Meeting of the Parliament 04 February 2026
I have a constituent farmer, Neil Gordon, in Balnaan, who relies on the use of Balnaan bridge to carry out his work. The bridge has recently been closed because of safety concerns in relation to work that requires to be done. As a result, after doing a day’s work, he has to undergo a trip of 100 miles in his car. That is making his business nearly inoperable, to be frank, and it all comes down to money—money that Highland Council does not have.
If the cabinet secretary wants to know where she can get that money from, there is the £250 million for peat restoration; the £200 million for decarbonisation of buildings; or the £20,000 increases that were granted recently to salaries of people at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian, just for doing their jobs. There is plenty of money, cabinet secretary, but it is going to the wrong things and to the wrong people.