Lochhead lets down Elgin constituents to keep ministerial job (Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats)

Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats <info@aberdeensouthlibdems.org.uk>

Lochhead lets down Elgin constituents to keep ministerial job

January 23, 2009 12:01 AM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP has condemned Richard Lochhead for choosing his ministerial job over his local campaign for an Elgin bypass.

The Liberal Democrats gave the Rural Affairs Secretary a clear opportunity to vote in favour of the Elgin bypass, which would have cleared up the confusion surrounding his current position. But, he voted against the bypass.

Alison McInnes MSPMrs McInnes also turned her fire on the Conservatives and Mary Scanlon in particular. The Tories refused to back an amendment that called for the Elgin bypass to be included in the Government's transport plan, despite Mary Scanlon publicly campaigning for the project earlier in the day.

Commenting after the vote, Mrs McInnes said:

"Richard Lochhead had a choice tonight. He could have stood up for his previous promises and voted for the bypass to be put into the Government's transport plans. Instead, he voted against the bypass in order to keep his ministerial job.

"People in Elgin will remember this weakness and won't take anything he has to say about the bypass in the future seriously.

"Mary Scanlon and the Tories have performed an astonishing U-turn on the Elgin bypass. Last Sunday Mary Scanlon appeared on the BBC's Politics Show to state publicly her support for the project. She re-iterated this support this afternoon, questioning the Transport Minister about the bypass.

"But when it came to crunch time, where was she? Mary Scanlon and the Tories abstained from the vote, sending a clear message to people in Elgin that only the Liberal Democrats believe that they should have their bypass."