FORMER Scottish minister Fergus Ewing has said it is the “Highlands’ turn” for a major infrastructure project as he called for funding to improve major roads.
Ewing – who has become a critic of his party’s record in Government in the past year – called for funding to dual the A9.
He has long urged the Scottish Government to speed up the project, with an initial pledge to dual the section between Perth and Inverness by 2025 being scrapped earlier this year, and he has been a critic of what he claims is ministers moving too slowly.
Former transport minister Jenny Gilruth announced earlier this year a tendering offer for the Tomatin to Moy section of the route had been rejected after it was found not to represent value for money.
Ewing, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Monday, drew a dividing line between the north and south of Scotland.
“It is the Highlands’ turn,” he said.
“They’ve seen the Forth crossing, the motorways in Glasgow, the Aberdeen peripheral road, the Borders Railway, Edinburgh for some reason chose the trams.
“They’ve all had major investment – it’s the Highlands’ turn now.”
He added: “If we don’t spend on A9 and the A96, people in the Highlands will conclude it’s because the central belt Government doesn’t care about the Highlands.
“That is very, very serious in political terms but, above all, it is a matter of safety, of life and death.”
Ewing went on to say he finds it “impossible to accept” the Scottish Government assertions that it had been going as fast as possible on the A9 project.
“We’re halfway into this parliament, two and a half years into a five-year term,” he said.
“Nothing substantial has been achieved – nothing whatsoever.”
An update on the A9 project had been promised before the end of the autumn, but as December nears, Ewing urged the transport minister to show contrition when she makes a statement to parliament on the issue.
“It is absolutely imperative – given that promises have been broken – that the minister Fiona Hyslop comes to parliament to apologise, but says ‘we’re going to put it right now’,” he said.
Meanwhile, the former minister backed the Scottish Government’s proposed council tax freeze – announced by the First Minister at the SNP conference in October – but described the way it was handled as “cack-handed”.
The Scottish Government had been consulting on plans which could see council tax rise by between 7.5% and 22.5% in the highest bands to support struggling local authority budgets.
But the change in policy was announced before the consultation closed, without notice being given to local authorities.
Ewing is currently appealing against a suspension from the party’s Holyrood group, which was levied against him after he voted against Government minister and Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater in a no confidence vote before the summer.
He has also been critical of the Government policy on gender reforms, highly protected marine areas and the deposit return scheme.
