SPENDING FIGURES EXPOSE LIBDEM HYPOCRISY ON HIGHLAND ROADS

SPENDING FIGURES EXPOSE LIBDEM HYPOCRISY ON HIGHLAND ROADS

LIBDEMS CHALLENGED TO BE HONEST WITH HIGHLAND VOTERS

Figures obtained by SNP Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson from a Parliamentary Question expose further LibDem hypocrisy on Highland roads as it as revealed that the spending allocated to fund trunk roads in the council area has reached record highs under the SNP and was the lowest during the four year period when a LibDem Transport Minister was in control.

According to the figures £41.7 million is to be spent on trunk roads in the Highlands under an SNP Government (2007-11). This dwarfs the £8.8 million that was spent during the tenures of Nicol Stephen and Tavish Scott when they were Transport Ministers (2003-2007). In what is a further embarrassment for the LibDems this figure is also dwarfed by what was spent under the tenure of the previous Labour Transport Ministers - £20.8 million between 1999 to 2003.

Mr Thompson said the figures further expose the LibDems’ hypocrisy on Highland roads and show what would happen under to investment in Highland roads under the LibDems.

Mr Thompson said:

"These figures finally expose the recent LibDem hypocrisy we have seen over investment in Highland roads. They show that it is the SNP which is investing in Highland roads whilst it was the LibDems who brought delays and dithering with their paltry investment.

“They are also an embarrassment for the LibDem leader Nick Clegg whose call for honesty in policy has been undermined by the actions of his very own chief-of-staff Danny Alexander. He has been being entirely dishonest and hypocritical with the Highland public. He is making demands that his party has no intention of delivering – in fact, as these figures reflect, they will cut funding for Highland roads.

"In the eight years in power with Labour, the London LibDems delivered little in terms of major road project and these figures expose their current hypocrisy. What was announced was subject to delay, dither and incompetence under two LibDem Transport Ministers!

"In contrast it is the SNP which is bringing forward an unprecedented number of plans to improve road transport across Scotland and in the Highlands.

”Danny Alexander has to answer why he is ignoring his boss and being dishonest with the Highland public about his party’s plans for road investment and why his party has the poorest record of investment in Highland roads.”