Thursday June 25th 2026
Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party writes his monthly column Midlothian View.
After less than two months in parliament, it seems we are back to the same old routine of empty promises and disappointment from the SNP.
I was told by the Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop before the election that the government was frustrated by the lack of progress on Sheriffhall.
The hold up, apparently, is a report into thousands of Green-led objections submitted in 2020 – six years ago. A decision on the independent report into these objections was expected from ministers in 2024 – two years ago.
I pushed the government to make a commitment to an upgrade before the election and was reassured that a decision was coming.
So, as soon as I was back in the concrete bunker at Holyrood last month, I set about quizzing the new Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn, on what he had planned for the junction.
Following a question to Mr Flynn in the chamber, I wrote to him asking for an update and inviting him to visit Sheriffhall with me to see the congestion and anger at the roundabout for himself.
It will not shock readers that deflection was all I got in response.
“As I advised Parliament on 2 June, the scheme remains subject to a statutory authorisation process, including the consideration of outstanding objections and the report of a public local inquiry. Work on this is continuing at pace and I am awaiting urgent advice from officials on this project.”
I believe Midlothian motorists have sussed the SNP out by now and will not buy that work is continuing ‘at pace’. It seems to me that the government was never particularly interested in fixing this major infrastructure problem, despite dedicated funding, and have lost what little interest remained before 2020.
After a decade, and several transport ministers, of fighting bureaucracy I must admit it is somewhat disheartening that we are no closer to a bypass fit for a growing capital city. NHS Lothian predicts that in the decade up to 2033 its region will see more than 80% of Scotland’s population growth.
It is believed that the bypass has already cost the Scottish economy several billion pounds and the effect of this on communities and businesses in Midlothian doesn’t bear thinking about.
Sheriffhall was flagged as a priority in the 2008 Strategic Transport Projects Review. Ten years later, the Scottish and UK Governments committed £120m through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Regional Deal. Ground Investigations took place that year and draft road orders were published in 2019. Since then, more than £6 million have been spent on consultations.
This means that nearly 20 years and £130 million have come to nothing.
However, I am far from giving up in this war of attrition and will continue to pursue an upgrade to Sheriffhall in the upcoming parliament on behalf of the 75,000 drivers who deal with its delays every day. As I look towards the start of a new session in September, this will be at the top of my to-do list.
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