Moray MP Douglas Ross has urged the SNP’s connectivity minister to meet constituents protesting against poor broadband by setting up an office in the middle of a cow field.
Angry locals in Finderne, near Forres, have asked Paul Wheelhouse, the Scottish Government’s Minister for energy, Connectivity, and the Islands to come and see for himself how difficult it is to work and home-school children.
The Finderne Development Trust has been working for the past three years to try and improve broadband links.
The Scottish Government announced a voucher scheme to boost connections for rural and remote areas, but locals say it has been delayed.
Scottish Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross said:
“I think Mr Wheelhouse should take up the offer from the Finderne Development Trust and see first-hand just how hard it is to work with such poor broadband speeds.
“This protest is a novel way of exposing the reality that many families and businesses face in rural areas across Moray.
“At a time when many people are still being asked to work from home – and home-school their children – this is a major problem.
“The SNP have made a lot of promises – such as completing the R100 scheme by 2021 – that they have failed to deliver.
“They must follow through on the voucher pledge made to those in rural areas – to give people here in Moray a chance to take matters into their own hands.
“And if SNP would work with the UK Government on this issue, rather than constantly picking fights, we might make more progress.”