I'M often accused of “banging on about ferries.” When I am, my first thought is to answer with, “Can you blame me? Look at the state of them!”
As many people across North Ayrshire and Arran, and especially on Cumbrae, will know by now, CalMac has been forced to cut services on the Largs-Cumbrae route.
At time of writing, these changes will have just come into effect and islanders and coastal communities will already be feeling the impact. To be clear, this decision means losing one in every four crossings.
Going from four sailings an hour to three is a terrible move and an indication of how unserious the Scottish Government are about this vital route.
I am also aware of the issues surrounding vessel turnaround time and maintenance and the impact they have on passengers. Anyone who has walked past my office, especially in the summer, will have seen how long the queues can be.
As any retail or hospitality business will tell you, footfall is essential. These businesses, of which there are many on our islands and in our coastal areas, rely on getting people in the door.
Reducing ferry traffic brings down the number of potential customers and effectively caps how much any of these businesses can earn to pay their staff.
The government’s failure to upgrade Ardrossan Harbour is also having an impact on local businesses, with the town facing an unreliable and at some points non-existent ferry service over recent years.
The West of Scotland’s ferries have been mismanaged, chipped away at, and badly run for so long that it feels like normal. We’ve had cuts, high cancellations, and vessels that were promised going undelivered. The buck should stop with the Scottish Government, yet they routinely decline to accept it.
I’m currently leading the Scottish Budget discussions for the Scottish Liberal Democrats at Holyrood.
In contrast to Labour and the Tories who have effectively ruled themselves out of the debate entirely, I’ve been very clear that I am up for negotiating with the Finance Secretary and her officials to see where we agree, where we differ, and where we can compromise.
While I do this as Scottish Liberal Democrat finance and economy spokesman, I also do it as one of North Ayrshire and Arran’s regional MSPs.
I cannot promise anything at this point, giving exaggerated guarantees is not my political style, but I can say that I will be bringing the transport concerns of islanders and those who live on this route directly to Shona Robison. She will hear you.
I’m proud of my record of standing up for the transport needs of this area, even if some people who would rather I didn’t accuse me of “banging on about ferries".
As we continue the budget negotiations, the abominable state of our ferry services will never be far from my mind, and I’ll make sure everyone I talk to knows that’s the case.
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