An unrelenting Arctic freeze has held northern Scotland in its grip since the weekend, with persistent snowfall and sub-zero temperatures creating treacherous conditions. While the weather is forecast to improve, the danger is far from over as melting snow gives way to widespread ice.
A Call for Urgent Action in the North-East
Andrew Bowie, the Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, has voiced serious concerns over the handling of the crisis. His constituency contains some of Scotland's coldest, most exposed, and ice-prone areas, where rural roads and bridges are perpetually vulnerable.
On Monday, Bowie formally requested First Minister John Swinney to treat the situation as a major emergency, urging the mobilisation of all available resources for snow clearance and the delivery of essential supplies. The following day, he escalated matters by contacting the Secretary of State for Scotland, seeking support to potentially deploy His Majesty's Armed Forces to assist.
Community Spirit vs. Government Inaction
Bowie placed on record his profound thanks to local farmers and residents who stepped up, clearing roads and aiding neighbours in a powerful display of community mutual aid. He contrasted this grassroots action with what he described as a lacklustre official response.
He revealed that after three days of government meetings, an update from the Scottish Government Resilience Room, delivered by local SNP MSP and minister Gillian Martin, focused on whether a Tesco delivery lorry could reach Aberdeen—a moot point for many residents trapped at home by deep snow drifts.
"This was the activity after three days of meetings," Bowie stated, expressing frustration. He drew parallels with the delayed response to Storm Babet, where a government taskforce took a month to convene.
Political Blame and the Lessons to Learn
The political fallout continued as the SNP suggested cuts to council grit bins, forced by budget constraints, were partly to blame, claiming this would not have occurred in SNP-run council areas. Bowie countered that the local authority is a multi-party coalition, a fact he said was being overlooked.
However, he agreed on one critical point: the provision of communal grit bins by councils is essential, and their value to public safety has been starkly demonstrated this week.
Bowie did acknowledge a swift, cross-party response from Shadow Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, who agreed UK Government aid should be offered if requested by Holyrood. A decision from John Swinney on such aid is now awaited.
The MP concluded that the Scottish Government must learn crucial lessons: to act faster when severe weather is predicted well in advance and to offer more than what he termed the "thin apologies" issued this week. For communities in the north-east, the thaw cannot come soon enough.
