THERE will be another protest in Lerwick on Saturday. Although several members of the eight-strong group of organisers are SNP and Green party members, they are hoping to widen the campaign and incorporate other local political parties including Alistair Carmichael’s Liberal Democrats.

Logan Nicholson, 30, a school teacher in the village of Brae, helped organise the demonstration at the weekend. He says local people deserve a by-election because people went into ballot booths not knowing that the MP had leaked a memo containing falsehoods about First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and then lied about it.

“There is a high probability that if we should have a by-election Alistair will still win,” Nicholson said. “And if that is how people vote, we don’t have a problem with that. But we want people to have the chance to have their democratic say in the full possession of the facts.

“We are going to write a letter to all political parties asking them to back our call for a by-election so that this issue can be dealt with and put to bed and the community can move on.”

Nicholson added that the group was putting together an open letter to circulate locally, but is calling on the community to avoid protesting at Carmichael’s planned constituency surgery on Thursday afternoon.

Condemnation of Carmichael’s conduct has been strong and widespread locally – but on the question of whether he should resign there are more nuanced stances.

Some feel that because the memo fallout related largely to his role as Scottish secretary of state, it is more a national issue than a local one. Others, however, are affronted that he has apologised to Sturgeon and the French ambassador but not to the electorate.

The local Labour party has rejected calls for a by-election, while the Conservatives have not considered the question. Its chairman Maurice Mullay said he “would be surprised if there was an appetite” for a rerun so soon after the General Election.

But while SNP activists have been at the forefront, calls for Carmichael to step down are far from confined to pro-independence campaigners.

Former Liberal Democrat member Cecil Hughson, who works in the Camera Shop on the main thoroughfare in Lerwick’s old town, said the party’s last remaining Scottish MP had “done quite good” for the constituency in the past, but his recent behaviour was “absolutely crazy”.

“I don’t know what good that could have done him in the first place. All that he’s done is destroyed the party, even worse than they’ve already been destroyed for going to bed with the Conservatives, and for the tuition fee carry-on. I think they’re dead and gone now – he’s just put the tin hat on it.”

Although Scottish leader Willie Rennie has offered his backing to the MP, who has served since 2001 in a constituency that has been Liberal since the 1950s, those in the local party are keeping schtum.

Theo Nicholson is yet to be replaced as local party chairman after stepping down for family reasons. Another ex-chairman, Theo Smith, would say only that he was “very disappointed with the situation”, while Shetland MSP Tavish Scott has yet to comment publicly.

BUT Shetland archivist, historian and trade unionist Brian Smith – a Yes voter who has had plenty of political disagreements with Carmichael down the years – does not feel it is a resigning matter.

Smith talked of a “fox hunting atmosphere about the campaign” to oust the MP, whose attempt to discredit Sturgeon was “a foolish ploy that was doomed to failure, but it is hardly by-election material”.

“I have nothing at all against the SNP but an election victory in these circumstances wouldn’t be much cop,” he said.

Mullay’s statement on behalf of the Tories said many voters would be “extremely and understandably disappointed” at Carmichael’s admission, which party members “take on face value as an ‘error of judgment’.”

A statement on behalf of Shetland Labour, issued by interim secretary Gordon Thomson, criticised Carmichael’s behaviour – but denounced calls for his resignation.

“In the white heat of an election campaign, he failed to use his proper, considered judgment and acted in a way that has proved costly to his own personal reputation and integrity,” the statement read.

“However, this must be put into balance against his fine record as a constituency MP and, particularly, as someone who has shown such great commitment to human rights, not just locally but in a global context.”

Local Labour members “deplore the nature of the current SNP campaign against him”, describing the street demonstration and organised petitions as “akin to the reinvention of the fine old Scottish tradition of a witch-hunt”.

“We only wish that their zeal for truth and honesty was matched when they considered the words and actions of their own representatives, some of whom have been a shade less than truthful in the past.

“Instead of this perpetual and excitable tub-thumping, perhaps a time for calm and considered judgment is called for, something which neither of our opponents have been especially noted for in the past.”

However, teacher and Shetland News contributor Genevieve White – a longstanding Labour voter – said she was “pretty surprised” to hear about Carmichael’s part in the leak.

“He won by a fairly narrow margin here anyway, and I think many of the people who did vote for him will now be regretting their choice. Under these circumstances, I think it seems fair that Shetland and Orkney get another vote.”