'Sack the board' call after more Ferguson ferries setbacks

The Port Glasgow yard's boss, David Tydeman, announced on Friday that further delays are expected before the Glen Rosa CalMac vessel is finished, while more funds are needed to get it and sister ship, MV Glen Sannox, over the line.

The cost of completing both ferries - which are already five years late and three times the original budget - is forecast to top £400 million by their anticipated handover dates of March next year (for the Glen Sannox) and May 2025 (Glen Rosa).

MV Glen Rosa (Image: Alex Craig)

Alba Party depute leader, Kenny MacAskill MP, issued a call to 'sack the board' of the harbour authority that will ultimately own and lease the new vessels to operator Caledonian MacBrayne.

He said: “It is only one month ago that CMAL ran a competition to name the Glen Rosa. This now looks like they’ve treated island communities with contempt to do so whilst clearly, they knew the vessel was going to be delayed until 2025.

READ MORE: Further delay to Ferguson ferry completion as total cost set to exceed £400m

“For four years now, concerns on the ground have been dismissed that say the Glen Sannox will never sail due to its design, only for delay after delay to be announced, and in the meantime island communities suffer and the workers of the yard have their very futures compromised due to mismanagement.

“This debacle is a scandal but it is not one of the workforce's making. In all these years there has not been one single example of poor craftsmanship identified as the reason for delay and cost overrun.

"The blame lies squarely at the feet of CMAL and the Scottish Government for failing to hold them to account.

“It is long past time that the government steps in, sacks the management and scraps the board of CMAL."

Meanwhile, West Scotland Labour MSP Katy Clark called the situation a 'disgrace' and demanded further investment into the Inverclyde yard.

READ MORE: Cross-party summit calls for urgent investment to secure Ferguson's future

She said: "The failure by the Scottish Government to provide reliable lifetime ferry services for the islands is a disgrace.

“There is no doubt that a litany of mistakes have been at the Ferguson Marine shipyard, not least when it comes to governance, financial safeguards and a raft of decisions made at ministerial level, some stemming back to all the way before nationalisation.

“These mistakes must be learned from, but having visited the yard last week and met with management and the workforce, it is clear investment is also urgently needed to secure the yard’s long-term future.

“Islanders need a steady pipeline of ferries and the workers at Ferguson Marine need job security. When I visited the site it was clear from all I spoke to that the site is really too small to build vessels of this size and that changes made to the yard by previous owners are a significant problem."

READ MORE: Ferguson Marine under new fire for safety failures over new ferry fiasco vessels

The MSP added: “Investment is needed to reverse the previous changes made so the yard is properly equipped to build smaller vessels and undertake other work in the future.

“Regeneration of shipbuilding along the Clyde is not only viable but necessary, but it will not be possible without sustained investment and support.”

A spokesperson from CMAL said: “We are very disappointed to learn of further potential delays to the delivery of MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa.

"However, we continue to have a strong working relationship with the team at Ferguson's, and remain confident in the yard's ability to deliver the vessels.”