SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan warned her party’s failure to meet key A9 dualling targets was an “insult” to locals who have been failed by Nicola Sturgeon’s government.
In an interview with The Courier, Ms Regan said she would put forward an immediate plan to speed up the process for widening the Perth-Inverness road if she becomes first minister.
The SNP originally planned to dual the 80-mile stretch of the A9 by 2025, but admitted recently that was no longer achievable.
Ms Regan said: “I think people feel that they’ve been forgotten about, and the decision on the A9 and A96 as well, they really feel like they’ve been put on the backburner just now.”
‘Latest insult’
“It’s just the latest insult in a long line of things. I would like to apologise to the north on behalf of the SNP for just letting people down over that.”
She added: “If I become leader of the SNP, I’ll commit in my first 100 days to bringing forth a plan on these roads to make good on that promise we’ve made.
“We’ve made that promise a long time ago. It’s been in manifesto after manifesto.
“I don’t know if we can get it back onto the original timetable, I’ll look into that if I become first minister, but if not, then I’m going to set out exactly what I can do.”
Could it spell end for Green deal?
Ms Regan also signalled she would be willing to jettison her party’s agreement with the Scottish Greens if necessary.
She told us: “We can’t be in a position where we’re allowing a smaller party to dominate all decision making.
“I understand they are going to have red lines, we’ll obviously speak to the Greens, but I’m not afraid of a minority government.”
Ms Regan quit her government post as community safety minister in October due to a row over gender reforms and has since grown critical of her own party’s policies.
She has emerged as the outsider candidate in the race to replace Ms Sturgeon since her shock resignation.
Nominations for the race to be first minister closed last Friday and a new SNP leader will be picked by the party on March 27 once voting closes.
Dundee-based Humza Yousaf is now bookies’ favourite to succeed Ms Sturgeon. He received a major endorsement from ex-party leader Ian Blackford on Sunday night.
It comes after he was backed by all 19 elected SNP officials in Dundee, including party veteran Shona Robison.
He has pitched himself to voters as the continuity candidate best-placed to carry forward the outgoing first minister’s legacy.
Highlands MP Mr Blackford said: “We need a figure who will unite both the SNP and the Yes movement.
“As a nation, we require a First Minister who will ensure that we deliver in Government and lead us forward to guarantee Scotland’s voice is heard in an independence referendum. Humza is that leader.”
Finance chief Kate Forbes is also in the running, but her campaign was sent into meltdown last week when she admitted she would have voted against gay marriage.
She was due to visiting Aviemore today in another attempt to get her campaign back on track.
Conversation