FERRY FIASCO: 2 ferries to be worth £70m each, yet yard had nearly £400m taxpayers' money

[@Big_Gaz_1]

The reality of this fiasco is that the comedy club that currently runs (read ruins) Scotland could have had 4 brand new and operating ferries with 1 brand new one in reserve and STILL have £50m in the bank if they had bought them on the open market! The words incompetent, scandalous and sticky fingers all spring to mind....

[@needmooregarage]

Sad to hear that governments all over the world are crooked and out of control.

[@vincescotian8083]

How many HS2's has the UK Government got in hand?

[@professorplums722]

​@@vincescotian8083Keep deflecting😂😂

[@lindawatson2414]

@@vincescotian8083what’s that got to do with Scotland’s ferries?

[@mikewright447]

@@vincescotian8083 do you mean the one that was reviewed and partially scrapped as it was too expensive and wouldnt get the returns needed unlike your over priced floating boxes that have cost £100m more than they are actually worth and will probably get delayed again and thats before they even start talking about rebuilding the docks so they can take the ferries (which they were told not to get due to the price and docks needing altering and 3 smaller ones would make economical sense as they would actually be cheaper) and its possible the turkish built ferries will be ready first (hmm turkish ferries but the snp had a tantrum when the mod said they might not build navy ships in scotland but they farm out jobs to turkey !!!) , its no wonder wee kranky had to come to england to buy her dodgy camper van.

[@johnhughes4631]

Why did the SNP just not buy a boat on the open market for £70m has to be asked as they did buy their camper van that way. Comedy Gold SNP

[@Azureecosse]

Sturgeon wanted her Queen of Scotland moment so she could crack a bottle of Irn Bru on the bow. SNP and her senior ministers are so vain they all waned their moment to say built in Scotland under SNP, nobody can comprehend the mentality of Sturgeon and her lickspittles they are completely drunk on power.

[@vincescotian8083]

search electoral commission document 24333 note 19 Motor vehicles. The Number may be a wee bit less than most illiterate unionist propagandist expect, however there are significant declarations under item 15 Irrecoverable VAT all could imagine that most school kids and forensic accountants can add. This information is in the public domain and free for any member of the public to download.

[@mtrhodesy]

It's crazy to think if I gave you a price for a job, and then claimed costs have tripled you would pay without question. But you do, then claim you didn't question it because I seemed a honest chap! That's why MPs get into government, legal theft and a good laugh at the taxpayers who fund their grifting!

[@AlChemist-235]

Its their OWN camper they buy this way.

[@rhone81]

The ferries were a lever to prop up Ferguson Marine.

[@julieholden7343]

Fraud comes to mind on a massive scale.

[@robfarquhar7780]

My son worked in civil engineering when the contract for the Holyrood Parliament building was awarded at a cost of £40m that became £400m he said at the time all contractors knew it would be an open cheque book for whoever won it

[@simonjones2240]

A bit like HS2 !

[@kethughes8266]

@@simonjones2240 Same old s**t from a different orifice so much for independence being an improvement.

[@richardjamesdigance3838]

On the day that this estimated £40m appeared in that day's Evening Newspaper I had just entered a bus in St Andrew Square to travel home. One of the passengers had just bought a copy and howled with laughter as he read the headline to fellow passengers on the top deck. The at the

[@TheWtfnonamez]

Scotlands self-governance seems like an idealistic dream when you first move up here. But you very quickly find yourself constantly asking "where the hell did all the money go!?" The SNP habitually takes vast chunks of money from the public purse, spends it on these "super projects", they end up turning into fiascos or completely disappearing, and when the dust settles, all the money has gone. I have witnessed first hand how bureaucratic corruption works in North Africa and the Middle East. Im sorry to say that Scotland operates in the same way. We have plenty of money up here, in fact per head we get more than England, yet somehow they can barely manage to empty the bins twice a month, public transport is a fiasco, and hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer money quietly vanishes every year. There is a reason that multiple members of the SNP are under investigation for fraud and theft. There is a reason why multiple parliamentary investigations into Scotlands finances are underway There is a reason why we have more funding but less services The public purse is treated like the slush fund for the Scottish elite. This is why Hamza Yousif can immediately pledge £5 million of cash for Gaza/Hamas, and offer to open the doors to radicalised Gaza refugees, but so far hasnt provided ANY concrete help to the hundreds of Scots made homeless by storm Babet, Scots who were made homeless after the council spent £16 million on a small section of flood defence, which immediately FAILED the first time there was an actual flood. How the hell do you spend sixteen million quid on 300 yard section of wall that doesnt stop flooding? Sorry to say but a Police force from Wales or England needs to come up here and do a wholescale forensic audit on public spending.

