Meeting tomorrow at Grantown into wildfire policy but ‘why only 30 invited?’
Local MSP Fergus Ewing has criticised organisers of a meeting at Grantown tomorrow which will discuss ways of dealing with future large-scale Highland wildfires - a meeting he was not invited to.
For two hours in the morning at the Grant Arms Hotel crucial points will be made about how to protect the area from any future outbreaks but as Mr Ewing told the Strathy tonight: “Two hours only and with an audience thought to be of about 30, all of whom were invited.
“Many have not - not just myself and other MSPs, but those such as local estate owners who know more about this than all the civil servants put together.”
Mr Ewing complained: “It’s pretty sad that they cannot go with a genuine open cross party approach.
“They actually put in writing to me that the restriction in numbers was due to logistical considerations - presumably maximum numbers that the hotel can hold.
“But Strathy readers will recall that wasn’t a problem when over 200 met in the same place to discuss the proposed axing of funding for the health centre improvements.
“And, ironically, that was a campaign which I ensured was a cross-party - non-party - effort. And it succeeded.”
With no official release from the Scottish Government to go on, we hope to have more on this issue in the morning as details on the wildfire meeting become clearer.