Taxpayers being "robbed" by delays to ferry construction
Lord Robertson has accused the Scottish Government of losing focus on island communities
Last updated 25th Nov 2023
The outgoing chairman of Western Ferries is warning taxpayers are being robbed over the delays in construction of two overbudget ferries.
Lord Robertson blamed the Scottish Government’s handling of the issues, urging ministers to work with island communities to devolve the operation of local services.
The Labour peer is set to resign from the privately owned firm, operating between Gourock and Dunoon, at the end of the year.
He described the delays at Ferguson Marine Shipyard in Port Glasgow as a “fiasco”, after work to bolster Caledonian MacBryne’s (CalMac) fleet in the west of Scotland was set back by multi-year delays and significant overspends.
He said: “The taxpayers are being robbed here. These will probably be the most expensive ferries in the world. They probably could have been gold-plated and would have saved money.
"It's a sad reflection on Scotland today, where we used to build the great liners of the world.
“It is now reduced to one shipyard that can't apparently build two simple car ferries."
It is estimated the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels will accumulate a £360m price tag by the time they are completed, a huge increase on the original £97m budget.
Lord Robertson, who was also shadow Scottish secretary prior to entering government in 1997, has also accused the Scottish Government of losing focus on island communities.
He said: “The communities based on the islands have been compromised, affected, limited, and in some cases destroyed by the fact the lifeline links have been relegated in the way they have.”
"In recent years, the rural and the islands, especially, seem to have been relegated and forgotten.
“I think that is a scandal because Scotland is made up of a whole series of communities but if it is all centralised in the central belt then the island and rural communities get a raw deal."
The former defence secretary criticised the potential plan to directly award the Clyde and Hebrides contracts to CalMac without the putting it out to tender in the usual way.
Lord Robertson said: "Simply handing the contract to Caledonian MacBrayne is the wrong answer from the point of view of the taxpayer.
CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond said: "We will continue to work in partnership with local stakeholders and communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for all who rely on our services.
"We are also looking forward to welcoming six major and 10 small vessels into the fleet in the near future, which will build capacity and resilience across our network."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:
“As Ministers have previously set out, the rising costs and delays are deeply disappointing.
“The Scottish Government’s priorities have always been and remain the completion of the two ferries, securing a future for the yard and its workforce and supporting our island communities that rely on this type of vessel on a daily basis.”