Ross MSP lashes out at 'absolute disgrace' of Highland delivery charges
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
New figures show people in the Highlands are being charged tens of millions more in the last year just to get parcels delivered to their homes.
The latest numbers, which come from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), show total additional costs for deliveries in Scotland.
That amounted to just more than £40 million with the Highlands and Islands forking out the lion’s share of that with £28 million.
Now local MSP Kate Forbes has hit out at “scandalous” charges as her constituents are forced to fork out an estimated £6.2 million extra a year compared to the rest of the UK.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) internet access survey for 2019 shows that 82 per cent of all adults have bought goods or services online over the past 12 months.
Miss Forbes has on several occasions called on the UK government to act and end the “rip-off charges” for Highlanders.
She said: “The scandal of retailers charging over £6 million to customers in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has never looked like such a rip-off.
“That means that customers who purchase goods online this Christmas have paid over the odds and lined the pockets of retailers and delivery firms who think nothing of over-charging Highland consumers.
“It is, and always has been, an absolute disgrace and it is long overdue for the UK Government to act.
“If the Scottish Government had the powers to do something about surcharges, they would have long ago and it’s about time the UK Government lifted a finger about this.
“More than £6 million across Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch could have been spent in the local economy and made an enormous difference.”
Share your comments by emailing newsdesk@spp-group.com
