ABSTRACT
Shetland lies 700 miles north of London, 300 miles north of Edinburgh, and is 200 miles from Bergen. The islands are about 100 miles long and 35 miles across at the widest point. Shetland’s southerly archipelago neighbour Orkney had been engaged in similar endeavours. Shetland had been one of the few local authorities in the UK without a development plan before oil was discovered. A key appointment was that of John Manson, a Shetlander who had worked in the oil industry as a consultant early in 1972. The Council had a tradition of non-party politics, but the developments provoked the establishment of a pro-Nordport Ltd grouping on the Council calling itself the Shetland Democratic Group with seven councillors. The various interests in oil and gas exploration possessed vastly different levels of experience, information and expertise. The lack of a level playing field in negotiations placed the local communities and the Council at a significant disadvantage.