[@susanmills4843]

I’m Scottish and I agree.

[@alanblissett9834]

On camper vans

[@Mr_G_in_Alba]

£600m all encompassing, non retractable govt guarantee waiting to be claimed by Gupta when the global economy goes into meltdown too

[@freeforester1717]

The Scottish consulates abroad serve no other function but to launder monies that should better be invested in Scotland, at home.

[@derekedgley5074]

I endorse completely your comments, having worked and operated my previous company both in Africa and the Middle East and as an elder Scottish person simply disgusted by the self serving SNP, whose reign like Johnson’s, has nearly brought the respective countries down. In regard to the ideological greens with nary a care or heed for the welfare of the Scottish electorate, one has to question why this fiasco is being tolerated but the epitome of all of this is clearly demonstrated when Scottish people vote against a Christian person for first minister, instead choosing an already three times failed candidate whose beliefs are diametrically opposite those of Christians and whose religion perpetrates daily the most bestial of crimes against fellow humans particularly female.

[@charleslouden6600]

Corrupt to the core.

[@Crusader804]

Crooks, charlatans and incompetence have created these 2 monstrosities that in my opinion will never pass sea trials.💩💩🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@lee4171]

Utterly disgraceful eh? Imagine if the common person had wasted/robbed this much from the government.

[@Crusader804]

@@lee4171 This is taxpayers money, every penny contributed by the electorate. If it were a business, they would be bankrupt and under investigation. Instead they shove two fingers up to the hardworking taxpayer.

[@gmchuge__7098]

With the way they just talk on and on, I honestly can’t tell if it’s corruption or just good old-fashioned stupidity. Corruption should be stopped at every opportunity but I’m afraid these people are just simply morons.

[@vincescotian8083]

@@lee4171 You are right far easier for Lords and tory Party sponsor's to get ten's of £Millions in contracts than any Member of the Public or devolved administration.

[@NorthDevon-d5y]

Astonishing….. you’d think this gross mismanagement would have had people sacked, arrested, jailed or something to address this. The figures are vast and still it goes on…..in the meantime , 2 vital ferries are not operational and aren’t likely to be anytime soon….

[@needmooregarage]

Sad to hear that it's not just our government that's wildly corrupt and untouchable

[@klackon1]

You are overlooking the fact that the SNP are (ir)responsible for the fiasco. When has anyone in the SNP ever taken the blame/responsibility for any of their disasters. They always blame Westminster/the English: and their legions of supporters fall for it everytime. You get what you vote for.

[@paparobbo62]

What 'vital' services have been affected? None. Calmac operates far better than you would experience elsewhere in the world and at a far cheaper cost to users.

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

​​​​@@paparobbo62 😂😂😂😂 Was in South Uist on holiday this year, go ask some of the folk there! Or Arran or Mull!! 🤡🤡🤡

[@sprinter1832]

@@paparobbo62 Hahahahahahahahahahahaha of course it does! 🤣😂🙂🙃😆

[@johnallen7807]

Always amazes me how these public contracts are won on a price which is then totally ignored when it is delivered. Cost overruns should be the contractors prodlem, design changes are the clients.

[@defendermodsandtravels]

This is an utter disgrace and total scandal. I spent my working career designing and building offshore platforms for the oil industry (many in the North Sea). The vast majority came in within 2-10% of the tendered price (there were always a few Variations to Contract), and with one exception the worst overrun was 3 days because of the total commitment to the first oil date. This contract needs to be referred to the Scottish police for potential fraud. It is simply impossible to run a yard as incompetently as this unless there are other forces at work.

