Tories want works on key main roads
THE Scottish Conservatives have outlined their plan for Scotland’s roads. They said they want to improve a number of key road routes, open new rail lines and stations and introduce a new Smart Travel Card.
The road plans include extending the M8 to three lanes, improvements on the A82 between Glasgow and Inverness, through Argyll and a new road to bypass the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
The A77 and A75 in the south of Scotland, the A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen and the A9 between Perth and Inverness are also on their list.
Douglas Ross, Scottish Conservatives leader, said: “Our ambitious plans to rebuild Scotland would create tens of thousands of new jobs and generate long-term economic growth.
“We would unite Scotland with closer transport links and improved local services in every part of the country.
“If we’re going to tackle the looming economic and jobs crisis, we need to look at bold plans like a three-lane M8, reversing the Beeching cuts and rolling out full fibre broadband everywhere by 2027.”
The party would also develop a new action plan to meet Scotland’s electric vehicle target, including a complete national charging system by 2025.
The SNP meanwhile set out a mini-manifesto for disabled people with a pledge to incorporate the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into Scots law, invest £10 million to increase the number of Changing Places Toilets and introduce a Child Disability Payment later this year to be followed by an Adult Disability Payment.
The party said they would also invest in employability support for low-income and disabled parents through a £15 million fund and introduce a programme aimed at reducing the barriers disabled people face in attaining leadership positions and supporting disabled people into public boards.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, minister for Social Security, said: “In Government at Holyrood, the SNP has been committed to using new devolved powers to build a social security system based on the principles of fairness, dignity and respect. These principles will underpin the Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment, which will be introduced in the next parliament.”
Labour meanwhile said their economic recovery plans would lead to the creation of 170,000 jobs in Scotland. UK Labour leader Keir Starmer was in Scotland to campaign with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
The programme include a “jobs for recovery” plan where every Scot who has struggled to find work is guaranteed a job for at least six months, helping around 60,000 people.