By Bruce Fegen

THE LEADER of Fife’s Conservative group, Stuart Randall, has accused Central Fife MSP Christine May of “rank hypocrisy” over £4 bridge tolls.

Councillor Randall’s attack came after the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) agreed a new charging scheme which could see the charge levied between 4 pm and 6 pm.

If approved by the Scottish Executive, it can be introduced no sooner than 2009.

Mr Randall said, “In 2000, when (Christine May) was Labour leader of Fife Council, she gave evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee saying it was “essential” that “punitive” measures be phased in to get people off the bridge, out of their cars and onto public transport.

“Yet on Friday she said she opposed FETA’s new proposal and said she couldn’t support this.

“She is guilty of rank hypocrisy over this.”

Mr Randall said Christine May “positively” egged on Holyrood’s transport and environment committee in her evidence to it when the parliament was considering whether to give road user charging powers to FETA.

He continued, “She said such powers should be used as a stick to beat motorists out of their cars and onto public transport and she said the stick, by which she meant much higher bridge tolls, should be made more and more punitive to ensure that what she called the hard-core motorists made the switch.

“FETA on Friday voted to do exactly what Christine May said they should and yet, lo and behold, now she’s done a complete U-turn and says they’ve got it all wrong.

“I suggest it was Christine May who was wrong to call for FETA to be given these stealth tax powers and it was wrong of her friends in the Lib-Lab Executive to do just what she suggested.

“The Lib-Labs in Edinburgh have made a terrible mistake and now its up to Fifers to fight a rearguard action to stop these ridiculous powers taking affect.”

The Tory leader insisted FETA should never have been given the powers, and should have been limited to raising enough for bridge maintenance only.

He added, “That’s the way to keep tolls to the absolute minimum.

“It was obvious that, if they were given powers to bleed motorists dry, they would use them.

“It’s important that all Fifers now stand united to see off this stealth tax threat, and I would welcome Christine May’s conversion to that side.”

He called on the Labour MSP to apologise for her “awful error in judgment” five years ago, and make her views clear.

Christine May replied, “I recall saying this as part of a strategy of improvements in public transport when I said that these should be put in place before any such measures were put in place on the bridge.

“Economic times have changed since 2000 and I now see the importance of the bridge not just for Fife but for the whole economy of Scotland.

“Therefore, I think it is entirely reasonable that I now take the view that at this time and with the concerns for the future life of the bridge… that it’s not appropriate to suggest an increase in tolls to £4.

“I am prepared to discuss a congestion management plan for the whole of the eastern central belt, but I am not prepared to discuss measures for one specific tiny bit which I believe would disproportionately harm my constituents and the residents in Fife.

“We should all be campaigning for a sound economy for Scotland and prosperity for Fife and I will work with any political party to achieve this.”