AS budgets go, the measures introduced by Shona Robison this week fell on markedly stony ground. That the opposition parties were so hostile came as little surprise, but the new tax band for higher earners, for instance, was deservedly criticised.

Andrew Wilson, the economist who led Nicola Sturgeon's Sustainable Growth Commission, believes that unless the new tax regime is reversed, serious damage will be done to the economy. The chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise, Sandy Begbie, believes it will put Scotland at a competitive disadvantage.

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Ms Robison's budget has also been criticised by other business leaders, by housebuilders, by council leaders, by anti-poverty groups, by the hospitality industry, by the Scottish Retail Consortium. The list goes on.

Scotland's £1.5bn funding gap can be attributed in large part to Westminster austerity, high spending and lacklustre growth. The deputy first minister and finance secretary faced tough choices, and time will tell whether her tax-raising, service-cutting measures will do the trick. But it would have been good to see more emphasis being placed on growth rather than on increasing taxes.

Council bosses warn over 'cuts in every community' after SNP Budget

As our columnist Rebecca McQuillan has noted, the transport budget has suffered wide-ranging cuts, leaving question-marks over a range of promised improvements. While it is encouraging that the ScotRail peak-fares removal pilot is being extended by three months until next June 28, ScotRail fares will increase by 8.7% from April 1.

Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop argues that the rise has been kept as low as possible, but at double the current rate of inflation, 8.7% is excessive, and may well deter hard-pressed commuters from travelling by train.

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Spending on bus services has been cut, from £6.25m to £5.55m; spending on rail services has been reduced, from £1.1bn to £966m. And the SNP councillor who heads Strathclyde Passenger Transport is appalled by the lack of investment being made available to the group as it seeks to improve public transport across the region.

A reliable, fully-funded public transport network is a hallmark of a thriving society. Not every Scottish household can afford to run a car. It is a pity that public transport has been targeted in the budget, as it has so often in the past.

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It's when we approach the subject of the long-delayed, badly-needed dualling of the A9 that the SNP government's ability to tackle major infrastructure developments come to the fore. The episode has been an embarrassment for too many years.

Consider that, over the last decade, just two sections of carriageway have been dualled: 11 miles in all, out of 83 miles. Consider further that it was as long ago as 2007 that the SNP initially pledged to upgrade this troublesome route. Former transport minister Jenny Gilruth told MSPs last February that work to upgrade the entire A9 by the original completion date of 2025 was “simply unachievable”.

Statistics reveal that 116 people lost their lives on the road between 2009 and October 2022.

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Many in the Highlands who have long campaigned for dualling of the key road from Perth to Inverness are frustrated, to say the least, that a route of such importance to the region has been neglected for so long.  They can be forgiven some scepticism  of the plan announced by Mairi McAllan, Cabinet secretary for transport, that the last segment of the A9 will be dualled by the end of 2035. They will assuredly keep a close eye on progress.

Dualling of A9 to be completed by 2035

Other roads are also clamouring for attention: the A96 from Aberdeen to Inverness, the A75 from Dumfries to Stranraer. Safety fears relating to landslips have once again shut the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful, which is often described as Scotland’s most notorious roads. It sometimes seems that the SNP government is guilty of what the former minister, Alex Neil, has described as a "gobsmacking" lack of "ambition" on roads.

Even Forrest Gump would know the A9 needs dualled

The SNP has a mixed record when it comes to big projects. The Queensferry Crossing and the M74 extension, amongst others, were both handled diligently, but the continuing fiasco over the two ferries being built at Port Glasgow is a lingering black mark.

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Transport may not be the most glamorous of Cabinet posts but it remains a vital one. Ms McAllan has a chance to make her name as a rising star in the party if she can oversee the dualling of the A9. Its successful completion will be a significant plus for the nationalists, even if they are long gone from office when the ribbon is cut on the final section.

 

Remembering Lockerbie
THE marking of the 35th anniversary of the Lockerbie tragedy will have stirred many painful memories for local residents. The ceremonies, however, show that the world has not forgotten what happened in December 1988. The townspeople have shown great fortitude over the years, and kindness and understanding to visitors and journalists alike. Humza Yousaf was correct to remind us, too, of the countless emergency workers who witnessed such unbearable scenes in those awful days.