WHEN the UK was last asked to decide on its membership of the European Community in 1975, along with the Western Isles, it was one of only two areas wanting out.

Fast forward a couple of generations and there is little indication of a Little Britain island mentality.

No other local authority area in Scotland is as immersed in Europe as its remotest region, Shetland.

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In the fish processing plants the safety signs are trilingual, English, Polish and Lithuanian.

There is a Hungarian contingent involved in the islands’ construction trade.

Latvians too.

Even in the resurgence in the traditional knitwear and textiles industries, the overseas worker has been pivotal to its success.

In Lerwick, the museum, cinema and arts venue can all tip a hat to Brussels for their success.

And, of course, the agricultural subsidies have preserved Shetland’s tradition of the smallhold farmer.

With one of the lowest levels of unemployment in Scotland, Shetland’s level of prosperity, its revival and attractiveness to new generations, has been achieved with the support of the EU.

Gary Robinson is the leader of Shetland Council.

The islands, he insists, are net contributors to the UK economy but the benefits of membership have become the Shetland’s lifeblood.

He said: “It’s really hard to think of any other local authority where Europe and European are so pivotal, across public and private sectors.”

“The biggest issue is the island economy because in some way or other we are reliant on Europe.

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“Not just the funding, be that the Regional Development Fund or Social Fund, but in the role those from other EU countries have in our social and economic wellbeing.

“They’re absolutely critical for our traditional Shetland industries.”

An independent, Mr Robinson is also one of eight politicians who make up the Scottish contingent on the Brussels-based European Committee of the Regions.

His council paints a stark picture of the impact of potential changes to agricultural subsidies, where a UK government has given all the indications of being disposed more towards intensive systems and less favourably inclined to environmental outcomes.

It is a move Mr Robinson believes could accelerate land abandonment, when small farmers simply give up the land their families have worked for generations.

A report by the council warns that, as in the rest of the Highlands and Islands, land abandonment, where there is no stewardship to the detriment of economic and social potential, is already a big problem.

Keeping it at bay is the very high subsidy levels which keep agriculture viable and the local land in use.

At present Europe provides 50 per cent of a Shetland farmer’s total income, similar to the rest of Scottish agriculture, when in the early 1980s it contributed just under half that, 23 per cent.

Even among the pro-Brexit fishermen there are issues around the extent to which the UK will be able to exclude non-British vessels, vulnerability of fishing rights and access to UK financial support to properly develop it the industry.

Tourism is another worry.

In the past summer, 80 cruise ships have docked on the island bringing with them 50,000 passengers.

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It is an industry with which the local council has gone to great lengths to promote and given the difficulty in accessing Shetland has been pretty successful.

But there is a local concern that as a consequence of the UK attaining a poor reputation in Europe due to its relations with the EU, visitors may be put off from holiday-making in the UK.

In these circumstances promoting Shetland’s distinctiveness would be essential.

Mr Robinson said: “We’re told that many people come to Shetland and indeed Scotland because its seen as safe place, with really friendly people.

“That really isn’t being helped by a lot of the rhetoric about Europe and Brexit and foreign workers around at the minute.

“We’ve worked so very hard to build up this industry.”

Criticism of the Scottish Government’s efforts post-Brexit vote, he believes, may be harsh, with responsibility lying with Westminster to make our exit from Europe more inclusive and multi-layered.

Scotland, at all levels, is being left in the cold by the UK Government, the one-time Conservative said. And is there a future for local government to be able to interface with Europe? Yes, Mr Robinson claims.

“We’re still members of the Council of Europe and a key plank of their policy is the European Charter for Self-Government.

“Our submission on Brexit asks whether the time was right to suggest a new UK constitution be drawn up to act as the framework for all legislation, influencing the federal status of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, all the emerging regional interests in England and right down to local government areas.”