Political opinion: Highlands and Islands Labour hopeful urges cross-party backing for digital connectivity petition
Submitted by Highlands and Islands Labour prospective candidate John Erskine.
Calls on all Highlands and Islands candidates to support Scottish Parliament petition as rural broadband gaps persist.
Scottish Labour's prospective candidate John Erskine, who is currently seeking for selection in Inverness and Nairn and Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, has called on fellow candidates across the Highlands and Islands to back a petition urging the Scottish Government to deliver a dedicated Digital Connectivity Plan for the region.
The petition, currently under consideration by the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, calls for a comprehensive strategy specifically focused on improving digital infrastructure across the Highlands and Islands.
Commenting, Mr Erskine said: “In every part of the Highlands and Islands—from the Black Isle to Barra—people are still struggling with unreliable digital connections. If we want to build a strong future for our region, digital infrastructure has to be part of the plan.
"We often talk about physical infrastructure like dualling the A9, and rightly so—but digital connectivity is just as vital for economic growth, education, healthcare and remote working. It’s not either/or. We need both.”
Erskine recently met with Cllr Gary Robinson, Depute Leader of Shetland Islands Council, at Scottish Labour’s spring conference to discuss Shetland’s specific connectivity challenges. In Shetland, it’s estimated that even after the full rollout of R100, 14% of homes will still lack access to superfast broadband.
Following the meeting, Erskine wrote to Shetland Islands Council, encouraging them to submit evidence to the Committee and formally support the petition.
The petition, lodged by John Erskine with the Scottish Parliament last year, has already prompted MSPs to seek further information from the Scottish Government on future digital rollout plans in the region.
Erskine is now inviting all candidates standing across the Highlands and Islands, regardless of political affiliation, to publicly support the petition and demonstrate a shared commitment to improving digital connectivity in rural Scotland.
📢 Petition link: