Natalie Don MSP is calling on the UK Government to make good on the money Scotland and Northern Ireland are owed as their share of the £20 billion Boris Johnson planned to use on building a bridge across the Northern Channel.

With the plan having now been ditched, the MSP for Renfrewshire North and West is demanding that the money is allocated to the two countries’ respective devolved governments so it can be spent on transport projects to transform local connectivity.

Natalie Don MSP calls on the UK Government to transfer Scotland its share of the £20 billion funds which were earmarked for the now ditched plans to build a bridge to Northern Ireland.

Natalie Don MSP said: “Whilst the bridge was a daft idea and a vanity project which had very little support beyond Boris Johnson, the £20 billion earmarked for the scheme should be handed over to the governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland to decide how to invest the funds in improving local, regional and national transport links.

“Renfrewshire’s share of the cash would be in the region of £328m to £487m, depending on whether it was split 50-50 or on a pro-rata basis, which could make a significant difference in improving our transport networks.

“As people in Renfrewshire and across Scotland simply cannot trust the out-of-touch Westminster Tory Government to act in our best interests, we shouldn’t hold our collective breath to see a penny of this funding and, yet again, it shows why we need to move towards choosing a different path by becoming an independent country.”