Swinney must look again at GARL decision - Brown

9.53.51am GMT Fri 18th Dec 2009

Commenting after speaking in a Scottish Parliament debate on the SNP Government's draft Budget, Liberal Democrat Glasgow MSP Robert Brown said:

"Rather than reluctantly being forced to cut GARL, it now appears that John Swinney in fact welcomed its cancellation.

"It was John Swinney, not the Transport Minister, that made the decision to cut GARL. It is he that refuses to discuss the decision with anyone.

"There has been no lateral thinking, no imagination and no engagement from John Swinney. He has become the Nikita Khrushchev of the SNP Government.

"This is just not good enough. I want the Finance Secretary to call a round table conference to re-examine the future of GARL.

"We must look at phasing in the project, at different funding models like that used for the Waverley line and at the potential for sharing.

"Cutting GARL was an inexplicable decision by a minority Government. It must now become a matter for the whole Parliament to find a sustainable and better way forward."

Ends.