FERGUS EWING: ‘Ashamed of the party that I have served for 50 years’
The chambers of commerce in both Inverness and Elgin made strong representations to the Scottish Government, for the need to provide safer roads in the north and north east, by duallling the A9 and A96.
They point to the massive grid and renewable developments to take place and the jobs which should be created here.
Many living in Inverness and Nairn tell me the infrastructure - roads, housing, health service - cannot cope with the existing usage, never mind the increase in demand from an extra 20,000 or 30,000 people.
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It’s not good enough that both governments have these great plans and ambitions for renewables, mostly to be delivered in the north and north east, but they do not match them with commensurate investment in our transport and public services.
We here are expected to do the work, to create the development, and the impacts of pylons and turbines, but are not to get the assistance to upgrade our roads, schools, GP practices, Raigmore, or indeed the rail services about which we are getting many more complaints of late.
Nor has community ownership of renewables been developed much, as I argued in a separate speech last week.
This is all coming to a head so at Holyrood last week, and for the umpteenth time, I raised the A96 in the chamber with the minister, as did Douglas Ross MSP.
Now, near on £100 million has been, or will shortly be, spent on the A96 and not one inch of tarmac laid.
I asked if the failure of the Scottish Government was defensible - and essentially got “pass” as the answer.
After promising that the A96 would be dualled by 2030 we have not even got an official plan stating when that will now happen.
In fact I doubt the work will even start to the Nairn bypass till 2030. So not only will it not be finished, it may not even be started by then.
This to me is simply indefensible, and half-hearted attempts to do so rub salt in Highlanders’ wounds.
If I sounded angry when making the points in the chamber it was because I was. And am. And ashamed of the party that I have served for 50 years.
I am now carefully pondering best how to advance this case.
Elsewhere, Alistair Dodds is to stand down as chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in July.
As Courier readers will know he served the Highland public as boss at the council for six years and then at HIE, as board member and then chairman, for 11 years in all.
He brought wisdom and gravitas to the role. I have greatly enjoyed working with him, first as economy minister and then as a backbencher , and his knowledge, experience and commitment to the HIghlands was a great asset which will be sorely missed.
Also, last Friday, after co-chairing what I think was about the 40th meeting of the Castle Delivery group (and its advisory group predecessor) the group visited the castle and saw for ourselves what will be the shop and main bar, in the North Tower which is internally nearly completed.
Quite simply: It’s world class.
There I met the construction manager of Bancon. He and his team are working 12 hour days to get the job done. We aim for it to be open in late summer or early autumn. Much more details will be provided over coming months, but for all of us involved it has been a labour of love: a wee oasis of positivity in a troubled world.
