Brian Whittle MSP wants to see a new plan for investment in Ayrshire. The call follows the publication of new forecasts by leading international accountancy firm KPMG, which said the economies of South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire would both shrink by more than 10% this year – some of the biggest declines anywhere in Scotland.
With the Ayrshire Growth Deal expected to get its final sign off soon, Brian says this should be the beginning of a new wave of ambition for Ayrshire, calling for improvements to transport, delivering ultrafast broadband to every town and village and greater support for new business start-ups.
The MSP also criticised the Scottish Government for concentrating too much on cities while paying lip-service to rural areas.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“While we all hope that Ayrshire’s economy will bounce back in the wake of the pandemic, these figures show the scale of the mountain we have to climb.
With the right investment and improvements to infrastructure, Ayrshire’s economy can come out the far side of the pandemic stronger than before. Anyone who lives or works here will tell you that our road and rail network just aren’t up to scratch and don’t get the kind of investment we’ve seen elsewhere in Scotland.
It’s time for more ambition when it comes to Ayrshire’s economy. While the Scottish Government are still struggling to deliver superfast broadband to every town and village, I want to think about how Ayrshire can lead the country in delivery of ultrafast speeds.
The Scottish Government have a long track record of paying lip-service to rural areas like South West Scotland, while putting the bulk of their time and money into cities. It’s time for that to change.
The pandemic has brought a profound economic shock, but it can also be an opportunity to drive change and innovation. I’m determined to put Ayrshire front and centre of Scotland’s recovery and create an economic powerhouse in the South West.”
