Latest news with #JohnPetticrew
STV News
13-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
CalMac ferry delayed for another six months as costs soar by £35m
The second Ferguson Marine ferry, millions over budget and years late, has been delayed for at least another six months. The Glen Rosa remains outstanding as the total cost of both it, and the Glen Sannox, approaches £400m – more than four times the initial £97m figure. It had been expected to be delivered in September, but the nationalised shipyard announced on Tuesday that it won't be ready until at least April 2026. The total estimated cost has also increased by £35m – including a £12.5m contingency – to £185m. It comes after reports that parts of the ferry were removed for use on the Glen Sannox. Appearing before a Scottish Parliament committee in February, then-interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine John Petticrew said the yard was doing 'a bottoms up on the Glen Rosa, including all the lessons learned that we got at the tail end of the Glen Sannox'. The delay comes in the first weeks for new CEO Graeme Thomson. 'This is not the announcement we wanted to be making at this stage and cannot overstate our understanding of the importance of providing realistic handover schedules to support CalMac to provide a more reliable and robust service to the communities it serves,' he said. 'No one wants to see the swift delivery of MV Glen Rosa more than Ferguson Marine and we are committed to working hard to ensure the vessel is delivered within this window. 'We apologise unreservedly to islanders for this additional delay and want to assure everyone that we are working extremely hard to deliver a quality vessel that showcases the skill and experience of Clydebuilt ships. Once delivered, MV Glen Rosa will be transformative for our island communities.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Ferguson Marine news, interviews and updates on the shipyard
Read on for all the latest Ferguson Marine news, interviews and updates. Latest Ferguson Marine news As reported by The Herald, here is a selection of the latest Ferguson Marine news stories. Who does control Scotland's ferries and why? Call for review over future of CalMac and CMAL in ferries revolution New concern as Ferguson Marine confirms revised Glen Rosa build plan Ferguson Marine leadership Graeme Thomson (below) was recently appointed as the shipyard firm's new chief executive officer. Graeme Thomson (Image: Ferguson Marine) He started the new role on May 1 after the departure of interim head John Petticrew for 'personal reasons' in March. Mr Thomson's appointment came days after the yard missed out on a major contract for seven new small, fully electric vessels for CalMac to Poland's Remontowa Shipbuilding. He will oversee the delivery of the much-delayed CalMac ferry, MV Glen Rosa, as well as aiming to secure sustainable and new contracts. He said: 'I'm thoroughly excited and enthused to be taking on the role as chief executive officer of Ferguson Marine, a cornerstone of Scotland's rich maritime history and an important employer in Inverclyde. 'The business, and its people, have faced challenging times but as we look forward we must focus on delivering key contracts that demonstrate our capability to exceed expectations and build world-class ships on the Clyde.' Ferguson Marine criticisms and controversies The state-owned shipyard is facing several difficulties, primarily due to financial sustainability. Its failure to win a contract for seven new small ferries for CalMac from Scotland to Poland was a big blow and has left hundreds of jobs at stake. The contract was a key part of the firm's five-year recovery strategy after delays and cost overruns in the construction of two much larger ferries for CalMac, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa. The MV Glen Sannox (Image: Jane Barlow) Conservative MSP Sue Webber said: "This announcement is devastating for Ferguson Marine and could yet prove the death knell for the yard.' In building the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ferries, the shipyard has run into major cost overruns. The contract was awarded by CMAL in 2015. The ferries were originally scheduled for completion in 2018 with a budget of £97 million, although the costs are believed to have quadrupled. The Glen Sannox commenced service in January 2025, while the Glen Rosa is slated for a later delivery. There are also concerns about Ferguson Marine's operational efficiency, as these delays and cost overruns have put a spotlight on its project management issues, along with concerns about leadership stability with a series of executive and managerial changes. The Scottish Government announced last July plans to invest £14.2 million in the shipyard, with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes stating that the investment would be focused on modernisation and improving productivity. Ministers have also said that talks were at the final stages with BAE Systems about the shipyard being awarded further work on the Type 26 Frigate programme.
