Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has charged the Scottish Government with putting jobs and prosperity in the Western Isles at risk following further revelations about its mismanagement of the CalMac ferry contract.
Mr Cameron spoke out after yesterday’s meeting of the rural economy and connectivity committee at Holyrood where MSPs learnt more about the disastrous mismanagement of the two-ferry contract, which includes the vessel destined to be used on the Skye-Harris-North Uist triangle.
Mr Cameron said: “I am very concerned at the impact this continuing fiasco may have on business confidence in the Western Isles. We simply cannot afford any more bad news about our vital infrastructure. It is putting jobs and prosperity at risk."
“How can we hope to persuade people to set up businesses and create jobs here if the Government fails to take responsibility for vital publicly-funded projects? They should have been knocking heads together, rather than just wringing their hands."
“The Western Isles needs a thriving business sector if we are to address depopulation, and these revelations demonstrate all too clearly that the SNP Government simply does not understand that.”
