Orkney: Councillors debate whether or not Scottish islands should become part of Norway
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Orkney is going to vote on the future of its relationship with the UK
Orkney has voted on whether or not it will look to change its relationship with the UK.
The vote passed at a meeting on 4 July, that means the council will now investigate a number of different options to break away from the UK, including becoming part of Norway instead.
Orkney is made up of a group of islands off the coast of Scotland, and is part of Scotland as well as the UK.
The vote was called because the local council is unhappy with both the Scottish and UK government's treatment of them.
They think they don't get enough money, meaning essential services like ferries to the mainland can't be maintained or fixed when broken.
However, both the UK and Scottish governments have said they've pledged lots of money to the islands.
What do kids in Orkney think of the plan to potentially leave the UK?
Why is Orkney upset?
Council leader James Stockan said Orkney does not get fair funding with its current relationship within the UK.
He went on to say this is particularly unfair as the island contributes a lot to the UK economy, specifically by being a big producer of oil.
Council leader James Stockan says Orkney does not get fair funding within the UK
"We know that we have contributed for the last 40 years through north sea oil, and the dividend [or return on investment] we get back isn't sufficient to keep us going," he said.
The UK government said it was providing £50m to grow the economies of Scotland's Islands - including Orkney.
The UK government has said the UK is "better together"
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "The Government's position is that the UK is stronger united."
And the Scottish government said in 2023-24 Orkney Islands Council would receive £89.7m to fund services.
What are the options for Orkney?
There are a number of things that the council will look at.
The first is Orkney becoming a Crown Dependency.
This is one of three Crown Dependencies, the Isle of Man
A Crown Dependency is country that is not part of the UK, but is a "possession" of the Crown
This means that it is independent and has its own government, but is still tied to the reigning monarch of the UK
The country then still has a relationship with the UK, and is allied with it, but is ultimately a separate country
There are currently three Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
Norway have so far refused to comment on the issue
Another option being considered is Orkney becoming a self-governing territory of Norway.
You may think it's a bit of a random choice, but actually, Orkney use to be a part of Norway hundreds of years ago.
In 1472, the islands were gifted to the King James III of Scotland as part of an arrangement to secure the marriage between him and Margaret of Denmark.
King James III of Scotland received the Orkney Islands as a gift in what's called a dowry, which secured marriages between people
Councillor Stockan said: "There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there [with Norway]. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible."
The Norwegian government has refused to comment on the matter so far, saying it's for the UK to sort it out itself.
Has this happened before?
A similar vote for independence was held in 2017, and did not pass.
- Published27 January 2019
- Published11 July 2017