Scottish Sun
26-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Ferguson ferries boss paid £8k expenses for trips home to Canada
Holyrood MSPs have had their say on the latest revelation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE ex-boss of scandal-hit Ferguson Marine claimed over £8,000 in expenses to fly home to Canada, we can reveal. John Petticrew — who made £202,841 a year — was allowed the three round trips in a year as part of a separate £26,000 taxpayer-funded deal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Ferguson ferries boss was paid £8,000 in expenses for trips home to Canada Credit: Alamy He resigned as interim chief executive of the nationalised shipyard in Port Glasgow last month citing 'personal reasons', with one of two late, over-budget ferries due in 2018 still not delivered to Caledonian MacBrayne. Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie said last night: 'It's a feature of the SNP-owned yard that bosses are paid eye-watering salaries as they enter then leave quickly through the revolving door.' Scottish Tory energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden weighed in: 'The SNP's botched nationalisation has left the yard unable to compete for contracts. 'It's such a mess, they had to fly in a CEO from Canada to take on the poisoned chalice. 'This is failure on an industrial scale.' Labour economy spokesman Daniel Johnson added: 'It's hard to see what is being delivered in return.' Ferries Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa are thought to be costing four-times their original £97million price tag. Mr Petticrew's trips home cost £8,252. THE SCOTTISH SUN SAYS... THE Scottish Government's farcical ferries project has long been branded an exorbitant job creation scheme. In fact, Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney tried to wear this as a badge of honour, making out that it didn't matter how much money was spent — because it was all about providing jobs. Well, it seems those who have been benefiting the most are the big bosses leading this failing and costly enterprise. There have been repeated rows over big bosses' bonuses. And look at the wages and expenses of John Petticrew, the interim chief exec who quit in March. He was paid more than £200,000 for a year's work during a period where multiple hitches and delays beset the yard. The publicly owned firm also paid more than £8,000 to fund three round trips to Canada for Mr Petticrew. Meanwhile, the yard is to deliver the second ship, MV Glen Rosa, a decade after it was ordered — if we're lucky. If it ever sets sail, perhaps a change of name is in order. To the MV Fat Cat. Ferguson chief financial officer David Dishon said the executive's remuneration package was approved by ministers. The Scottish Government said: 'Remuneration and additional payments are a matter for Ferguson.' Elsewhere the number of foreign voters in Scotland has doubled in a decade — with a record one in 20 now non-UK citizens. Some 195,400 people from overseas have registered to cast their ballot compared to below 100,000 at the time of the independence referendum, new figures show. Meanwhile the total tally of registered voters is at a joint all-time high at 4.28million — the same as for the 2014 indy ballot and the 2021 Holyrood election. Just two per cent are under 18. Sandy Taylor, of the National Records of Scotland, said: 'The number of people registered to vote in UK, Scottish parliamentary and local elections has remained broadly stable. 'Beneath the headline figures we see the number of foreign nationals at record levels.
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Nationalised Ferguson shipyard names new boss
The nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard has appointed a new permanent chief executive. Graeme Thomson will take over as boss of the Port Glasgow firm after the departure of the interim CEO John Petticrew and the sacking of his predecessor a year ago. Mr Thomson has most recently worked as programme director for Babcock where he oversaw delivery of the Type 31 frigate programme for the Royal Navy. The appointment was confirmed just days after the shipyard missed out on a crucial order for a fleet of small CalMac ferries. Mr Thomson said he was "excited and enthused" to be taking up the new role which starts on 1 May. He said: "The business, and its people, have faced challenging times but as we look forward, we must focus on delivering key contracts that demonstrate our capability to exceed expectations and build world class ships on the Clyde. "This, and our commitment to build a better culture based on accountability and robust governance, will enable us to put past issues behind us, restore the reputation of Ferguson Marine and realise its potential as a leader in global shipbuilding." The shipyard is still working to complete MV Glen Rosa, the second of two dual-fuel CalMac ferries which have caused the yard many problems since the contract was awarded 10 years ago. The ship is currently due for delivery in September, but resources were diverted last year in order to bring its sister ship Glen Sannox into service, and a further delay is widely expected. The yard has no other confirmed ship orders, but sub-contracting work from BAE Systems on units for the Navy's new Type 26 frigates is expected to start next month, according to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes. The yard is also pursuing new private sector orders. Mr Thomson has worked in shipbuilding, construction, defence and the nuclear engineering services sector for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Babcock, he worked at Lecor, Seaspan Shipyards and BAE Systems. Ferguson Marine chairman Andrew Miller said: "Graeme is a trusted and experienced leader with a sharp and intelligent business focus. "He brings to the role a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record for delivery in the shipbuilding and construction industry. "He joins us at a crucial time for our business and the board believes he will be instrumental in achieving the goals set out in our strategy and, crucially, will deliver long-term growth for Ferguson Marine." Previous bosses Ferguson's has been without a permanent chief executive since March last year when the firm's board of directors unexpectedly sacked David Tydeman. Mr Tydeman had won praise for overseeing substantial progress on Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa after years of design challenges and disputes over costs. But the bill for the ships also rose substantially and more deadlines were missed as complications his departure, board member John Petticrew took on the role on an interim basis, initially for six months but this was later extended. During his time in charge, the slipway launch of Glen Rosa took place and Glen Sannox was finally delivered to owners CMAL before entering service on CalMac's Arran route in Petticrew had been expected to remain in post until a permanent replacement was announced, but a week ago Ferguson's said he had resigned early for "personal reasons" and was returning to his family in Canada.
