Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has described Audit Scotland’s report on the roll-out of the R100 broadband programme as representing a “damning indictment”. The report cast doubt in whether the rollout would be completed by 2027 with the North of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands, being the worst-affected part of the country.

In 2018, the then SNP minister responsible, Fergus Ewing, stated that he would resign if the programme was not completed by 2021.

The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “The Audit Scotland report is a damning indictment of the SNP’s performance in rolling out the R100 broadband programme.

“The SNP made a pledge to complete the roll-out by 2021 and the relevant minister at the time said he would resign if the target wasn’t met.

“We are now in 2022 and it doesn’t look as if they will even meet their revised deadline of 2027, with my region being the worst affected. Needless to say, no-one in government has resigned or taken responsibility.

“This amounts to an abdication by the SNP Government of their duty of care to our rural communities, every bit as damaging as their failure to maintain our lifeline ferry service or upgrade our trunk roads.”