The history behind Orkney’s vote to ‘join Norway’

For the third time in half a century, Orkney, UK, has raised the problem of its Nordic origins and an obvious want to embrace them as soon as extra. Earlier this week, Orkney Islands Council voted on a movement to start exploring choices of “larger subsidiarity and autonomy”, probably wanting past the UK and Scottish borders to construct “Nordic connections”.

This determination has made nationwide and worldwide headlines. These have been centred on the likelihood that the island group, situated ten miles from the north coast of Scotland, could search to turn into a Norwegian territory.

An identical movement was handed within the neighbouring Shetland Islands in 2020. Might this be the newest constitutional disaster to rock the UK?

As these information experiences sometimes spotlight, Orkney and Shetland have been a part of the Norwegian and Danish kingdoms till their annexation by Scotland in 1472. Orcadians and Shetlanders don’t determine as Norwegians or Danes at the moment, however they keep distinct identities which for some – although not all – embody features of this Norse heritage.

Orkney’s movement joins an extended historical past of makes an attempt by activists and native politicians to make use of this distinct id to attract consideration to grievances with central authorities.

Again to Scandinavia

In August 1967, Orkney’s largest settlements of Kirkwall and Stromness awoke to a poster marketing campaign calling for Orkney to return “Again to Denmark”. One poster declared: “Orkney is dying underneath British rule, reunite with Denmark now.” The marketing campaign produced widespread information protection, making headlines in Edinburgh, London, Denmark and whilst far-off as Singapore.

The fast set off was the federal government’s coverage of centralising police forces and water boards into regional our bodies, abolishing Orkney’s native establishments. It was feared that Orkney’s native authorities would quickly observe. There have been additionally grievances in regards to the costly price of transport and the federal government’s insufficient response to a transport strike the earlier 12 months.

In an interview with The Observer, one marketing campaign organiser was described as “plainly delighted with the astonishing commotion he has triggered”, clearly recognising the potential for this provocative use of Orkney’s distinct id to attract consideration to the islands’ grievances.

The Orcadian, Orkney’s sole newspaper, declared “it was all a joke” that had taken the remainder of Britain “for a experience” – earlier than including: “but it surely has its critical facet”.

Orkney’s Nordic ties have been invoked once more in 1986. Amid a marketing campaign in opposition to a proposed growth to Dounreay nuclear energy station in Caithness, activists from Orkney and Shetland drew up the Declaration of Wyre.

Addressed to the kings of Norway and Denmark, the declaration referred to as on them to “seek the advice of on our constitutional standing” and to “inquire into the legality in worldwide regulation of siting a nuclear processing plant … in an space of unresolved constitutional standing.” As soon as once more, historic ties to Scandinavia have been used to spotlight a up to date and completely fashionable political concern.

Political failures

As in 1967 and 1986, Orkney Islands Council’s movement to discover larger autonomy and Nordic connections is centred on present political points. The council is annoyed at failures to achieve an settlement with the Scottish authorities to fund the substitute of its ageing inter-island ferries or safe ample ferry fare subsidies.

There may be additionally anger on the broader development of centralisation that adopted the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

Invoking the opportunity of constitutional change, particularly when this attracts on the islands’ Norse heritage, is a confirmed technique for gaining media and political consideration. Exterior actors are sometimes keen to utilize eye-grabbing headlines or achieve further ammunition for nationwide constitutional quarrels.

That is effectively understood by activists and native politicians. Orkney council chief James Stockan acknowledged that the media response to his movement has been “a exceptional end result”.

So is that this merely a PR stunt hatched by a council looking for further funds at a time of accelerating disaster inside the UK’s public companies? Not completely.

There’s a actual historical past of pro-autonomy sentiment to attract on, articulated to its best extent within the Eighties by the now defunct Orkney Motion. Most Orcadians (and Shetlanders) would endorse the precept of decentralisation. However extra radical visions for autonomy have by no means gained demonstrable majority help.

Orkney’s councillors are probably completely honest of their want for decentralisation, if maybe to not the extent of rejoining Norway or turning into a totally autonomous territory. Nevertheless, neither Orkney nor Shetland’s autonomy motions handed unanimously. Like some other group, there are political variations which might generally be missed from outdoors views.

It’s unclear how most Orcadians and Shetlanders really feel about their councils’ insurance policies. These developments haven’t seen any significant engagement with or curiosity from the broader inhabitants – or, certainly, any electoral mandate from the islands’ voters.

The Orcadian carried out an internet survey this week which discovered a slender majority of 51.4% help for the council’s coverage, with 37.9% opposed. Nevertheless, as this survey didn’t observe scientific polling strategies and was additionally open to non-Orcadians to fill out, it might solely present a tough estimate of individuals’s views.

In distinction to the Eighties, when mobilised marketing campaign actions pressured the councils into taking additional motion on autonomy, there isn’t any grassroots momentum for constitutional change within the islands at the moment. However it’s attainable that continued dissatisfaction with central authorities might result in rising curiosity within the topic.

Orkney isn’t going to turn into a Norwegian territory and important constitutional change is unlikely to look within the close to future. That stated, the thought of autonomy will proceed to be enticing for some. So long as this stays the case, native activists and politicians will proceed to make use of their islands’ distinct heritages in artistic methods to make their voices heard.