Independent Ash Regan calls for roads in Edinburgh's Holyrood Park to stay open as she warns of 'war against drivers'
Mini-manifesto also backs North-South tramline and tram trains on South Sub
Roads in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park should remain open most of the time, independent candidate Ash Regan has said, as she warned of a feeling that the city “hates drivers”.
She also backed a new North-South tramline for Edinburgh, running tram trains on the South Sub and more investment in road maintenance, while opposing “excessive” parking charges.
Ms Regan, who resigned as an SNP minister in 2022 in protest against the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, is seeking re-election to Holyrood on the Edinburgh and Lothian East regional list.
In a mini-manifesto she has published, her key points include: “Protect commuter access through Holyrood Park, ensuring decisions balance environmental goals with the realities of daily travel.”
Banning through traffic is part of the strategic plan outlined by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which manages the park. Campaigners argue that removing vehicles would make the park safer for children and families, stop air and noise pollution and encourage more people to walk and cycle there. And leading Green candidate Lorna Slater has claimed banning cars would protect the natural landscape and increase accessibility.
But Ms Regan said: “I’ve spoken to lots of people across Edinburgh and beyond who feel it’s an important route through the city. I feel there is a balance right now with the ability to use the park for recreation because obviously it is closed to traffic for part of the weekends, but I think for the rest of the time it should be open.
“I also think there is generally a feeling in Edinburgh among car drivers that there is a war on drivers in the city. Whether it's parking charges, nowhere to park, or closing routes, it feels like the city just hates drivers.
“It's fine if you've got really good public transport options but not everybody does. I think we need to create a better balance between all users of roads and public transport and make sure the city is working for everyone. At the moment I don’t think we've quite got that balance right.
“There is always a knock-on effect with these things. If you stop people driving and parking then it can affect local businesses, so you have unintended consequences - I think people often don't think of that. If there are not good alternatives, people will use their cars and I don't think they should be penalised for doing so.”
Ms Regan’s mini-manifesto also calls for genuinely affordable housing for local people; infrastructure keeping pace with new housing developments so communities are not overstretched; and planning decisions that reflect the needs of local people.
It urges that the shortage of NHS dentists should be addressed through improved contracts and workforce support. And it says residents must be able to access NHS dental care locally without long waits or being pushed into private treatment.
There are also calls to tackle the crisis of male violence against women and girls at its roots, address inequalities in women’s health services and outcomes, increase funding for research into historically neglected women’s health conditions and protect and safeguard single-sex spaces and services.
And she says there have been missed opportunities to put in place systems that improve safeguarding of children.
Ms Regan said her view of politics had become more cynical over the past five years. “I think a lot of politics is just soundbites, it hasn't been thought through properly and the delivery is just missing on the ground. And people notice that. The public are not stupid, they can see when things are not working.
“What I want to do, if I can get re-elected, is to deliver on the ground for people, so we get real solutions to the problems that impact people's lives.
“People are fed up with politicians who say one thing and do another. I've been saying to people, if you're looking for somebody that you know you can trust, and if they say they're going to do something they do it, I would hope people would support me to go in and do that, also knowing that I hold the government to account.
“I'm one of the few people who really does hold them to account. There's a lot of people in there who keep their head down, don't say very much and do as they’re told. I think the Scottish Parliament benefits from people like me and other independents like Fergus Ewing and Jeremy Balfour, people prepared to stand up and really push the government, put them on the sport. We need that. That's parliamentary accountability.”