Lack of leadership

THE SNP tries to demonise drivers, but after another shambolic day on the trains, who could blame commuters for taking the car today?

The finger-pointing over what’s gone wrong would leave your head spinning – delayed arrival of new rolling stock, lack of staff, signal problems, staff training, the legacy of a union overtime ban...

One thing is clear: The passengers’ champion in this ought to be Transport Secretary Michael Matheson. He should be wading in, metaphorically knocking heads together to sort out ScotRail, fast becoming an embarrassment.

But just as he sat on his hands as Justice Secretary while Police Scotland was hammered by turmoil, so he’s content to play the Invisible Man of the Scottish Cabinet.

With the railway disruption set to continue into the New Year, the public are entitled to ask what exactly Mr Matheson does for his £108,854 salary.

A LENGTHY runway, excellent transport links that include a dedicated train station – Prestwick Airport, bought for the public for £1, should be a goldmine.

Aviation is booming with more people and goods moving by air. As other countries seek to expand infrastructure, Scotland is in an enviable position to capitalise.

Instead the news from Prestwick is abysmal, with another £6million in public cash heading for the Ayrshire airfield, taking the taxpayers’ largesse to a ruinous £50million with no end in sight.

It has the facilities, but Prestwick’s wings have been clipped by a complete lack of vision from the SNP which seems to have bought it on a whim and is now incapable of turning the airport into a success.

It is nothing short of a disgrace that a key asset is being allowed to wither, all while costing a fortune.