I was getting ready for an afternoon watching football yesterday when I saw Bristow Muldoon MSP for Livingston trying to defend his ammendments to the Borders Railway.
For the record Mr Muldoon is convener of the Scottish Parliament's transport committee who had recommended the proposals without Mr Muldoon's ammendments after 3 years of consideration. His first ammendment is possibly one that is seen as a wrecking proposal to the whole scheme either the developers must commit to the whole project of not at all. The second is to do away with the proposed station at Stow.
Seeing as the provision of the Border's railway is part of the partnership agreement which Mr Muldoon's Labour party and the Liberal Democrats entered into in 2003 this act of possible sabotage of a much needed public trasport scheme in an area where public transport is seriously lacking is an act of rebellion against the Partnership Agreement. It also shows the true lack of depth to Labour's committment to fight climate change. If Mr Muldoon is not prepared to fund an essential public transport initiative from within goverment funds but pass the excess unto the council tax payers of the borders, why was the same not done to Edinburghers for the overspend on the Parliament Building?
If Bristow is to be even handed he must apply the same rules to the Aidrie-Bathgate rail line. However, as this would pass the burden of debt, in part, unto West Lothian council tax payers (ie his electorate) I doubt this will happen.
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