Labour MPs have criticised Nicola Sturgeon for lack of action on the Stranraer regeneration plan.

She has been criticised for only visiting the town when "diary commitments allow" and for relocating the taskforce’s meetings out of town.

Ms Sturgeon also faces criticism over her apparent focus on the SNP’s newly-agreed independence referendum.

Labour Councillor for Stranraer and North Rhins, Marion McCutcheon, said: "The fact the Stranraer Taskforce now isn’t even meeting in Stranraer and is chaired by someone who has never even visited the town shows how low a priority it is for the SNP.

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"Local people are already angry about the lack of action to regenerate Stranraer. Stena moved out almost 12 months ago but yet what improvements have we seen on the ground? There is so much the taskforce needs to be doing.

"We need to see urgent progress on waterfront regeneration and improving the town centre, but at the moment the taskforce seems to be treading water. We should be urging the Scottish Government to ensure that the taskforce meets in Stranraer and not the central belt."

Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown added: "The SNP are obsessed with the central belt and are now even won’t come down here for a meeting. Clearly Nicola Sturgeon is too distracted by running the SNP’s separation referendum campaign to try and deal with the big challenges facing Wigtownshire. Nicola Sturgeon is a part-time Cabinet Secretary doing a half-hearted job in Stranraer. The referendum is two years away but we need action to regenerate Stranraer right now. Local people will rightly think Nicola sturgeon has the wrong priorities."

(IT)