[@charleslouden6600]

And then the contract goes to the highest bidder.

[@johnallen7807]

You could buy an awful lot of camper vans with that kind of money!@@charleslouden6600

[@shadowdugify]

@@charleslouden6600 no he is saying it should be they do it to this price and then if they fail to deliver on price, they cough up the difference

[@natkingcol909]

There have been strict laws in place for decades to stop this type of thing. There should be some jail time for the people who signed this off...

[@needmooregarage]

Politicians don't care how expensive it is. It's not their money. Politicians have never been accused of of being shrewd businessmen.

[@mlang20]

or good ones

[@dad7720]

That's why they're politicians. Not bright enough to get a job anywhere else.

[@bsimpson6204]

Politicians arn't good for anything but talking and arguing

[@FM-ou1wu]

It's either gross incompetence or rampant corruption, every large project the Scottish government has undertaken has ended the same way

[@paulparkinson7118]

Both!

[@frankparsons1629]

In fact, BOTH!

[@Mr4fksake]

No different in Britain with all government projects, vast over spend from original pricing, fiddles going to friends and families etc

[@drh6808]

I seem to remember the Scottish Parliament building was going to cost £40million to build but when finished it had cost £400 MILLION !

[@susanmills4843]

That was under a labour government in Scotland. Only wanted the best of fittings and to hell with the cost.

[@stever7667]

​@@susanmills4843and if the SNP government were in charge at the time it would have been built on time and within budget.....😂

[@KnitzyKitzy]

@@susanmills4843It was wasn’t just Donald alone. The inquiry found civil servants and the ministers in charge hid the rising costs and this is exactly what always happens in Scotland. Mates get money and the true figures are hidden from the public whilst we pay. There needs to be no secrecy when the public pays. The yards books need to be publicly available if it uses public money. I want forensic accounting as to where it has all gone and if we can claw it back in anyway.

[@sprinter1832]

@@stever7667 Hahahahahahahahahaha!of course it would!😂🤣😅🙂😆🙃 and then you woke up!

[@peterlinfield8707]

That is correct the Final Bill for Holyrood was £414 million.

[@edwardwest5035]

We have an enormous brand new ferry in the Isle of Man, The Manxman and it cost us £75 million.

[@paulmidsussex3409]

They got a ferry and they only have one island.

[@MrSCOTTtheSCOT]

If the SNP want a rubber duck for their bath i can sell them a part used rubber duck for £50 million, absolute bargain

[@drh6808]

I'll take two.

[@vincescotian8083]

Does the Duck contain VIP PPE CE certified components that can be used at a cost of over £11.8B from the CIP PPE storage facility in Somerset? Unlike your brain is your part used duck fully sanitised?

[@allandickman774]

​@@vincescotian8083just go to turkey 😂😂😂😂😂

[@vincescotian8083]

@@allandickman774 Do they do High Speed Solutions also? Though Scot Govt have now a €700m+ contract with Turkey for at least 4 more new fully sanitised ferries. Now all can read in all the right wing propaganda comic rags how the Scot Govt are letting the people of Scotland down by not building new ferries in Scotland.

[@BigGoucho]

​@@vincescotian8083logical fallacy. Wrongdoing in one place doesn't forgive or negate it in another.

[@caberfeigh396]

The capital value of the asset depreciates annually, therefor their book value is substantially less than £70 million.

[@davehowe3900]

Should have done what the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company did and go abroad. The new ferry called 'Manxman' was delivered on time and within budget this year.

[@douglastodd1947]

@davehowe3900 SNP were too busy lining their pockets .

[@jamiehughes5751]

Yeah that's south Korea for you

[@Mr_G_in_Alba]

The SNP received several foreign tender bids, but wanted a 100% Scottish national pride project. FM were awarded the contract based on criteria that wasn't even included in the tender specifications....... which makes one wonder if the tender process was even legal in the eyes of European public procurement legislation.... and why the EU havent held their own inquiry into why it was awarded to FM

[@pilkipilki4472]

everyone knows Scottish ship building is the best pity the ferry cannot fit in the harbour

[@tonycollins7965]

Manxman cannot cope in high winds so they have to use the old one.