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
SNP scandal ferry removed from service after only two months thanks to crack in hull
One of the vessels at the centre of the SNP ferries scandal has been removed from service only two months after it started carrying passengers because of a crack in its hull. The Glen Sannox only began operating in January. It was delivered almost seven years late and cost more than four times the original contract price. CalMac, a ferry operator, was forced to cancel its sailings from Brodick on the Isle of Arran on Friday afternoon after it was found that a 'very small amount of water' was entering the rear of the vessel. The firm said a crack had been discovered on a weld seam on the ferry's hull, close to the waterline. The ship, which has capacity for 127 cars and 852 passengers, was tied up at Brodick. The Scottish Tories said the fault was 'a hammer blow for ferry passengers, who have been betrayed at every turn by this incompetent SNP Government'. It prompted more questions about the disastrous commissioning of the vessel and its sister ship, Glen Rosa, which were due to enter service in 2018. A litany of problems, partly caused by the complexity of the fuel system, have led to years of delays. The total costs of the ferries have surged from £97 million to more than £400 million. SNP ministers handed the contract to the Ferguson Marine shipyard, which was then owned by a pro-independence businessman in 2015, despite ferry chiefs expressing 'severe misgivings' about the company's ability to build the vessels. Nicola Sturgeon launched the Glen Sannox, which came off the yard's slipway, amid a blaze of publicity in November 2017. But the vessel was far from finished. The windows on the bridge were actually squares of black paint, while the funnels were made of plywood. In 2019 the Scottish Government nationalised Ferguson Marine to prevent it collapsing. Meanwhile, Scotland's island communities were forced to deal with an ageing ferry fleet that suffered regular breakdowns and cancellations. They complained the unreliable service was threatening tourism, businesses and their day-to-day life. Sannox sailings cancelled The Glen Sannox finally started timetabled sailing carrying passengers between Troon and Brodick on Jan 13. The Glen Rosa was scheduled to be delivered in September, but Ferguson Marine chiefs have admitted further delays are possible. It emerged on Thursday that John Petticrew, the shipyard's interim chief executive, had resigned for personal reasons. A statement from CalMac said: 'MV Glen Sannox has been removed from service due to a crack on a weld seam on the vessel's hull which is close to the waterline. 'This requires the support of a dive team to assess, and the earliest this could be arranged for is Saturday morning. A third-party team will attend tomorrow to carry out a full assessment. 'Following this, we will be able to provide more information on the issue and, if required, repairs and service impact. It does mean all MV Glen Sannox sailings on Saturday March 15 have been cancelled.' The operator apologised for the disruption and another ferry, the MV Alfred, will make an extra journey to take some of the passengers who had booked the cancelled trips. Islanders 'dismayed' But Sue Webber, the Scottish Tories' shadow transport secretary, said: 'This news will come as a hammer blow for ferry passengers, who have been betrayed at every turn by this incompetent SNP government. 'After waiting nearly seven years for this massively over-budget vessel, island communities will be dismayed that it's broken down within weeks of its launch. The SNP's failure to provide a viable ferry network has left passengers stranded once again.' Willie Rennie, a Liberal Democrat MSP, said: 'From painted-in windows to short cables and now a cracked hull, this has been a never-ending nightmare for this SNP-commissioned ferry contract. Islanders, workers and taxpayers have had to suffer from this shambles.'
