In an extraordinary admission this week, the Scottish government has vowed to continue funding the SNP’s ferries fiasco — despite accepting it would be cheaper to scrap the second vessel and commission a new one from scratch.
Economy secretary Neil Gray said a review had found that finishing the second boat, known as Hull 802, does not represent value for money. What’s the background? The Scottish government commissioned two new vessels to serve on Scotland’s west coast in 2015. None have been delivered by the now nationalised Glasgow shipyard that won the contract, while funding for the yard has become something of a financial blackhole for taxpayers. Meanwhile Scottish islanders have at times been left literally stranded as the ‘lifeline’ connections they rely on to the mainland have failed.
The ships are more than £200 million over budget and six years late, with the yard now estimating the first boat, the Glen Sannox, will be delivered this autumn, while completion of Hull 802 is expected in late summer 2024.
It seems the Scottish civil service is now, belatedly, starting do its job properly on ferries procurement.
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