[@johnbruce9272]

Can they really be this incompetent or is this the usual public sector filling their boots???

[@andyt3304]

Correct on both counts

[@simonjones2240]

The level of incompetence in the public sector in Scotland had to be seen to be believed!

[@darynsax]

Some back handers gone out by the looks of things. Why would someone go with the highest bidder it just doesn't make sense, looks pretty obvious to me why this was accepted what do you think.

[@palemale2501]

Scunnersome facts. £210 million wasted ? Scottish government and the shipyard, hold your heads in shame.

[@jesusisking3974]

An itemised Intinary should also be available so Government and Citizens can see where every penny has gone on. WHERE IS THE ITINERARY ? Ship building in many ports in Britain would have known the estimated price for building a Boat of Specification in 2023. Also its never taken any British Ship Building Yard 9 years to build a large ship...ever !

[@emilyrobinson3452]

Sturgeon should be there to take the blame

[@thepuddlejumper500]

This contract should have been stopped long ago. Buying things twice? ffs. Didn’t they put engineering plant in the wrong place and then had to scrap cabling. That was a contractor’s fault so why did the contractor get paid for this and other mistakes.

[@ashleymoore9063]

260 million extra paid over the top . Only in Scotland

[@jazztheglass6139]

Didn't the new Scottish parliament have a runaway overspend ? They had a stunning heritage building they decided they not use, so built a brand new ohe

[@fus149hammer5]

Westminster can give them a good run for our money what about HS2?

[@andrewmorton2430]

@@jazztheglass6139 Correct. The budget to build that carbuncle at Holyrood was £40million. They spent £400million.

[@matchit100]

16 knots service speed is a joke at this price it should break the Blue Ribbon if it ever sails.

[@davidhardaker192]

​@@jazztheglass6139they needed that to be able to showcase their incompetence

[@johncrawford8214]

Someone is rich

[@jamesfindlay7186]

HE HAD A CHEEK TO USE INFLATION AS A REASON FOR THE OVERSPEND AND NOT SNP INCOMPETENCE

[@daffytree2605]

You have to admit it's a new angle,it's normally Westminster, brexit, unionist.

[@jamesfindlay7186]

@@daffytree2605 YOUR RIGHT IM SURPRISED THAT HE NEVER BLAMED ANYONE SOUTH OF THE BORDER

[@MephitisUK]

Same thing happened with the building of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, estimated build cost was £10-40 million, actual build cost was in excess of 400 million.

[@franciscruickshank8794]

THAT WAS THE RED TORIES WHO WERE IN CHARGE!

[@awalk5177]

Can anyone imagine this kind of mismanagement in the private sector? This is just a waste of about 150 million of tax payers money with nothing to show for it. So where exactly has the 150 million or so gone to ? Or did it just vaporise ?

[@101wildgoose]

It's at least £200million wasted and counting. Some think the real figure is closer to £400million over budget. Disgusting!

[@SimonWeston-en6sk]

Apparently Nicola Sturgeon has just passed her driving test. I'd check her drive for a Lambo as her first car if I was local.

[@stuartX11]

@simon I heard she had a one of a kind Rolls-Royce Platinum Thistle on order. None of the Silver tat which is for the likes of the peasantry.

[@SimonWeston-en6sk]

@@stuartX11 100% agree!!!

[@tomsteedman1882]

A private company would be bankrupt in no time and subject to a full criminal and financial investigation.

[@leongrigson7390]

Full investigation needed. With government accountants. And who brought the or claimed the non use items.

[@vincescotian8083]

UK 'government accountants' perhaps you should place more trust in the Mafia or Putin's Oligarchs in Lonodongrad.

[@stewartwallwork6505]

Sturgeons premature launch cost plentyand caused even more delays.

[@georgemorrison9280]

A public inquiry and then a criminal investigation . Surely no-one can be incompetent to the tune of £200 million . Someone is lying .

