SNP accused of £1bn ferry fiasco after more delays and cost rises
SNP ministers have 'squandered' £1 billion of taxpayers' money after overseeing a scandal-hit deal for the construction of two new ferries, it has been alleged.
Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, said the cost of the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels had risen to £460 million after a further delay to the latter was announced this week.
He told First Minister's Questions that John Swinney had personally signed off the contract to hand the work to the Ferguson Marine shipyard, which was then owned by an independence-supporting businessman.
In a scathing attack, he said Mr Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, had 'exploited' the yard for party political purposes but argued that no one in the SNP had accepted responsibility for the debacle.
Ms Sturgeon infamously 'launched' the Glen Sannox, which came off the yard's slipway in a blaze of publicity in November 2017.
But the vessel was far from finished and the 'windows' on the bridge were actually squares of black paint, while the funnels were made of plywood.
SNP 'cannot be trusted with Scots' money'
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, disclosed that more than £500 million had been spent fixing the existing 'ageing ferry fleet' while the two new vessels were being built.
Taking into account the cost of the new ferries, which could rise further, he said this was 'now a billion-pound SNP ferry fiasco' and added: 'The truth is that the SNP cannot be trusted with Scots' money.'
Mr Swinney said the latest delay to the Glen Rosa, of up to nine months, was 'unacceptable' but admitted he 'cannot be definitive' about the final cost to the taxpayer.
The two ferries were supposed to cost a combined £97 million and be delivered in 2018 when the contract for their construction was awarded to Ferguson's in 2015.
The yard was owned at the time by tycoon Jim McColl, who supported independence in the 2014 referendum. It was nationalised in 2019 to prevent it collapsing.
But the Glen Sannox alone cost £150 million and was only handed over to CMAL, the ferries procurement body, in November last year.
It emerged earlier this week that the cost of the Glen Rosa had risen by another £35 million to around £185 million and its delivery date had been postponed again from September to between April and June next year.
However, the £335 million total for the two vessels did not include £83 million paid before the yard was nationalised and £45 million of government loans that were written down.
An official audit in 2022 questioned why SNP ministers refused to re-tender the contract shortly after it was awarded when 'severe misgivings' were expressed by ferry chiefs about the ability of Ferguson Marine to build the boats.
Mr McColl has previously alleged the deal was rushed through for political reasons to give Ms Sturgeon a boost at the 2015 SNP conference, her first as party leader, and in the following year's Holyrood election.
Meanwhile, Scotland 's island communities have been forced to deal with an ageing ferry fleet that suffers regular breakdowns and cancellations. They have complained the unreliable service was threatening tourism, businesses and their day-to-day life.
Mr Findlay said: 'Scotland's taxpayers are footing the SNP's bill for the ferries scandal they created. John Swinney can't even say what the final cost will be to taxpayers for the ferry contract that he personally signed off.
'He has never accepted blame. Nobody in the SNP ever has or ever does. Not a single one of them has held their hands up to islanders or taxpayers.'
Delays and cost 'unacceptable', admits Swinney
Mr Sarwar unveiled figures showing ferry operator CalMac's annual repair costs for its existing fleet had risen from just under £29.6 million in 2014/15 to £62.6 million in 2024/25. This represented a 179 per cent increase and the total maintenance bill over the period was £502.2 million.
The Scottish Labour leader accused the SNP of being 'addicted to wasting people's money', citing how the bill for a new prison in Glasgow had surged from £100 million to £1 billion. He also claimed public money had been 'wasted on legal fees' in a series of high-profile court case defeats.
Mr Swinney told MSPs: 'I make it clear to parliament that it is unacceptable that those vessels have cost so much and that such delays have been experienced.
'The Government is focused on ensuring that the vessels enter service so that we can deliver on our commitments to provide sustainable ferry services for island communities.'
He insisted he would 'always accept my responsibilities' for the actions of his administration and it was 'engaging with island communities and delivering practical solutions to those affected by ferry disruptions.'
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