Fife will lose out without bespoke city deal

Sir, – It is time for Fife, Scotland’s third most populous region with 367,000 inhabitants, to withdraw from the Edinburgh and south east Scotland city deal.

The deal offers virtually nothing to the lagging ex-coalfields areas of central Fife where much of the population lives.

It will, however, doubtless bring investment to research, innovation and transport sectors in Edinburgh.

Failing to learn the bitter lessons of London’s overheating severely unbalancing the UK economy, the Scottish authorities are combining a push for private investment in the capital with major continued public spending there.

The Scottish Government claims inclusive growth and tackling inequality as key foundations of economic strategy.

Nevertheless, they appear content to promote short-term competitiveness without regard for the obvious harm of longer-term inequality.

Reopening of the Borders railway has shown how one bold and transformative investment can change an entire economic landscape. Yet the much smaller investment of £50 million required to reconnect the Levenmouth line – with a catchment of 50,000 and a much stronger case – seems to be forever delayed and did not feature within the what can be fairly described as the Edinburgh city deal.

There is surely no doubt – Fife needs its own deal.

Stuart McIntosh. Kirkland Walk, Methil.

Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, with Eugene Clarke, chairman of Levenmouth Rail Campaign.