[@needmooregarage]

Yep skimming off the top for themselves and their cronies

[@101wildgoose]

Aparently a rival yard in the bidding process had their bid copied and sent to Ferguson. They realised when they saw the Ferguson bid matched theirs down to the same spelling errors. Someone got a payday, so corrupt.

[@petergordon4525]

The bidding price was done 9 years ago?? And still not close to completion ffs!

[@seeker1432]

So much corruption. How can it not be.

[@franciscruickshank8794]

YES ITS ALL COMING OUT NOW BARONESS MICHELLE MONE+HUS. PPE £65MILLION AND MORE BEING FOUND , DONT KNOW HOW ENGLAND CAN AFFORDTHIS !😎😎

[@keithrobinson7201]

The attitude is "Its only taxpayers momey" and our 'kickback' is a perk of the job!

[@sunnybnk]

Must have asked advice from Diane Abbott.

[@robertsmith9810]

I think Angela Rayner lol

[@fus149hammer5]

And David Lammy.😂

[@unclem7816]

VOTE THEM OUT.

[@specialse]

Its going to take years to sort out the party mess...... got to start some where :/ this particular catastrophe is almost unbelievable. what on earth did they think they were doing !!!!

[@jim.stewart5454]

They don't think. That's the problem.

[@chuckoster8221]

Can you imagine the state Scotland would be in if they were on their own.Course,it’s a case of plenty more cash where that came from,the good old British tax payer.

[@lee4171]

Watch this space if they ever get independence. They will be on their arse within 6 months.

[@therealunclevanya]

English tax payer

[@cooperization]

Utterly shameful and a level of incompetency that makes you pray that this SNP never achieves it's only GOAL.

[@mobilehalibut]

The casual attitude to vast amounts of public money is staggering

[@boomer.65]

I can see why she's done a runner now! Yet again she will be asked, Wheres the money ?

[@fus149hammer5]

The SNP seem to be stricken with the typical politicians disease namely selective amnesia.

[@oddborgm6339]

Don't worry, Hamza is going to import as many Palestinians as he can, that'll help...

[@davidhardaker192]

But are they shipbuilders?

[@Mr_G_in_Alba]

@@davidhardaker192 Unfortunately not, Im not sure what were supposed to do with this influx of Doctors, Engineers, Dentists and Nurses.

[@golach420]

SNP OUT!!!

[@michaelbrodie931]

I went to the SNP ferry office to ask for a ticket for the new Scottish ferries maiden voyage, the lady at the counter said it would be 10 years before it’s ready, I said could I have a ticket for the morning voyage and she said what difference does it make it’s 10 years from now, I said I have a doctors appointment in the afternoon. 🤣

[@fus149hammer5]

Heard that one about a Moscow resident wanting to buy a new car and when the salesman stated ten years and the man asked for am or pm he explained that he was having a plumber in that day to fix a leak! The old ones are the 👌

[@franciscruickshank8794]

SOUNDS LIKE YOU GOT THAT SCRIPT FROM MURDOCH SUN 😎

[@gordonbaillie2979]

We are sailing we are sailing no bloody where

[@eamonfire]

One of the first hurdles for this was that the successful shipyard had a financial guarantee to cover future problems. Ferguson never had this. Everyone knew this. Should never have been in the game. Unbelievable.

[@jimrichards3916]

The people of Scotland voted the SNP in. Remember the old saying. " Be careful what you wish for " This was what you got!

[@angiemccorry683]

This is corruption ,those who caused it must be held accountable

[@harrywood6150]

What's the point in this inquiry if nothing is ever done. All Questions No real answers

[@jennybaboolal4777]

Arran folk just wanted a reliable ferry, not these huge hulks susceptible to winds. And don't start me on the new building and walkway The new position has caused further problems as now vulnerable to easterly winds - a problem we didnt have before .

[@ericlackford6718]

Who has the money? Total incompetency, there is no excuse for this bottomless pit.

[@edwardoleyba3075]

The bottomless pit resides in a nice villa in Portugal 😉

[@kevinrowan1316]

All the people involved with this should be jailed ie snp and wee sturgeon

[@darrellholland1523]

Money grows on trees in Scotland! Whole of the Scottish Government is in La La land!

