As everybody knows, much of the power behind words stems from who is saying (or writing) them, and the conviction with which they are delivered.
Few would flinch after hearing leader of the opposition Douglas Ross tell Nicola Sturgeon: “Deliver on your promise or resign” during her time as first minister, for example. But a longstanding SNP politician like Fergus Ewing uttering the same phrase while pointing unwaveringly at current FM Humza Yousaf raises more eyebrows.
Ewing’s recent ultimatum centred on the dualling of the A9: an SNP pledge that has been promised, delayed, rolled back on, promised and delayed again since 2007.
All the while, far too many people have been injured or killed on the route, and those who live along it are forced to take their lives into their own hands every day, over journeys as ordinary as commuting to work or driving to the supermarket.
Fergus Ewing has been an SNP MSP in the north of Scotland since 1999; his more recent “party rebel” status does not take away from his deep understanding of local communities here and what they need. Ewing openly admitting his “shame” over his party’s lack of progress on dualling and throwing down the gauntlet to Yousaf should prompt the first minister to take notice and act.
“Sorry,” said the FM, when pushed by our reporter. Yousaf has “regrets” about delays to the dualling work, but offered a “cast-iron commitment” to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
Mr Yousaf, we have heard this song before. After 16 years of regrets and cast-iron commitments, it should come as no surprise that the people whose lives are directly impacted by the dangerous and deadly A9 are beginning to feel somewhat strung along.
Help us hold Holyrood to account
Today, Humza Yousaf’s mumbled apologies hold little to no weight, and neither does his promise of a revised dualling timetable “in autumn”. The message between the lines is clear: the safety of people in the north of Scotland is not a priority for the Scottish Government; Holyrood will probably get to it eventually, whenever that might be. In reality, this issue could not be any more urgent.
The longer we wait, the more lives are at stake
Those who live and work in the communities joined together by the A9 know Fergus Ewing’s description of this failure as “a matter of life and death” to be true. The longer we wait, the more lives are at stake.
The first minister should not need any further persuasion on the matter, but we at The P&J encourage our readers to write letters to their political representatives demanding action now.
With your help, we will continue our work to hold the Scottish Government to account. You have our word.
The Voice of the North is The Press & Journal’s editorial stance on what we think are the most important issues of the week
