SKAT notes with great satisfaction that the toll imposed on our community by the Tory Government on the 16th of October 1995 has finally been abolished. This toll has seriously damaged our economy, it has undermined the principles of democracy, and the rule of law, and it has left many hundreds of honest and decent citizens with criminal records.
We recognise that the political struggle to get this toll off was a bitter one behind the scene because of the significance of this for other PFIs in the UK. The Skye Bridge Scheme was after all the first PFI project in the UK, and it has been demonstrated to have been a major failure.
SKAT will organise a public celebration of this great victory for the community, recognising that this was indeed a victory won by the community themselves. SKAT may have acted as a catalyst for this struggle, but the real force was the wide support in the community.
We believe that SKAT’s commitment to non violent, democratic, direct action which won the support of thousands in the community has forced politicians to take the toll off.
SKAT always took the view that the most likely way to get the tolls off was by political pressure, although we were at times criticised by a few for this. However without the broad support from within the community no amount of campaigning would have been successful.
This victory therefore is a victory for the whole community, and particularly the members of that community who took a part, in whatever way, in opposing this toll.
We would pay tribute to our local MSP John Farquhar Munro for his steady and persistent pressure, and to the Highland Council for the work they have done.
We feel that when large amounts of public money have been thrown away to placate this private company, it is sad what no effort appears to have been made to compensate the staff employed by that company, and who are now out of work. Are their needs not more important than the demands of this American company who made a huge profit out of our community, and public funds?
Le deagh dhùrachd
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Copyright © Ray Shields, 2004.
Most recent revision, 17 December 2004