[@skycanecorsa100percentpure5]

corruption sounds the norm with taxpayers money

[@dfgiuy22]

Mr tydeman (yes no capital on his surname for good reason), seems to have not been able to flow with the tide on this one! Well done old chap! embarrassing yourself on this is welll done for the paycheck! Good on you son! Well done! You got yours! Cheerio now, off with ya!

[@mattking9769]

i thought a quote for any job, included, materials, and labour!!!! oh im sorry forgot about the cream for the FATCATS!!!

[@jesusisking3974]

You make sure that any company knows your budget and knows it can't go over that. If they can't sign a contract agreeing to finish a Boat for said budget then you find someone who can...even if it means from overseas workforce of boat builders. Seems like corruption here at a big level. They can't all be stupid in calculations or understanding of boat constructions. One price...One ship...One Contract....end of !!

[@Bd-ox4mi]

There was some dodgy deals done here for sure 👆envelopes galore

[@andyirwin3426]

ARREST krankie swinney etc for pure incompatince also stop there pensions which they definitely don't deserve

[@101wildgoose]

incompetence* their*

[@Siege69m]

Next time, they'll just go abroad for them, and yet more shipbuilding skills will be lost forever

[@davidbarnard1126]

Now add in all the other money that seems to have gone missing. The £33M for the farmers. Oh and don't forget the RV. . .

[@neilwhittaker8021]

And the SNP wants independence. Can't even get a ship right with all our money, not there's.

[@SimonWeston-en6sk]

Why is it that only politicians get away with this level of corruption? What happened to them working for the people?

[@brianlopez8855]

A whole country "run" by overpromoted county councillors

[@malcolmpotter]

SNP Inept and Corrupt through and through :(

[@caterthun4853]

Sad days for the Clyde that was once proud of its shipbuilding skills.

[@caterthun4853]

Can blame the politicians that's not entirely the problem. Anyone in Scotland would have believed it a good idea to give the work to a UK shipbuilder.. Unfortunately this has put the last nail in the coffin of Clyde shipbuilding. Who would place an order there again

[@Dave7heRave]

The shipyards up the clyde in Govan are doing well. Just this one ship builder (and the SNP) that can't seem to get it right...

[@helenmcgee637]

​@@caterthun4853shipbuilding on the Clyde is doing just fine ,if you're referring to Ferguson marine as shipbuilders that's a bit of a stretch...they didn't have the skills to build a ferry ,another one of Nicola sturgeons vanity projects ,so politians are entirely to blame..

[@markhorton8578]

They are now world class in their tax syphoning skills.

[@davidhardaker192]

Some people did alright out of this, just not the Scottish people.

[@DH.2016]

The amount of money this government has squandered is staggering. No wonder their Party finances were in such a mess.

[@ChrisCarson]

How much has Nicola Sturgeon now got stashed away?

[@matsavage66]

So India can get to the moon for less than £70m, but the SNP can't get a ferry from the mainland to a Scottish island for £400m

[@helenfay8179]

Its great Nicola had passed her driving test, yipee camper van here I come.

[@fus149hammer5]

Good job she never learned earlier she could really have driven Scotland off a cliff. She had to learn to drive she's probably lost her full time chauffeur now.

[@johnmccarron]

Get rid of self Governing, nothing like putting money in the pockets of politicians, sick of this stealing of UK cash.

[@fus149hammer5]

How easy it is to to lavish with other peoples money.

[@davy2365]

you would think these supposedly intelligent people would have, at some time in their life, heard of penalty clauses you know where you protect yourself, or indeed the taxpayer, from losing ridiculous amounts of money by adding a clause in the contract saying 'if you go over the agreed upon budget the extra is on you' but then again maybe they are intelligent and they have stated 'if you go above the agreed upon budget the rest goes in my bank account.'

[@neilsmith8327]

Why build 2 when you can have 2 for double the price Only in the UK

[@101wildgoose]

It'll be nearer 4 times the price when done.

