North of Scotland Nationalist MSPs have been accused of betraying their constituents after failing to defend controversial changes to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise board.
Kate Forbes was the only SNP MSP from the region to speak up in favour of the plans during Wednesday’s Scottish Parliament debate, which ended in a humiliating defeat for the government.
The remaining six north MSPs did not defend the proposals at Holyrood – despite every one of them taking the party line in the vote.
Instead, two SNP members from Glasgow were left to try and convince fellow elected members the proposals should go ahead.
Last night, opposition politicians accused the SNP representatives of “ducking the chance” to “stand up for their communities” – and they have now been challenged by the Press and Journal to explain themselves.
Last night, Scottish Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross said: “During the debate, the SNP put forward two speakers from Glasgow constituencies while all but one of the SNP members from the Highlands and Islands sat tight-lipped and silent throughout.
“Each and every one of them voted the way the Nationalist government told them to and it’s understandable their constituents feel let down.
“These MSPs should explain why they didn’t stand up for their communities when it came to the vote and why they didn’t raise any concerns during the debate. These MSPs have let the Highlands and Islands down.”
Orkney Liberal Democrat MSP, Liam McArthur added: “For SNP MSPs in the Highlands and Islands to vote for their government’s plans to centralise the life out of HIE is bad enough.
“To duck the chance to explain to parliament and their constituents why they chose to do so only makes matters worse”.
The government claims the changes, which would see the HIE board subsumed into a new national body, will make the agency more efficient.
