Following several strong statements regarding the Coalition Governments wish to Dual the remainder of the A1 in England, Keith Brown MSP Minister for Transport in Scotland set out his stall to also have it dueled from Berwick to Innerwick near Dunbar to ensure Eastern Scotland benefits from the fall back position of DevoMax if the SNP Yes Vote for devolution from the Union fails, this is to ensure that trade with England isn't confined to Western Scotland with its high speed road & rail links between Carlisle and the M6 and the Clydeside conurbation.
The North East of England is the only profitable commercial trading centre in the UK at the moment and is bucking the trend through the strength of its Local Enterprise Partnership and the NE Combined Authority set up working closely together. The Scots don't want to miss out on being part of that and with a West Coast and Birmingham centred prime business route being developed, Edinburgh and its massive Insurance Industry, who will be funding much of this work through George Osbornes infrastructure scheme will feel ever more isolated if they have to travel West before turning South.
The Lothian people are worried that their financial centre may drift away to the cheaper areas of the redeveloping West Midlands, which will only be 49 minutes from London via HS2 if they can't have a fully dueled
A1 or if Devo Max forces up Scottish taxes and East Coast travel to England remains snail like via an arterial route blocked by agricultural vehicles from Morpeth in England to Innerwick in Scotland most days of the year.
Scott Dickinson Labour business chairperson at Northumberland County Council said:"with the release of the Autumn Statement, the news that
HS2 infrastructure investment will concentrate on London to Birmingham to tap into the West Coast main line services and that George Osborne released a major infrastructure plan funded by Insurance Investors, were sure those investors will want a fast, safe road link to be developed between the financial capital of Scotland in Edinburgh and the future home of the North East Regional Bank in Newcastle upon Tyne. Without urgent major road improvements Edinburgh's power as a financial centre will diminish rapidly"
