The frontrunner to take over the Scottish Liberal Democrats has slammed a “digital divide” which he claims is holding back Highland and rural communities.
Alex Cole-Hamilton made the pitch in an attempt to turn party fortunes around in the north, and set out a message as he helps campaign for an Inverness by-election this week.
He is the only challenger to step forward to replace Willie Rennie as leader of the group of just four Lib Dem MSPs remaining at Holyrood.
The party had hoped to make a breakthrough in May but did not manage to cause any upsets in areas it once dominated.
The SNP is the largest party, with senior figures including finance secretary Kate Forbes and public health minister Maree Todd representing constituencies in the region.
The SNP-run Scottish Government says it is investing heavily in infrastructure across the region, including dualling the A9 and spending more than £100million on the Inverness and Highland City Deal.
It’s time to lay the digital gremlins to rest and close the glaring digital divide once and for all.”
– Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton
In March, the government announced work was beginning to lay new subsea cables to supply superfast broadband to 15 island communities, from Unst to Iona. It’s part of the commitment to deliver 100% superfast broadband across Scotland.
Mr Cole-Hamilton, who won in Edinburgh Western, said the Highlands are still being held back by a “centralising” administration in the capital.
He said: “At my home in Edinburgh I take it for granted that my children will have no difficulty logging in for online lessons. But outside the Central Belt, too many pupils spent the pandemic waking up and wondering ‘will I be able to join my online classes today?’
“Whether it’s the delivery of healthcare, access to education resources or businesses moving online, the digital divide hurts rural communities right across Scotland.
“The SNP have been promising superfast broadband for rural homes in Scotland for years. But outwith Edinburgh, progress has been glacial. Earlier this year we even saw an SNP MSP forced to take part in a committee meeting from the back of his car because his rural home connection was unusable.”
The Inverness West by-election, on Thursday, could see a Lib Dem win, according to analysis of recent voting.
Unionist MSPs like Alex Cole-Hamilton would rather decisions on the future of these areas are taken by the Tories at Westminster.”
– SNP spokesman
Mr Cole-Hamilton, who is in Inverness today, said connectivity was a key message in the contest and suggested local “managers” might make a difference.
“With these managers embedded in the communities they serve, they would be charged to deliver the high-speed connections and reliable mobile phone signals that are necessary to support business, education and new innovations in telemedicine in every corner of the country,” he said.
“As Scotland recovers from the pandemic, we have the perfect opportunity to think again about decentralising services and tackling the ways in which poor connectivity is holding people back. It’s time to lay the digital gremlins to rest and close the glaring digital divide once and for all.”
Asked to respond to the claims, an SNP spokesman said: “The SNP Scottish Government has made fantastic investments in rural communities across Scotland, including investing in the dualling of the A9, the Highland to Inverness Improvement Project and the delivery of the AWPR.
“Our commitment to investing in rural communities is underpinned by the Scottish Government’s investment in city deals – £135m has been invested in the Inverness and Highland City Deal and £125m in the Aberdeen City deal.
“The SNP government continues to invest in every area of Scotland, whilst unionist MSPs like Alex Cole-Hamilton would rather decisions on the future of these areas are taken by the Tories at Westminster.”