EXCLUSIVE: First Minister signs A9 Pledge
EXCLUSIVE: First Minister Humza Yousaf signs Inverness Courier's A9 Pledge
Transcript
00:00 Can you tell us a bit about why you're signing this pledge today?
00:03 Well I'm really pleased to sign this pledge with the Inverness Courier, but most importantly
00:08 to the communities that will be impacted positively of course by the fully dualling of the A9
00:14 between Perth and Inverness.
00:16 It's a really important pledge because I will be the first to admit of course we all
00:21 know that there's been delays to the original timetable, but what we've been able to set
00:26 out today is first and foremost confirmation that that section will be fully dualled and
00:31 we'll do that fully dualling by 2030, in 2035.
00:35 But of course we've also highlighted the various milestones, 50% or nearly 50% completion
00:40 in 2030, moving to 85% completion in 2033 and then of course that final completion of
00:48 the section between Perth and Inverness by 2035.
00:53 So we've given an absolute not just commitment to the project, but laid out some of the detail
00:58 of the milestones ahead.
01:01 How important has the Inverness Courier's dual A9 campaign been in amplifying the voice
01:06 of Highlanders and highlighting the strength of feeling to the Scottish Government?
01:10 Look I think it's been an excellent campaign.
01:12 I was at the Inverness Courier hustings of course that took place during my election
01:16 contest.
01:17 It was an issue that was put to me by the Inverness Courier, by the moderator, by the
01:20 chair, by those in the audience at the time.
01:23 And I remember at the time the Inverness Courier making it very very clear that if I was to
01:27 become First Minister as transpired, they would be making sure that they kept me at
01:34 my feet to the fire, made sure that I lived up to the promises that I made, that there's
01:39 a cast iron guarantee from the Government that I lead that will fully dual the A9 Perth
01:44 to Inverness and you've done that well.
01:46 I think you've represented the communities well across that route.
01:50 And I have to say we were always committed to fully dualling the A9 but delighted to
01:55 give this commitment and give some of the detail to that commitment to the Inverness
01:59 Courier but also to the people of the Highlands.
02:04 I know you'll have noticed this from the debate as well but we often hear from our readers
02:08 that Highlanders feel forgotten.
02:11 Is there anything that you'd like to say to our readers about that?
02:14 Well look I would challenge that assertion.
02:17 Obviously we've already dualled some sections of the A9 and of course we've given detail
02:21 of the progress in that regard.
02:23 But I've had the pleasure over a number of ministerial roles of going to the Highlands
02:28 and making known our investment.
02:31 In fact I opened two hospitals my time as Health Secretary in the Highlands as First
02:39 Minister doing the official opening of the National Treatment Centre Highlands as well
02:44 just a few months ago.
02:45 So we've got considerable investments that we can point to right across government in
02:49 terms of our investment.
02:50 But I also accept that those in the Highlands and those that will be affected by the dualling
02:56 of the A9 want to see words turned into action, want to see the commitment become a reality
03:06 and that's why we've given details of the timescales, the milestones involved in that
03:12 dualling commitment.
03:14 Do you admit that the dualling of the A9 or the A9 dualling programme up until this point
03:19 has been a public and political failure?
03:21 No, no look I don't accept that because we've dualled of course sections of the A9.
03:26 Has the programme been delayed?
03:28 Of course it has and Mary McCallum, the Cabinet Secretary, detailed some of the reasons for
03:33 that.
03:34 A number of capital projects of course have had to be delayed by various periods because
03:40 of things like the global impact of inflation because of the UK government cutting our capital
03:46 budget due to be cut by 10% between 2023-24 and 2027-28.
03:52 So that has a real impact on various capital projects including of course the A9.
03:57 So there has been a delay, I'm of course not going to pretend otherwise that would be foolish,
04:01 so there has been a delay.
04:02 We appreciate that delay has been unwelcomed but we hope what will be welcomed today is
04:08 the cast iron guarantee of the full dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness, the
04:13 fact that there will be a continual rolling programme of work and we've given detail of
04:17 how that work will progress forward.
