Scottish Liberal Democrats to lead debate calling for accountability over ferries fiasco

On Wednesday 4th March, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene will lead a debate in the Scottish Parliament in which he will condemn the Scottish Government’s mishandling of key ferry services and highlight how, despite at least seven SNP ministers taking on the brief, not a single one has ever resigned over the fiasco.

It comes after the MV Glen Sannox has spent months getting repaired and the long-awaited Glen Rosa was delayed by another six months, with the cost of the pair rising yet again.

At the forthcoming election, Scottish Liberal Democrats are proposing a new package of measures to improve Scotland’s ferries, including:

• A new Ferries Bill within the first year of the new Parliament to guarantee that island communities are served by a reliable network, which listens to their needs and empowers them in key decision-making.

• New statutory requirements to replace ageing vessels and enshrining in law the production of a rolling 30-year strategy for ferries and port infrastructure, so no community is ever left without a viable lifeline service or fit for purpose harbour.

• Restructuring the current tripartite governance arrangements of Scotland’s maritime assets, making them completely independent of government, giving them more control over decisions to replace failing or ageing assets. Community and island voices will also now have a guaranteed seat at the table, including on the boards of key maritime agencies.

Scottish Liberal Democrats and islanders embarrassed the SNP into extending the compensation scheme to Mull, Islay, Jura, Barra and more. However, there are still communities being excluded with calls to open up immediate sources of funds for businesses which have been widely affected by ferry disruption.

Jamie Greene MSP said:

“In communities like my own in Inverclyde, North Ayrshire or in Argyll & Bute where Scottish Liberal Democrats are nipping at the heels of the SNP, there is a deep-seated sense of anger at the Scottish Government for their mishandling of lifeline ferry services over two decades now.

"They deserve better than countless SNP ministers who've shown that they can’t be trusted with lifeline links.

“We need to get Scotland moving again and Scottish Liberal Democrats have a realistic plan to ensure our islands are never again treated like second class citizens.

“Communities deserve a new long-term strategy that guarantees vessels are replaced in time and islanders deserve a real say on how their ferries are run, as well as proper compensation for the disruption they've suffered.

“Parliament should back my motion and unite to tell the government: no more excuses over Scotland’s ferry fiasco. It’s time to sort this mess out once and for all.”