Connected nation

Sir,

Before I address Alan Reid’s comments on superfast broadband (The Courier October 11), it ought to be remembered that this is the same ex-Liberal Democrat MP who propped up the Tories and imposed years of toxic austerity measures on Scotland, shrinking the UK economy by £100 billion, imposing Dickensian social policies – like the Bedroom Tax – on the poorest in society, and voluntarily choosing to make Tory cuts possible.

The Liberal Democrats are deeply stained by austerity and they will remain, rightly, untrusted as the Tories’ little helpers.

Mr Reid berates the SNP government for alleged failure to deliver superfast broadband. Yet, inspite of the unique difficulties in delivering superfast broadband in rural Scotland, which BT described as the ‘most significant geographic challenge in the UK, and arguably Europe’, the latest Ofcom ‘Connected Nations’ report shows that Scotland outperforms the UK as a whole when it comes to new broadband deployment.

There remains work to be done and the Scottish government is committed to delivering the best possible value and completing the roll out by 2020/21.

Mr Reid is right to say that contracts have not been finalised yet, but with telecommunications and broadband reserved to Westminster, the changes in contracts imposed by UK ministers mean that bidders require additional time to recalibrate their bids.

It is up to Mr Reid to carp from the sidelines,

but readers can be confident that this SNP Scottish government will deliver a future proof network that will make Scotland one of the best connected places in Europe.

Yours, Ron Wilson, Secretary Kintyre SNP.