SNP fantasy bridges lead to nowhere
Iretain a loyalty to my home town and was curious to find it won a place in the SNP manifesto with a commitment to “explore the potential for a bridge from Gourock to Dunoon”.
Needless to say, there is not the remotest possibility of this coming to pass. Indeed, the Gourock-dunoon bridge serves as useful metaphor for the contrast between a fantasy manifesto and more prosaic reality.
Under the SNP’S watch, Dunoon had its car ferry service removed, by-passing the town with predictable consequences.
The wonderful Victorian pier – Dunoon’s hallmark owned by a cash-strapped local authority – is in desperate need of rescue. Makeand-mend on the Rest and be Thankful scarcely fills travellers going the long way round with confidence.
Each could be addressed with modest expenditure. Instead, they start talking
about a bridge that will never be built. Job done.
I see we are also to have “the creation of a recognised Gaidhealtachd to raise levels of language competence”. If anyone can tell me what “creating a recognised Gaidhealtachd” is going to achieve, I will be
more than interested.
Here in the real world, I live in one of very few parts of Scotland where there are nominally over 50 per cent Gaelic speakers and it is nigh-well impossible for any young family to find a home, while crofts change hands for
impossible prices. But let’s have a “recognised Gaidhealtachd” and the problem will be solved.
I must make a note to check in five years’ time what became of the bridge to Dunoon and the recognised Gaidhealtachd.