Orcadian Column, 17/09/2026

If your immediate reaction to a Facebook photo of a springer spaniel wearing a lifejacket and sitting in front of Kirkwall lifeboat station is to start ranting about ‘traitors’ and ‘scum’, I’d politely suggest you’ve lost the plot. Yet it’s a measure of the extent to which some have become so radicalised online over the issue of so-called ‘small boat crossings’ that even an organisation as widely respected as the RNLI has found itself in the firing line for responding to call outs in the English Channel.

It’s hard to think of any group of volunteers who better epitomise the principle of self-sacrifice and putting oneself in harms way to protect others than RNLI crews up and down the country. No-one in Orkney should need any persuading of this fact, given the history of tragedy that sadly has gone hand in hand with the heroism and bravery of lifeboat crews in our islands over the years since the Saltaire was put on station in Stromness in 1867.

At the other end of the country, however, self-styled ‘patriots’ and fearless keyboard warriors have taken it upon themselves, with absolutely no thought for others, to abuse, threaten and attack volunteers, or indeed anyone associated with the RNLI, for simply doing what the charity was established to do i.e. save lives at sea.

The balaclava brigade appears ignorant of the fact that during the Second World War, lifeboat crews regularly went to the aid not just of Allied airmen and sailors in distress but their German counterparts as well. That was at a time when we were literally at war and facing an actual threat of invasion, not the confected version trumped up by those wishing to sow division and distract people from the very real threats and challenges this country faces.

I’m pleased to report, meantime, that generally the response to my Facebook post of Gerry sporting ‘his’ lifejacket was overwhelmingly positive. More importantly, the public backlash against these latest attacks on the RNLI has seen donations to the charity surge. Joyously, crowdfunding for a new lifeboat, the Flying Farage, is approaching £400,000. While well short of the going rate for getting Mr Farage himself to turn up to a champagne and oyster lunch in Clacton, it will help towards purchasing a valuable addition to the RNLI fleet.

Champagne and oysters were certainly not on the menu at Orkney College last week at the culmination of the Orkney Workforce Summit, though a perfectly decent buffet was laid out for those attending. A morning of presentations, workshops and discussion around Orkney’s future workforce needs began with a sobering analysis from Skills Development Scotland of expected trends in population size, age make-up and so-called ‘dependency ratio’ over the next decade.

Recruitment and retention of staff is already a challenge locally, but with a continued fall in those of working age predicted to coincide with steeper rises in those drawing their pension, existing pressures look set to intensify if further action is not taken.

The Summit allowed a good cross section of local business, third and public sector representatives to reflect on some of the causes of the current problems, with housing, childcare and planning all featuring prominently.

At the same time, there were encouraging comments about the scope for expanding apprenticeships, further improving engagement with and between schools and Orkney College as well as enabling greater flexibility in the way work roles are structured. No ‘silver bullets’, predictably, but enough ideas to be getting on with as part of a dialogue that will need to continue. Indeed, I’ve already highlighted in parliament the impact current housing shortages are having on key public services, prompting the Housing Secretary to offer a meeting to discuss the issue in more detail.

Before then, Tamsin and I head to Canada later this week where our younger son, Tom will be competing for Scotland in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Winnipeg. There’s a mixture of nerves, excitement but most of all pride at what feels very much like one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ moments. I’ll try not to get carried away and do my very best to avoid posting any more provocative or inflammatory photos on Facebook