The Chief Secretary to the Treasury came under sustained attack yesterday for opposing average speed cameras on the main road into the Highlands.
Danny Alexander was accused of “irresponsible and shameless politics” and being more focussed on the general election than the safety of his constituents.
However, the MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey and his Liberal Democrat colleagues hit back stating the concerns of more than 3,000 Highlanders and numerous business organisations over average speed cameras on the A9 Perth-Inverness road could not be ignored.
There was an acceptance in the Scottish Parliament that safety needs to improve on the A9, long dubbed Scotland’s most dangerous road.
It was agree that evidence from the first three months since the cameras went live had been encouraging with speeding offences down and growing support among drivers for the measures that include a faster speed limit for HGVs.
But it was pointed out that more data wa0s needed, particularly for the busy summer months, and long-term accident figures.
The member’s debate on the “success” of the A9 speed cameras was brought by Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Mike MacKenzie. Normally member’s debate are consensual but he introduced a political element that was picked up by other Nationalists including Transport Minister Derek Mackay.
Mr MacKenzie finished by “condemning those politicians who have seen this issue as a bandwagon to jump on”.
“I am thinking in particular of Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who has blown on some slight embers of discontent, hoping to fan them into a bonfire, merely as a means of opening up an assault on the SNP Government,” he said.
“There is no place in Scotland for that kind of irresponsible and shameless politics.”
Liam McArthur, Orkney Lib Dem MSP, said Mr MacKenzie’s commitment to road safety was betrayed by his political attack.
“I don’t see Danny Alexander’s role or any MP’s role for that matter to simply get behind the SNP,” he said.
“There is undoubtedly concerns about the implications of average speed cameras. They cannot simply be described or dismissed as reckless.”
A spokesman for Mr Alexander said before declaring the road safe Mr MacKenzie should listen to his own transport minister who said “a longer period is needed to evaluate safety performance”.
“SCDI, FSB, Inverness Chamber of Commerce, as well as over 3000 Highlanders, have raised concerns about the cameras,” he said.
“It is disappointing that SNP politicians have resorted to personal attacks and incoherent arguments rather than accept that everyone wants to see a better and safer A9.”