SNP leadership race: Ash Regan apologises on behalf of party for A9 dualling failure

SNP leadership hopeful Ash Regan has apologised on behalf of her party for its U-turn on dualling the A9 and A96.

The SNP made dualling the stretch of road by 2025 a manifesto promise. However, only 11 miles of the routed has been dualled since the SNP came to power in 2007. Around 70 miles are still to be upgraded, parts of which are still at the design stage.

Added urgency to speeding up the work has come from the significant increase in fatal crashes on the road, with 13 deaths last year compared to one in each of the previous three years. Safety was given as a key justification for dualling the route.

Now Ms Regan – one of three contenders to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, alongside ministers Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf – has apologised, describing it as “a total drop of the ball”.

Ash Regan has apologised on behalf of the SNP for its failure to dual the A9

“We debated at conference, we made a manifesto promise, we approved the work in Parliament, and then we failed to deliver,” she said.

“Trust is everything in politics and this is not acceptable. On behalf of the SNP I sincerely apologise.

“I have visited many of the northern communities this weekend and the feelings of anger and betrayal are real and heartfelt. This is a project that needs serious attention and a new way of thinking."

Ms Regan said if she becomes first minister, she will set out a plan to recommit to dualling the road within the first 100 days of her term.

"One of things that struck me while I listened is that many of the people I met have better knowledge and input than those working at the heart of government on this issue,” she said.

"The feeling is that the project is too far north of Holyrood for the people in the positions of power to fully appreciate how slow progress is. I have agreed I would establish a project tracker that is both imposing and visible in the front foyer of St Andrew's House, forcing a daily reminder to check in on progress.”

The Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland agency said the job was likely to take three years to complete, which would mean it would not be finished by the 2025 deadline set by the SNP for dualling the entire 110-mile road between Perth and Inverness.

In response, Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said: “The SNP’s broken promises on dualling these death-trap trunk roads is a shameful betrayal of people in northern Scotland who rely on the A9 and A96.

“While ministers continue to dither, more lives will be lost on both roads – and now we have the car-hating Greens further delaying essential upgrades.

“It’s all very well Ash Regan apologising on behalf of the SNP, but she was in government for more than four years while next to no progress was made, so she’s no innocent bystander.

“Every SNP minister who’s served over the last 15 years bears some responsibility, not least the other two SNP leadership candidates and, especially, Kate Forbes who represents a Highland constituency and has had control of the purse strings in recent years.

“Ash Regan’s belated mea culpa just proves how badly the SNP have let down those living in rural Scotland.”