I was somewhat bemused by Cllr Valentine’s defence of Nigel Don MSP’s delayed support for a flyover at Laurencekirk in a letter to the Montrose Review. \u00a0As Mr Don sits on the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee, Jill Campbell’s petition can hardly have failed to come to his attention.<\/p>\n
Transport Scotland have finally released safety figures demanded by Jill Campbell and Lib Dem MSP, Mike Rumbles, after years of fudging. \u00a0The SNP have approved the building of three flyovers at junctions where there have been no deaths since 1999. There have been four tragic deaths at Laurencekirk, including one just last year.<\/p>\n
So why did Mr Don try to close down Jill Campbell’s petition, instead of holding his own SNP government to account? Why has he confused the issue of road safety with the building of new houses?<\/p>\n
Local Lib Dems have always called for cross party support. I personally contacted Angus candidates during this year’s General Election calling for cross party support and was met with a deafening silence.<\/p>\n
That is why it is even more bizarre that Mr Don has not been more vocal in his support, nor has he met with Jill Campbell, Julie Watson, Mike Rumbles MSP ad myself about the issue.<\/p>\n
As for Cllr West’s comments about the previous Scottish Executive’s record, he forgets to mention that the previous administration built no fewer than seven flyovers on the A90 between Perth and Laurencekirk.<\/p>\n
It is clear that Laurencekirk should have been the next highest priority. \u00a0Instead the SNP administration chose to build flyovers at junctions with no fatalities.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, I visited Laurencekirk junction with Tavish Scott MSP, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Transport Minister in the previous executive, Jill Campbell, Julie Watson, Mike Rumbles MSP, Sir Robert Smith MP and Montrose Cllr David May. \u00a0The Lib Dems commitment to a flyover at Laurencekirk is crystal clear.<\/p>\n
Instead of defending the SNP government, local SNP councillors and their candidate should be demanding better support for people in Angus and the Mearns, who have been badly let down.<\/p>\n
PHOTO:\u00a0\ufeffTavish Scott MSP, Mike Rumbles MSP, Sanjay Samani, Sir Robert Smith MP,\u00a0\ufeff<\/strong>Julie Watson, <\/strong>Jill Campbell, <\/strong>and Montrose Cllr David May visiting Laurencekirk Junction.<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Sanjay](\"http:\/\/sanjaysamani.com\/blog\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/DSCF3009.jpg\" "\\"Sanjay")
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