Alex Salmond’s determination to back the purchase the Ferguson’s Marine yard was the beginning of a series of catastrophic Ministerial decisions.
The two ferries, five years and millions overdue, have become a symbol of the SNP government’s monumental incompetence.
This has been compounded by a system of managing the ferries which has neglected a deteriorating fleet and serves itself rather than the islands.
Labour has short, medium and long-term solutions for the ferry crisis.
First, there needs to be support for island businesses which have lost revenue because of ferry cancellations and more alternative vessels have to be leased urgently.
In the medium term the triple management system of CalMac, CMal and Transport Scotland has to replaced with a single ferry agency with strong islands representation.
Long term we need a rolling programme of ferry-building to modern design at Scottish yards to replace the ageing fleet.
Labour has solutions, the SNP has no excuses left.
