Fury over confirmation the Scottish Government knew it would miss A9 deadline – since 2018
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The leading A9 dualling campaigner has reacted with fury after it emerged yesterday Nicola Sturgeon’s cabinet was briefed in 2018 that the 2025 deadline for the programme would be missed – yet they kept it a secret from the public.
The development raises serious questions about the integrity of the public promises that have been made since then given what is now known about the perilous state of the funding for the programme amid the much delayed and vague promise of an update before Christmas.
Some of those questions have already been directed at First Minister Humza Yousaf by Laura Hansler of the Dual the A9 group which submitted the petition (PE1992) that eventually led to the closures about the knowledge of the deadline.
That inquiry into the dualling by the Public Petitions Committee released evidence including written responses including from former and current First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf and a record of cabinet discussions.
Ms Hansler admitted she was furious and personally felt misled by former transport minister and Transport Scotland officials at meetings in December 2022 – no one admitted there was a problem at the time adding another layer of secrecy.
“What has happened is a complete and utter vindication of why I raised this petition PE1992, I have always said there would always be a partial or full retraction on any future plans to dual,” Ms Hansler said.
“The papers are explosive, raise so many questions, they knew from 2018 they were never going to deliver on this and even last December 2022 when I’d had meetings with Jenny Gilruth and Transport Scotland officials, they knew they were going to retract these plans and refused to comment they refused the [to tell the] truth.
“They knew they could never deliver and they refused at every turn to give the electorate the truth. Where is the First Minister and his cast iron guarantee? What is being withheld from us?
“Such disdain, disregard and contempt for the people of Highlands and Islands, to those who have lost their lives, innocently, and those left picking up the pieces without their loved ones.
“How utterly horrifically painful for them to read such contemptible disregard, at this time of year. My thoughts are always with these families and I continue to fight for truth.”