04:21 We've heard from politicians and readers alike that while they feel that the 2035 new deadline
04:28 is the best that it probably could have been, they felt that what was missing today was
04:32 an apology.
04:34 Is that something that you could give?
04:35 I've said this on many occasions in fact to the Inverness Courier before that of course
04:41 we apologise to any community, all the communities in fact that would be impacted and affected
04:46 by the fact that we haven't met that 2025 original timetable.
04:51 I hope people will understand the good reason for that and why there was delays and why
04:56 there has been delays.
04:57 But look, as well as the apology, what's really important is the action.
05:02 People don't just want warm words, they don't want warm rhetoric, they want to see action
05:07 and that's why work is progressing into Mathintimoy for example.
05:10 It's why we've given detail of the preferred route in relation to Passaburnham to Tay Crossing
05:15 as well which has taken into account of course the community's views as well.
05:19 That's why we've given detail, not just to say by the way we're going to complete this
05:23 by 2035 or in 2035, we've said here's what we'll do in 2030, in 2033.
05:31 So there's a rolling programme of work and milestones that the Inverness Courier will
05:34 definitely hold me to account for but importantly the communities that will be impacted can
05:39 also hold me to account for.
05:41 And speaking of holding to account, I think the question on all Highlanders' lips including
05:47 my own is why should we trust you now?
05:50 I think that's a really fair challenge to put to the Government.
05:53 The reason to trust us is that we're giving detail of each section and how we intend to
05:57 fund those sections through design and build contracts, through what we call mutual investment
06:02 model.
06:03 We're giving detail of the milestones, we're giving commitments of course, now that we've
06:06 given these commitments of course the requisite funding will therefore follow and I hope the
06:11 budget that was announced by the Deputy First Minister just yesterday gives confidence that
06:15 we're putting our money where our mouth is when it comes to the funding that's required
06:19 for 24/25 for example.
06:21 But I also fully accept that really it will not be just trusting a politician's word
06:28 that the communities will have to do, what they want to see is action and I've got no
06:33 doubt that when we progress construction into Matton to Moy, when the construction should
06:37 start of course next year, that people will see that we are absolutely committed to fully
06:43 drilling the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
06:46 Mari McCallum said today that 2035 is the greatest certainty that she can give, so can
06:52 you tell us is 2035 a projection or a promise?
06:56 It's a commitment, absolute commitment to fully drill in 2035.
07:00 There are a number of factors in terms of the slippage of the project that we've already
07:05 seen and we know that global factors in terms of construction costs have been impacted by
07:09 things like the illegal invasion into Ukraine by Russia.
07:13 Now none of us could have predicted that that would have taken place or happened so global
07:18 factors are just one factor that we have to consider.
07:22 Domestic decisions, I mean again who would have foreseen the disaster of the mini-budget
07:27 by Liz Truss and Kwasi Karteng which effectively saw such sky-high inflation here in the UK.
07:34 So those factors are out with our control which undoubtedly affect capital projects
07:39 and that is a reality but what we're saying with this commitment is that 2035, completing
07:44 in 2035 is a commitment and that of course as your Inverness Careers Pledge says that
07:50 this will be a priority for the government when it comes to supporting growth in the
07:56 Highlands region.
07:58 And finally is there anything else that you'd like to say to our readers?
08:01 I just want to congratulate all of your readers and the communities right across that important
08:10 backbone of the A9 between Perth and Inverness because your views, your pressure, your challenge
08:19 to the government I think is really really important indeed.
08:22 It is important that governments absolutely fulfil the commitments that they make and
08:27 I can give you that promise, that cast-iron guarantee that fully dualling the A9 between
08:32 Perth and Inverness remains a top priority for me as the First Minister.
08:36 I said this from day one as First Minister and I'm pleased that we've been able to demonstrate
08:40 how we intend to progress this commitment.
08:44 First Minister, thank you.
08:45 Thank you.