Why our incoming MSPs must finally focus on getting Scotland moving
As the Holyrood election campaign nears its end, some candidates may already be thinking about a summer break.
From Scotland’s airports, they can reach half the world within hours. However, travelling across Scotland itself remains a different story.
Across the Scottish Chamber network, spanning Caithness to the Borders, businesses keep raising the same concern: infrastructure delays are holding back investment and growth.
This was laid bare in our recently published Plan for Growth, which outlines key steps the next Scottish Government should take to pave the way for a transformation of the nation’s economy into the world’s most dynamic business environment by 2050.
We asked local and regional Chambers of Commerce across Scotland to sum up the headline changes they would like to see delivered by the incoming administration.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority highlighted accelerated spending and delivery of capital projects, particularly those relating to transport infrastructure.
Cumulatively, the scale of the requirement across Scotland is immense, which in itself is indicative of serious under-investment over an extended period, for many different reasons.
Even the most urgently-needed and high-profile projects – such as the dualling of the A9 from Perth to Inverness, long-standing proposals to improve surface access to Glasgow Airport, the replacement for Barlinnie prison in Glasgow or the delivery of new CalMac ferries for the Hebrides – have become synonymous with drift, delay, and escalating costs.
The failure to deliver these big-ticket items has a knock-on impact on other local schemes which find themselves stuck in a funding queue, unable to progress.
This is a tragedy for Scotland’s economy, which has a handbrake applied to its aspirations.
The failure to invest inevitably breeds an intense frustration in overlooked communities, with stalled projects often becoming political footballs as opposing parliamentarians attempt to apportion blame for the lack of delivery.
Scotland’s next cohort of MSPs should be aware that better models are available.
Perhaps, instead of a beach holiday this summer they should consider a fact-finding mission to Denmark, which is currently delivering 165billion Euros of upgrades to transport, energy and connectivity, under a long-term Infrastructure Plan that has cross-party backing, rolling reviews and regional oversight.
Investments are phased, coordinated and disciplined, supporting national growth at the same time as meeting local priorities.
We believe the next Scottish Government should adopt a similar process, delivering a National Infrastructure Acceleration Plan in its first year, setting out clear project timelines and regional investment targets, in partnership with chambers of commerce.
Critical transport corridors should be prioritised – including the A9, A96, A82 and A75/A7.
By the end of the incoming Scottish Parliament, our Plan for Growth also proposes introducing a Scotland 2050 Infrastructure Bill – based on a cross-party, cross-sector commitment which anchors long-term investment priorities as core growth enablers such as transport, housing and grid capacity.
Meanwhile, the establishment of an Infrastructure and Economic Resilience Committee would offer certainty beyond parliamentary cycles, providing independent oversight, publishing annual progress reports and giving investors the confidence to commit to Scotland’s long-term strategy.
Our incoming MSPs have had a busy few weeks on the election campaign trail but they may reflect on their summer holidays that their work is only just beginning.
They need to get going because Scotland needs to get moving.
As our members make clear, we literally need to be able to move more quickly, safely and reliably between all corners of the country by upgrading our crumbling transport links.
We also must make it easier for people to move into suitable homes by building more housing, and it is equally essential that we move our energy networks into the 21st century.
Scotland and its economy cannot afford to remain gridlocked any longer.
