Failing to recognise how policies affect people in the north

Far too often, communities and businesses in the north and north-east are punished as a result of decisions made by politicians hundreds of miles away who believe they know best. Sadly and infuriatingly, in recent days we have seen two perfect examples of such nonsensical policy.

Despite many decades of infamy as one of the most dangerous roads in the country, the A9 continues to claim lives and cause devastating lasting trauma for families due to traffic accidents. Just last weekend, an 18-year-old man died after a horrific crash on the route, near Dalmagarry Quarry. Yet, after this and every tragedy, the Scottish Government continues to shrug off calls to dual the road: a pledge Holyrood made long ago.

Until meaningful action is taken to make the entire A9 safer, further injuries and fatalities are not merely likely but inevitable. While Central Belt-based ministers send condolences, some appear incapable of grasping how vital the A9 is for locals and tourists alike and, therefore, how crucial its immediate upgrading is. It is some consolation that other politicians do see the severity of this situation, but their individual efforts are not enough to prompt real change. We urge key players in the Scottish Government to make the effort to visit and speak to affected residents; only then will they fully understand the barbaric cycle they are perpetuating.

The same is true for politicians based further south in Westminster, who conjure grand plans for the future of the north and north-east without pausing to consider the ramifications for real people. If voted in as prime minister, Labour leader Keir Starmer says he has plans to block new oil and gas exploration and instead invest in renewable energy. Admirable as aspirations to fight climate change are, these ideas are little more than sketches on scrap paper to the many people currently working in the offshore industry.

Workers want and deserve concrete information on what such policies would mean for their jobs and career paths, as well as the impact on the local and national economy. There is no question that the climate crisis issue must be properly tackled and our planet must be protected, but positive change can happen in partnership with the existing oil and gas industry, not in spite of it. It is unlikely that Starmer’s Labour will win votes in the north and north-east without open communication and a willingness to listen; perhaps he should bear that in mind.

On the A9 and in the offshore sector, the future feels uncertain and people need reassurance. Lives and livelihoods are at stake: those shuffling papers in parliamentary offices far, far away would do well to remember it.