Meeting of the Parliament 05 March 2025
As we all know, throughout the centuries, Scotland has produced an army of great inventors whose boundless imagination and inspiration have set us apart from everybody else. Scots are responsible for the television, penicillin, tidal energy, turbines and Dolly the sheep, and let us not forget the telephone or the regrettable deep-fried Mars bar, ATMs, daily disposable contact lenses, the blast furnace, the steam hammer and threshing machines, to name but a few inventions. Scotland has always been at the forefront of world-class innovation. I agree that we must do all that is in our power to ensure that that amazing trend continues, which means that greater resources must be found for the education sector and our colleges and universities, where groundbreaking ideas are spawned and, I hope, ultimately brought to life.
I ask members to forgive me but, like my colleague Murdo Fraser, I will not be shouting from the rafters about the performance of the current Labour Government, which is woeful. Its pre-election promises are simply turning to dust, which is a great pity, given the vital role that the UK Government plays in supporting the Scottish economy—or it certainly did when the previous Conservative Government was in power.
As Craig Hoy has already mentioned—and, no doubt, as members will be aware—I have been campaigning relentlessly for the upgrading of the A75 and A77. Those are two of the most critical roads in the country and are responsible for transporting more than £6 billion-worth of trade between the UK and Ireland and beyond every year. Since devolution, investment in those roads has, sadly, been neglected by the Scottish Government. It was only under the Conservatives that £8 million was allocated to the A75 on the back of Sir Peter Hendy’s connectivity review. Incidentally, the Scottish National Party Government refused to take part in that review, unlike the other devolved Administrations and, indeed, the Republic of Ireland. The review highlighted the importance of the A75 out of all the roads in the UK. Although, commendably, Labour remains committed to improving the A75, the party has trimmed down the initial investment to £5 million, which I suppose is better than nothing, particularly considering the SNP Government’s lack of investment, despite infrastructure being a devolved matter.
Often dubbed the forgotten or ignored corner of Scotland, the south-west benefited enormously under the previous UK Government, particularly through the levelling up scheme, under which projects in Scotland shared £122 million in funding. Indeed, nearly £23 million was invested in the south of Scotland, while an additional £14 million will go towards improving transport links in Dumfries and Galloway, the provision of new electric vehicle charging points for cars and electric buses, and the creation of new transport hubs in five towns in the region. In previous rounds of the levelling up scheme, £343 million was earmarked for Scotland, meaning that a total of £465 million has been allocated. In addition, 12 projects in Dumfries and Galloway benefited from £3 million as part of the UK shared prosperity fund.
The late First Minister Alex Salmond promised £8 million of investment in Stranraer during a visit to the then new port at Cairnryan, and in 2016, the former minister and MSP for the South of Scotland, Aileen McLeod, committed to prioritising the A75 and A77 before losing her seat. Regrettably, those election promises have failed to materialise and, despite more recent, similar, promises from the SNP Government, they will happen only after a funding commitment made by the UK Conservative Government during the previous parliamentary session. Some £18 million will now be spent regenerating the underused waterfront at Stranraer to create a vibrant marine leisure destination, mostly thanks to funding for the Borderlands inclusive growth deal, which totals £450 million. It is also hoped that the Stranraer and Cairnryan area could capitalise on the Northern Ireland enhanced investment zone, which aims to provide grants and tax breaks to the region. Again, that is an initiative of the previous UK Government.
It is crucial to recognise that Scotland already enjoys significant autonomy in economic development. The Scottish Government has the power to tailor policies and investment to suit the unique needs of the Scottish economy. That autonomy allows Scotland to leverage its strength in sectors such as renewable energy, life sciences and fintech, and it should ensure that those industries receive the attention and support that they deserve.
The SNP Government’s motion focuses on regional investment and risks creating division that pits different parts of the UK against one another, which is par for the course for the nationalist Government. Instead of fostering unity and collaboration, the motion leads only to a fragmented approach to economic development. We must remember that the strength of the UK economy lies in its diversity and interconnectivity. By working together and sharing resources, we can achieve a more balanced and prosperous economy for all.
The latest survey carried out by South of Scotland Enterprise, which involved more than 600 businesses, revealed that the biggest challenge facing them is economic uncertainty, which is influencing some decisions around investment and growth. A significant reason for that uncertainty is the on-going constitutional grievance that this nationalist SNP Government continues to peddle in ridiculous debates such as this.
I suggest that both the UK Government and the Scottish Government would do well to follow the example set by the previous Conservative UK Government if they want to see the Scottish economy grow and high-growth sectors continue to prosper.
15:50