Following the announcement of John Swinney's bid to win the SNP leadership contest, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said:
“The very least the people of the Highlands and Islands should be able to expect is a government focused on their issues and not just the SNP’s own obsession with another independence referendum.
“Rural and island communities want to see promised road improvements like the dualling of the A9 completed. They want our beleaguered ferries network operating without cancellations and delays, and Scottish ministers to stop talking about new vessels and actually deliver them. And they want new hospitals built, cuts to services reversed and schools fit to learn and teach in, not just endless excuses from the SNP government on why they’re not.
“Unfortunately, this latest internal stitch up by the SNP hierarchy offers nothing but another continuity candidate who, as Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy and a loyal backbencher to Humza Yousaf, helped push through damaging or failed legislation on HPMAs, gender reform, the Named Person Bill and worse.
“Clearly under pressure to agree to the coronation of John Swinney and avoid even more internal SNP division, Kate Forbes has backed a failed former leader whose fingerprints are all over 17 years of SNP failure.
“John Swinney has already confirmed that his priority will be independence and that the SNP will remain a central-belt focused party that offers nothing to communities across the Highlands and Islands that deserve so much more.
“This isn’t a bright new start for the SNP, it’s just more of the same”.
ENDS
Subscribe to Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP's monthly newsletter here.
