The ‘ferries fiasco’ has plagued the Scottish Government for nearly 10 years of its 18-year time in power.

In 2022, Nicola Sturgeon refuted claims that the failures at Ferguson Marine, Scotland’s last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde, were the result of the Scottish Government giving out “jobs for the boys”. 

Her comments followed Ferguson’s costly, delayed and error-strewn delivery of two new ferries for the Ayrshire to Arran route. 

Following two periods of administration, during which the contracts for the now-named MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa ballooned to three times their original size, the shipyard was nationalised and eventually in January 2025, the Glen Sannox finally entered service – seven years behind schedule.

To take a deep dive into Scotland’s ‘ferry fiasco’, Rory Hamitlon is joined by Jeanette Findlay and Brian Reynolds. 

Jeanette Findlay is Professor Emerita at the University of Glasgow, and immediate past President of the University and College Union (UCU) Scotland. Brian Reynolds is the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ (RMT) Union Coordinator with CalMac Ferries, the ferry operator for the West Coast routes. 

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