Just days ago, some headline-grabbing local SNP figures were vowing to save the Barra air link with a powerful petition which was to be set up at the heart of our nation’s government. Now, this blog can reveal that the furiously-worded plea to the Scottish Parliament slagging off Comhairle nan Eilean Siar for its plan to axe the link which hardly anyone uses except for officials on mammoth expenses has been watered down into a wishy-washy mess.
After no less wise a head than their former party colleague Andrew Walker pointed out first on this blog that the Scottish Government was powerless to tell the comhairle what to do on an issue like this, some heads finally seem to have been banged together and told to take proper advice and stop the grandstanding. Ouch.
Now the previous blood-red prose demanding Holyrood kicks Sandwick Road’s ass has been replaced with a lukewarm call for some kind of an unexplained dull-as-dishwater and unspecified “review” with no mention of the previous “serious implications”, risk to the “future of all internal flights”, or descriptions of the “appalling move”. See for yourself:
Here’s petitioners Councillors Gordon Murray and Rae Mackenzie’s promised wording which they announced last week:
“To petition the Scottish Parliament that Comhairle nan Eilean Siar maintains its support for the lifeline air services between Stornoway, Benbecula and Barra; the petitioners believing that the Comhairle’s current proposals risk the future of all internal flights within the Outer Hebrides and would severely undermine the transport connections which have been built up between the islands over the last forty years, with serious implications for the local economy and community; asks the petitions committee of the Scottish Parliament to ensure the Comhairle fulfils its air transport Public Service obligations in the Hebrides and to examine the implications for people in all Scotland’s island communities of this appalling move”.
Now here’s the actual comparatively-dreary wording they posted on the petitions website:
“Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review its national policies on the provision of lifeline air services between Scotland’s islands, consider the impact on local communities by the withdrawal of subsidies which enable such air services and to develop air transport public service obligations in the Hebrides and throughout Scotland”.
Good grief. Not one mention now of the evil comhairle or any “appalling” moves. Why? There was no announcement of a change of stance. Were they not going to tell us? If not, we have all been misled. Who was responsible for the change from the text they published last week? Will we ever be told why?
I wonder what poor Andrew Walker – now languishing in Coventry where he has been banished by the entire local SNP for telling uncomfortable truths – thinks of the incredible change to the petition wording in response to the damning strategic errors he so helpfully pointed out to Messrs Mackenzie and Murray?
Mr Walker says: “What a climbdown! As I have also said, this will go nowhere fast, and an urgent decision is required to ensure some continuation of the Barra to Benbecula route from April (six weeks). Urgent funding and intervention is required from the Scottish Government.”
When are the MP and the MSP going to get off their knees and ask their SNP govenrment, who have plenty of money for vanity projects, to provide the cash strapped Comhairle with some ring fenced cash to save the air link?
The SNP group are a joke, and they appear to be even more gormless since they silenced our Councillor.
Classic action from Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee – they represent the SNP on the Islands not the Islands for the SNP. Their masters have once again instructed their policy and this is the result. Sadly the Tarten Tory and the MSP for Gaelic will continue to broadcast loudly but actually unless released from the leash equally continue to do as they are told by the Party.
No wonder the original motion is gone, Far too emotional and over the top. It must have been some unthinking hothead who wrote it.
The MP…?
Spectacular incompetence. Par for the course. This probably fatally undermines the attempts to save the link. Obviously been told to tone down the calls by SNP HQ, and to ask for a consultation rather than any actual action. The SNP must be so proud of their representatives quivering uselessness.
Where is Dear Alex in the Islands time of need ?
Pleased to see common sense has prevailed. I complained to the Scot Govt Clerk to the Petitions C’ttee, David Stewart MSP, last Monday, and as I said in my letter:
“The wording of the Petition to the Scottish Government Petitions Committee is a knee-jerk reaction to a political decision on Inter-Island flights taken in good faith by the Comhairle, after extensive consultation at locality level, and is in my view inadmissible.”
Others in positions of authority also agreed, but where does this leave our SNP leadership on the islands? Their original advice was misleading and incompetent. They know know what is required of them, so please let us see some meaningfulm, purposeful and decisive action.
I can identify with the new wording as in the new Petition now available on the Scot Govt web page, but don’t expect anything to happen very quickly, and certainly not before the cancellation of the Barra/Benbecula flights from April, unless the Scot Govt Ministers choose to intervene. This is what I have been advocating from the beginning, and what I have been urging our MSP/MP to do. We are all still smarting from the RET Commercial Vehicles debacle, so let’s not have a repeat with inaction from Holyrood on Inter-Island flights.
The Petitions C’ttee will seek to consult widely with all and sundry, including – other island authorities, CnES, NHS, petitioners, providers of flights, Air Ambulance Service, patients’ rep groups, GP’s, TU staff groups, churches, Community Councils, and etc. This is how c’ttees operate when they invite views from interested groups/stakeholders – don’t expect a decision on the best way forward for some considerable time yet (but yes, surely before the vote on the Referendum autumn 2014).
Interestingly, the next meeting of the Petitions C’ttee is in Stornoway on 15th March. This should be revealing and help clarify views about time-scales in hearing evidence.