Highland MSP ‘astonished’ over call to divert A9 dualling budget
A call to divert cash from A9 dualling has been slammed as “simply unacceptable”.
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston spoke out after the idea was floated by Glasgow SNP MSP John Mason.
He raised the idea during a debate on housing at Holyrood yesterday, asking housing minister Paul McLennan: “Given the limited amount of capital budget and given we’re having a housing emergency will the minister and his colleagues consider moving money from the roads budget - and especially the A9 - to housing, because it seems to me that housing is much more important than improving that road?”
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Mr McLennan called the idea “interesting”, adding’: “For me that would have to be a discussion for the Cabinet.”
Afterwards, Mr Halcro Johnston said he was “astonished” by Mr Mason's suggestion.
“The A9 is a lifeline for the Highlands, and improving it has been a long-standing, although still undelivered, commitment by the SNP,” he said.
“Communities in the Highlands have been waiting for this project for nearly two decades, and it is vital for the safety, connectivity, and economic wellbeing of our communities. This call by a Glasgow SNP MSP to abandon this critical investment is simply unacceptable.”
And he added: “John Mason's comments demonstrate just how detached the central belt-focused SNP is from the needs of people in the Highlands and Islands.
“They seem to forget that we have unique challenges here in the Highlands and require investment in both infrastructure and housing. The A9 dualling is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
“Of course, we need more money for housing, especially in the Highlands and Islands, where the lack of affordable homes is a major issue.
“But it is not an either/or situation. The Scottish Government must keep its promise to dual the A9, while also investing in the housing that our communities desperately need. They have had 17 years to get it right, but have spent that time getting it wrong.
“This SNP government cannot keep letting down the people of the Highlands and Islands. They need to stop the excuses, fulfil their commitment to both housing and infrastructure projects, and get the A9 dualled”.
