The Scottish National Party (SNP) has not included the dualling of the A96 and A90 north of Ellon in the agenda for its upcoming party conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, despite commitments made over a decade ago.
The conference, scheduled from Friday to Sunday, does not feature any road improvement discussions.
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Last year, the SNP branches in Elgin and Peterhead proposed a motion for the complete dualling of the A96.
However, this year, the Elgin branch is focusing on a motion regarding “the right to abortion in the future constitution of an independent Scotland,” while the Peterhead branch is organising a fringe event on the “roadmap to independence.”
The exclusion of the A96 from the conference occurs 13 years after then-Transport Secretary Michael Matheson announced plans for its full dualling between Aberdeen and Inverness, a project still under review.
Similarly, the absence of any mention of the A90 north of Ellon comes 17 years after then-First Minister Alex Salmond promised to dual the road within his first 100 days in office.
The North East Scottish Conservatives, who advocate for the full dualling of the A96 and upgrading the A90 north of Ellon in their manifesto, described the SNP’s omission as a disregard for the concerns of Aberdeenshire residents.
Scottish Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, Harriet Cross, said: “The SNP’s decision to review the full dualling of the A96 and to not release the findings a year-and-a-half after they were supposed to be published should prompt SNP branches to ask their leader why he is continuing to fail the North East.
“Instead, the issue is being swept under the carpet just like the A90 north of Ellon which has also been missed out of the SNP Conference agenda.
“The appalling handling of these vital road projects should be a wake-up call for the SNP to address the elephant in the room rather than avoiding these issues completely.”
On the omission of the A96, Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, said: “It’s an insult to the people of Aberdeenshire that the A96 has been left off the agenda.
“At a time when communities want answers, members of North East SNP branches should be asking why their party is u-turning on a promise they made more than a decade ago.
“For too long, commuters have had to deal with daily accidents and near misses on the A96 which is why it is shameful that the full dualling is not down for discussion.”
