Shetland voters head to the polls today at the end of a hard fought-election campaign that has seen the SNP bid to unseat the Liberals for the first time.
For the Nationalists to take the Lib Dem stronghold, their candidate Tom Wills must overturn a 4,895 majority.
On the eve of today’s vote, Mr Wills claimed his party had its “best ever chance” of winning the seat while Lib Dem sources said they were “confident” of victory.
The SNP have thrown money and resources at their campaign, which has included three visits by first minister Nicola Sturgeon for the first by-election in Holyrood’s most northerly constituency.
The result of today’s contest will not become clear until early tomorrow morning when votes are finally totted up.
The vote will be held against a turbulent political backdrop with Ms Sturgeon warning of “profound” implications for the UK of Boris Johnson’s bid to suspend Westminster, in advance of the Brexit deadline.
But Mr Wills claimed SNP had fought the by-election on local issues rather than Scottish independence.
He said: “I think everyone knows we support independence that’s no secret. But this is not an independence referendum, this is about local issues and about how Shetland gets the best possible representation within the Scottish Parliament.”
With the SNP being accused by the Tories of wanting to take Scotland’s fishermen back into the Common Fisheries Policy, Mr Wills said re-entry into the CFP “as it stands” would be a deal breaker for him.
He said going back into the EU would require “fundamental reform” of the CFP including localised fisheries management to give Scottish fleets more access to their own waters.
As an engineer in the renewables sector, Mr Wills said there had to be a “detailed plan” on how to end reliance of fossil fuels which protected jobs in Shetland’s oil sector.
But the Lib Dem candidate Beatrice Wishart said there were concerns on the islands that the SNP was using “this vote to push for another independence referendum”.
Ms Wishart said: “I totally reject their plan. We voted to remain in the UK and I am committed to making Shetland’s voice heard.”
Ms Wishart, a local councillor, is standing after the resignation of Tavish Scott, who resigned as a MSP to take up a job with Scottish Rugby.
She added that the Lib Dems had been focusing on “lowering fares on ferries and flights, improving broadband and the addressing the challenges facing our fishing and agriculture industries.”
