Cole-Hamilton: Last chance for Parliament to address ferry fiasco

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said that this is the "last chance" for MSPs to convene at Holyrood and find a solution to Scotland's acute ferry crisis, which has seen multiple vessels out of service all at once.

His call comes ahead of the Scottish Parliament officially dissolving for this year's election on Thursday morning.

Four major ferries have been called in for technical works in the last few weeks, leaving several key routes almost entirely unserved and cutting people off from supplies, services and jobs — and just yesterday, CalMac cancelled two services because the just-reintroduced Glen Sannox is experiencing fuel pump problems.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"That so many ferries have been forced into repairs at the same time is an outrage, and a sorry demonstration of the SNP's dire neglect of the ferry fleet.

"The point of having a Scottish Parliament is to be able to tackle the problems facing our country, but the SNP have refused to come back to Holyrood to sort out this fiasco.

"Liberal Democrats believe that parliament should be the place to get things done for people. This is the last chance for John Swinney to come back to Holyrood and help these communities through the crisis the SNP have left them to face."

Alan Reid, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Argyll and Bute, added:

"As someone who was themselves nearly left stranded by the recent breakdowns, I want to see the Scottish government step up and sort this crisis out.

"While it is good news that MV Lord of the Isles is set to return to service, this near-collapse of the fleet has left folk who depend on ferries worried that the same could happen again with little or no warning.

"The ferries fiasco is the result of 19 years of incompetent and unaccountable government under the SNP. As Scotland prepares to pass judgment on his legacy, John Swinney has a chance to prove that he cares more about coastal and island communities than he does about his own re-election campaign.

"Whether or not he reconvenes parliament, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have a plan to fix our broken ferry system and mak(e sure the government is held to account for its performance. That's what we're offering Scots the chance to vote for on 7th May."