Labour to push for ‘fundamental reform’ of ferry system in Holyrood vote
Scotland’s ferry system requires “fundamental reform”, Scottish Labour has said, ahead of a Holyrood vote.
The call comes after the publicly-owned Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, missed out on a contract to build seven small vessels for routes on the country’s west coast.
Currently, west coast routes are operated by CalMac – which is owned by the Scottish Government – while the procurement of ferries for the network is handled by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal), another body owned by the Scottish Government.
The SNP is depriving Scotland’s iconic shipbuilding industry of sorely needed jobs and investment by sending contracts for new Scottish ferries overseas
In a motion to be debated in Holyrood on Wednesday, Scottish Labour will push for a change in how the system is managed.
Ahead of the debate, the party’s transport spokeswoman said: “The SNP’s disastrous record of failure on ferries has caused misery for island communities, cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds, and damaged our economy and shipbuilding industry.
“As our ferry fleet rusts waiting for new ships to be delivered, we have seen disruptive cancellations and expensive repairs.
“Island communities have been effectively cut off at times due to ferry chaos – people separated from friends and families, businesses missing out on stock and customers, healthcare appointments and school trips missed.
“The SNP is depriving Scotland’s iconic shipbuilding industry of sorely needed jobs and investment by sending contracts for new Scottish ferries overseas.
“Meanwhile, ministers get to pass the buck and hide behind overcrowded and confused governance structures to avoid taking responsibility for their failures.
“It’s time for a fundamental reform of how we procure and run ferries in Scotland – we need a system that ends SNP incompetence, restores accountability, and has the voices of islanders and workers at its heart.”
The work on the seven ferries – part of the first phase of the small vessel replacement programme (SVRP) – was given to Polish yard Remontowa on Monday, subject to finalising contracts, sparking concerns about the future of Ferguson Marine.
Calls had been made for a direct award of the deal to be given to the Port Glasgow yard, but were rejected by the Government over fears such a move could end up in the courts.
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “The Scottish Government intends to invest over £530 million in 2025-26 in maintaining and improving ferry services, replacing vessels, upgrading ports and harbours, with at least £21 million to progress phase one of the small vessel replacement programme.
“Cmal, as the procuring authority, rigorously assessed each tender against quality, technical and commercial criteria and further strengthened its tender process by carrying out additional risk assessments on all bidders.
“Ministers are confident that Cmal has carried out a robust procurement process for the contract to build seven new vessels to serve the west coast of Scotland.”
