Why Scotland can't have a long-term transport plan like Germany
Published in the April 9th edition of The National.
I attended last week’s CPPPC (Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee) meeting where the RSS petition (PE2135) requesting incorporation of the ICCPR into Scots law was first considered. However, most of the committee’s time was taken up discussing several transport petitions:
PE2132 (Publish a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn by Easter 2025). This was published in December, 2024, although Fergus Ewing MSP said it was first promised in 2009.
PE 1967 (Protect Loch Lomond’s Atlantic oakwood shoreline by implementing the High road option for the A82 upgrade between Tarbet and Inverarnan, published in September 2022);
PE1916 (Request a public inquiry into the management of the rest and be thankful project, published in December 2021 although the first petition was published in 2012);
PE1657 (A77 Upgrade, published in May 2017); and
PE1610 (Upgrade the A75, published in June 2016).
The committee had summoned Cabinet Minister for Transport Fiona Hyslop to answer questions. She was accompanied by 3 departmental civil servants armed with binders of data.
Two of the petitions (PE1657 and PE1610) have been in the system for eight and nine years, respectively, and a timeline for the dualling the A96 in the Highlands (PE2132) was, according to Fergus Ewing, promised 16 years ago.
Several MSPs showed their frustration, including English Labour’s Jackie Baillie.
Fergus Ewing said if the Highlands were prioritised, the money to dual the A96 could be found within the existing capital budget.
Hyslop responded that the majority of the capital budget is spent on rail, followed by ports, then road safety.
Ewing then asked “Why can’t Scotland have a long-term transport plan like Germany?”
Her reply: Because Germany is an independent nation - it can develop, fund and execute long-term infrastructure plans. By contrast, Holyrood doesn’t know its capital budget from year to year since it is handed down on high from its Westminster masters. This makes long-term planning impossible.
Exactly. Then why isn’t the SNP administration laser focused on extricating Scotland from the failing UK?
We know it won’t be a political party that gets us out - the Scottish People will have to do it. In the meantime, there’s something they can do now to push Scotland - and our indolent politicians - in the right direction.
PE2135, calling on the Scottish Parliament to implement ICCPR into Scots law, would give the Scottish People direct political rights - referendums and initiatives - with which to exercise their sovereignty and hold politicians to account.
Direct political rights would provide the means to force the change people want and need, whether it’s dualling the A96, saving Ardrossan Harbour, stopping pylons in the Highlands, or preventing Grangemouth from closing.
Don’t let Minister for Constitution Angus Robertson (Angus.Robertson.msp@parliament.scot) get away with denying the Scottish People their international human rights and undermining their sovereignty.
Please:
Sign and share PE2135, and
Register with ScotlandDecides.org to support an independent voting platform
"Exactly. Then why isn’t the SNP administration laser focused on extricating Scotland from the failing UK?
We know it won’t be a political party that gets us out - the Scottish People will have to do it. "
That is true.
However, a common political PROCESS in the domestic sphere will be required and all the supposedly pro-Independence candidates and parties will have to sign up to it so that all votes count as being in favour of that plan. A plan that will lead to liberation from our oppressors.
It is called the #ManifestoForIndependence (see https://newscotlandparty.scot/manifesto-for-independence/):
Supporters of the #ManifestoForIndependence want the politicians to commit to supporting this simple 6 step process in advance of next year’s election. This circumvents the Westminster ‘veto’, is supremely democratic, obtains the explicit endorsement of the people for freedom and, most importantly, acts on that mandate so obtained.
This compliments the excellent work done Salvo and Liberation Scotland on both the international and educational fronts.
We need our political representatives to stand on principle and not just for the purposes of getting elected for its own sake.
We’ve had more than enough of that these last 10 years.
You can sign the petition supporting the #ManifestoForIndependence here:
https://newscotlandparty.scot/petition/