CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has described SNP Transport Minister Kevin Stewart’s decision to cancel a meeting which his predecessor had promised to hold between him and the Rail Action Group East of Scotland (RAGES) on the viability of a rail link for Haddington as “deeply regrettable”.
Mr Stewart’s predecessor, Jenny Gilruth, had pledged to hold the meeting with Mr Hoy and the RAGES campaign group on the potential reopening of the rail link between Haddington and Edinburgh in November 2022. The meeting was postponed by Ms Gilruth three times before she was promoted to Minister for Education in Humza Yousaf’s government.
Kevin Stewart MSP’s Private Secretary said: “Unfortunately, due to parliamentary business the minister is unable to meet at this time.”
Craig Hoy MSP said: “I am really disappointed that after being promised a meeting by the former Transport Minister which was cancelled on four occasions, that the meeting will now no longer go ahead.
“Time and time again we have seen the SNP fail to put the interests of East Lothian residents’ first. In Mr Yousaf’s time as health minister, he presided over the closure of North Berwick’s Edington Cottage Hospital against the will of local people. The party are also pressing ahead with Labour to introduce town centre parking charges while simultaneously having greenlit several out-of-town retail parks in East Lothian where parking is free.
“They voted against taking a decision to stop the closure of Johnnie Cope’s Road. And now the SNP Government are failing to meet their commitment to a local rail campaign group to discuss the viability of a rail link for Haddington. It is deeply disappointing and indicates they do not have East Lothian’s growing transport needs in mind.”
A spokesperson for RAGES said: “The Group acknowledges that the Minister has many important matters on his agenda, and understands that the ministerial reshuffle has caused the most recently planned meeting to be cancelled.
"However, given the ongoing rapid growth of Haddington's population, mostly government-led, and ever worsening road congestion on the A1, it is time for Haddington to be plugged in to the electrified rail network to radically improve connectivity by halving the journey time to the city centre, increasing opportunities for education, work and leisure, and reducing carbon emissions.
"We are confident that the Minister will honour the commitment to a meeting made by his predecessor, Jenny Gilruth, so that Haddington's case can be taken forward."
