Lib-Dem Holyrood hopeful Molly Nolan cites roads and education as her top priorities in Sutherland
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Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Molly Nolan, has set out what she will do for Sutherland in her first 100 days if elected as MSP.
Ms Nolan has promised to put local issues at the heart of Holyrood’s political agenda and ‘knock heads together’ to come up with solutions.
Her commitments to Sutherland in her first 100 days if elected are to:
* Urgently raise the need for road upgrades with the Scottish Government
* Work with local stakeholders and the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and to help Sutherland develop a diverse inward investment strategy
* Organise a roundtable discussion with Scottish Government education ministers, Highland Council and local community groups such as North West Sutherland Schools Group to address inadequate staff quotas and access to subjects for pupils in rural schools.
Ms Nolan said: "If the Sutherland voters choose me as their representative, my pledge to them is that I will work with whoever I need to in order to get meaningful change on local issues and put recovery first.
"So many parts of Sutherland have been left behind and forgotten by successive SNP Governments - I am determined to turn that around.
“The state of the roads is an issue across Sutherland. The crumbling single track roads need a long term investment plan.
"I am determined to knock heads together - Highland Council, the Scottish Government and the UK Government must work together to find a way forward.
“When it comes to job opportunities in Sutherland, I know how important inward investment is going to be for the survival of our communities. Take Space Hub Sutherland - its success depends on improvements in transport links, the extension of super fast broadband, and making sure that the crofters’ rights to that land is respected.
"All this means that we need the Scottish Government to ‘rural proof’ its top down policies, and I intend to be the person who does that for Sutherland.
“And finally, the future of education. It’s clear that the current staffing quotas are stifling the survival of smaller schools in villages like Kinlochbervie.
"These schools don’t have the resources to hire enough staff to cover a wide range of subjects, forcing pupils to board further south just so they can study the subjects they want to pursue.
"Scotland’s education system used to be the envy of the world, but SNP rule has undermined it, and once again it comes down to the failure to adapt policy to the needs of smaller communities in the likes of Sutherland. I will work hard to change that.
“If elected, my first 100 days will be spent putting recovery first; putting the issues that have plagued Sutherland for far too long back on the parliamentary agenda; and bringing local people along with me so that their voice is heard - and actioned - at every opportunity.”
