hot topic. 

Councillors want a root and branch review of democratic processes around the Highland Capital, with some believing the clock should be turned back so that it has its own city council. It is an intriguing prospect, because the city has long thought it was treated differently to other parts of Scotland, which were higher up the pecking order.

But simply being part of a Highland-wide authority is itself believe, by some, to have weakened Inverness's position. It is a debate that is worth having in coming months."

And that debate could indeed ignite and capture the hearts and minds of many Invernessians in the months and years ahead. What then for us if a movement for serious change gets up a head of steam in the Highland Capital? Could we even end up thrown in with a "Greater Inverness"? Holyrood elections are only a year away and the Highland Council elections are in 2017. Will we see promises of devolution made to Inverness by the political parities? This observer thinks it might be possible. Change lies ahead and we must be prepared to be ready to agitate for the best deal possible for Nairn. 

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