“Startling” figures have revealed that the Conservative Government of 1979 to 1997 built more miles of dualling of the A9 road between Perth and Inverness than the SNP has done.
The statistics, which were provided to Murdo Fraser MSP in a written Parliamentary answer at Holyrood, show that a total of 25.3 miles was built during the Prime Ministerial reigns of Margaret Thatcher and then John Major (from May 1979 to May 1997), compared to just 12.5 miles following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, when the SNP came to power in the country as a minority government.
Commenting, Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “These figures are absolutely startling and clearly reveal that the Conservative Government of 1979 to 1997 built more miles of dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness than the SNP has done. This is a damning indictment on the length of time it is taking the SNP Government to complete this vital project, while also being a fact that the SNP Government will not like reading about or acknowledging.
“The SNP Government initially targeted 2025 for the completion of that £3 billion dualling of the A9, but that is obviously not going to happen now. I recently asked the Transport Secretary Michael Matheson MSP for an update on when the project is expected to be finished. Although I accept the pandemic got in the way of some progress, instead of being told of an estimated completion date, all we heard about was how the SNP would need to wait for a procurement process to be finalised, which is frankly not good enough.
Mr Fraser continued: “The A9 dualling between Perth to Inverness is one of Scotland’s biggest infrastructure projects, but I am deeply concerned at the lack of clarity given on a completion date, and this frustration is now made worse by learning that prior to devolution, the Conservative Government of 1979 to 1997 actually built more miles of dualling on the road than the SNP has done – it beggars belief.”
And Councillor John Duff, who represents the Highland ward for the Scottish Conservatives, added: “The dualling of the A9 is a vital road safety measure which will save lives and needs to be completed as a matter of urgency. The statistic that, over 25 years ago, a Conservative UK Government constructed twice as many miles of dualling on the A9 than the SNP Scottish Government has achieved in the last 15 years is not only decidedly embarrassing for the SNP but highlights the dither and delay surrounding their handling of this life-saving project. ”
