Cole-Hamilton: Time to beg UK Government and European operators for vessels for Dunkirk-style effort to tackle ferry crisis

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said that John Swinney should be on the phone begging the UK Government and ferry operators around Europe for extra boats to alleviate the ferry crisis.

His call comes as ferry operator CalMac announced that almost a third of its entire fleet is unavailable due to unplanned problems or planned maintenance.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“I repeatedly asked for Parliament to be recalled so ministers could give a proper response to the ferry crisis. Unfortunately, coastal and island communities do not matter to the SNP so minsters said no.

“This situation is beyond a joke. Right now islanders waiting on medical care are trapped on their islands. Businesses are seeing their shelves lie empty. Tourists are being turned away.

“The government should be pulling every lever to help them out including encouraging anyone with suitable vessels to chip in and get folk on and off our islands. We need a Dunkirk-style effort

“Rather than posing with SNP activists, John Swinney needs to get on the phone to the UK Government and European partners to ask them whether there are ferries available elsewhere in the UK or in nearby countries which might be able to take up some of the slack on Scottish routes. At the moment their solution seems to be robbing Peter to pay Paul by shuffling Scotland’s ferries around without addressing the underlying shortage.

“Firms like Red Funnel, Condor, Wightlink and Steam Packet all run domestic services in the UK. John Swinney should be begging them to deliver a Dunkirk-style flotilla and help get our islands open.

“Finally I would like to thank the ferry crew and shipyard workers who are desperately trying to fix these boats. They have been let down by SNP ministers and transport bosses almost as badly as islanders have been and I think it’s important to thank them for their work trying to keep lifeline routes afloat at this difficult time.”