Inverness Courier Leadership Debate is for everyone in the Highlands and Moray

The Inverness Courier Leadership Debate with the three candidates to become the next First Minister aims to focus on the issues that matter most to the people of the Highlands and Moray.

Too often people living in the north of Scotland have felt misunderstood and their views on government policy – both in Westminster and Holyrood – ignored.

In our coverage of the failure to dual the A9 by 2025, we said that we sought to be the voice of our communities – this is one way we plan to make that voice heard through the debate hosted by the Groat's sister newspaper.

• Kate Forbes: 'Let’s start by breaking up Highland Council – you heard it here first'

• Humza Yousaf: CalMac should be 'decentralised and based in the heart of our community'

• Ash Regan: ‘Breaking up Highland Council – I think that's a very good idea’

Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf will take part in our debate on March 17, with questions from the public as well as our news teams.

Amid growing poverty, depressed wages, depopulation, a lack of investment, direction and strategy, positive-sounding words are not enough from any party.

By putting them on record we can measure how far they go in delivering on their promises for the north and hold them to account.

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