SNP ‘politicking’ at cost of communities
Dear Editor Over the last few years the SNP administration in Perth has become tired and jaded.
They have little in the way of any vision for Perth and Kinross and are constantly reduced to trying to defend why things haven’t happened or why they might happen sometime tomorrow.
A classic example is the Food and Drink park at Inveralmond. We are constantly told food businesses ‘are taking an interest’ and ‘we hope to announce something soon’, yet tomorrow never comes. I have been hearing this for the last four years!
The one promise I can make, is that should we become the administration in this week’s election, the Scottish Conservatives will be proactive in making things happen, rather than just hoping it might one day.
The SNP understanding of the importance of local business to the economy is lamentable.
At the last budget the Scottish Conservatives proposed a £600k allocation for rates relief and this was turned down out of hand by the SNP. Since then I have had a number of businesses complaining to me about the dire straits they now find themselves with massive rates rises. In the hospitality and tourism business jobs are now at risk by the SNP refusal to understand how the local economy works.
You only have to look at the state of Perth city centre with closed-up shops and an almost deserted streetscape after 6 at night. If we want to be a vibrant small city, as is the claim, our streets need to be ‘buzzing’ with people staying after work and coming in to town to enjoy lively restaurants, pubs, clubs etc.
Councillor Kellas quoted the ‘behind the scenes’ activity to secure a new Starbucks at Inveralmond, but forgot to mention it was refused by our planning department until that was overturned by the Local Review Board. Starbucks was luck rather than judgment.
Even in education we recently had a head teacher from a local secondary school appealing for parents who ‘know a bit about maths’ to come along and help teach our children. What have the SNP education team done in foreseeing this happening or taking any action? Very little is the answer.
Their understanding of the concerns of our local communities also take second place to SNP politicking. Only this week, at a committee meeting the Scottish Conservatives supported by the Independents and the Liberals proposed that our underspend on the winter’s road gritting be used to fund more work on repairing potholes. This proposal was voted down by the SNP. Surely, they must be aware of the state of our roads, particularly in rural areas.
All in all, the SNP are demonstrably bad for Perth and Kinross and yet again the social media antics of our local MP Pete Wishart and the SNP administration’s deputy leader and his ‘Apology-gate’ scandal demonstrate that they do not deserve to be representing us.
It is time for progress and that progress is the Scottish Conservatives.
Councillor Ian Campbell Scottish Conservatives Group Leader