Orcadian Column, 25 July 2024

President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race came after weeks of speculation and mounting alarm in Democrat circles about the deterioration in the President’s cognitive abilities. It remains uncertain whether vice president, Kamala Harris will be endorsed as his successor, with many Democrats preferring a contest, but Biden’s withdrawal is undoubtedly in the best interests of him, his party and, most importantly, his country. Donald Trump remains in the box seat for November’s contest, but now faces a different and hopefully sterner challenge in that election.

Talking of elections, let me offer warm congratulations to my friend and colleague, Alistair Carmichael on his success earlier this month. Alistair has served our island communities well since 2001, and richly deserves the opportunity to continue in the role as Orkney and Shetland’s MP.

By the time the Returning Officer made his declaration to a weary congregation in the KGS dining hall just after 6am on the Friday morning, it was already clear from results across the country that the Labour landslide had been as dramatic as predicted; the Tory and SNP losses deep and painful.

Happily, it was also apparent that Liberal Democrats had exceeded all expectations, swelling our parliamentary ranks from the 11 MPs elected in 2019 to 72. This comfortably re-establishes Liberal Democrats as the third largest party, bringing benefits in terms of opportunities to lead debates, ask questions, notably at PMQs, and Committee membership.

The result is a personal triumph for Ed Davey, who has been a good friend of mine since we both served in the Liberal Democrat Whips Office at Westminster in the early 1990s. He and I were also briefly flatmates in London, and he claims to still have a box of my ‘stuff’ stashed somewhere in his attic.

Ed is a thoroughly decent man with an unshakeable commitment to public service and fairness. His personal experience of looking after his terminally ill mother and more recently, his disabled son has also led him to be the fiercest of campaigners for investment in the NHS and social care. Party political broadcasts are seldom renowned for their sincerity, but the one where Ed talked openly about his caring responsibilities and the importance of valuing carers and what they do was moving, humbling and struck a chord with people.

Much was made of Ed’s ‘stunts’ during the campaign, but these successfully grabbed media and public attention, allowing him to convey a more serious message while also demonstrating he was, in the words of the late Charles Kennedy, a fully paid-up member of the human race. I am rather concerned, however, that the next election might see me having to water ski off the back of the Varagen or hurling myself down Wideford hill on a tea tray.

Thankfully, such acts of attention-seeking have not been a feature of my summer recess. Instead, I have travelled rather sedately round most of the smaller isles, holding advice surgeries and meetings. Attendance at surgeries is often sparse, but there is no substitute for being out in the isles speaking to folk and getting a feel for what is going on.

Unsurprisingly, the mass stranding of 77 pilot whales at Tresness in Sanday has dominated much of the conversations of late. The images were genuinely heartbreaking but the community response has been truly inspirational. Sanday resident and marine mammal expert. Emma Neave Webb provided superb leadership, coordinating whale experts from around the UK and liaising with local islanders over transport and accommodation needs.

Special mention is due as well to James Muir, who played a key role in the removal and burial process. Over the past fortnight, James has popped up regularly in media coverage of the recovery efforts, with the BBC’s glowing reference to his impressive ‘earth moving equipment’ being a particular highlight! James may not have led Sanday to Parish Cup glory, but he seems nailed on for player of the season when it comes to mass strandings.

In adversity, communities show their true self. There is still so much to learn about why such awful mass strandings happen, but we do know that when the need arises, communities in Orkney step up to the plate.