[@neilsmith8327]

@@101wildgoose we had a local short inner road bypass about 1 1/2 Miles that went 11 million over budget an tax payers picked up the bill , even when it was down to poor contactors and that was about 25 years ago

[@simonbird1973]

The Union is in safe hands under the SNP, no chance of independence under their leadership! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@franciscruickshank8794]

WELL THATS ACCORDING TO THE MURDOCH SUN . AND MORONS WHO READ IT !😎😎

[@JohnMackenzieInverness]

We could have had 5 ferries if wee Nicola had had them built in Poland, but hey at least there has been work in her constituency.

[@vincescotian8083]

Poland will receive €512 million from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027

[@paulhammond6701]

I don’t really know of this story but what really gets me in general the way all these men all causal like say 50 million, 100 millions , 75 million like they just talking about putting 20£ in each on a shared takeaway ,,,,,, so flippantly wasting public money

[@ricardosmythe2548]

Every public sector contract has a similar value factor for taxpayers. Backhanders and profit divergence has to be factored in 😂

[@flabbybum9562]

So, we paid £175m for ferries worth £75m??? Why is it that so much of the most calamitous bungling across different departments, occurred when Youseless Humza was the minister in charge, or later took a personal hand in matters as First Minister?

[@jeremypritchard9058]

Wow just wow This is what you get when you vote a party that had only one purpose

[@ziggyironic]

What a total waste of tens of millions of our money.

[@halfabee]

It is English taxpayer money as England subsidies Scotland. Why are they allowed access to English taxpayers money.

[@DessieTots]

Should have got these ferries built in South Korea. They would have been sailing back and forth now for several months already. The idea of keeping employment in Scotland, “the workshop of the world” is great but not at these prices.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

The sweaties are are drugs!

[@maxinesfeathers]

An this is a country that wants independence ! almost as much as a disaster as the cost of building the Scottish parliament !

[@Bd-ox4mi]

It’s how they siphon our taxes ..

[@andreweveritt3829]

Wow...what a waste of OUR money!

[@kevinmartin3859]

And this yard could be work for the MOD i hope not

[@650Max]

If the ferries are ever completed, what then for Ferguson Marine. It's not like anyone is ever going to commission anything off them, ever.

[@michaelrck]

Were the cables and pipes made of solid gold?

[@coa1148]

As a scot, we need these school teachers to be held accountable, The SNP could not run a bath.

[@philmulrooney7020]

Scottish Independence=zero accountability

[@weepair2]

They'd have been cheaper building bridges. It's a farce.

[@monticlassictv]

The very fact that no penalty clauses were not written into the initial contracts stinks of backhanders going to influential people this is a Scottish disgrace for all of its people.

[@stevvieb]

Whats the point of this if they don't then get back the extra £260 million. It's all pointless and yet another waste of tax payers money on the audit/committee

[@captainplatinum]

Investigation , audit trail … jail

[@daved4547]

No doubt a good £200 million will have gone to big brown envelopes and dividends so they are happy

[@palemale2501]

Normally Scottish government major projects run at 3 or 4 times estimate -Trams, Parliament. etc But this one is only 2 1/2 times estimate, so these clowns have actually saved us money lol.

[@bcap5311]

Wow that extra money could have bought a lot of camper vans for the community. 🤔

[@-DC-]

Did anyone expect anything different from the SNP 🤣 , You get the Government you deserve.

[@andrewmcwatt7025]

Incredibly sad that Scotland cannot build a ferry. Probably one of the simplest ships to deliver. What does that say about our Scottish education and training systems. There are dual fuel marine engines that can be purchased off the shelf. Why should this project be difficult? Even worse, why was there no due diligence done before the SG took over the yard??

[@Mr_G_in_Alba]

The contract was awarded on a "cost be damned" basis, it was meant to be a Scottish flagship project of pride from start to finish. Its puzzling to me that the EU didnt get involved in this mess before now, as it somewhat obvious there were dodgy dealings going on with regards the tender, the tendering process, and the tender award. We're £260m out of pocket up to date, still have no ferries, the projects may never float or provide any kind of service for the price........ and that number doesnt include costs to date, nor future costs of the enquiry needed to sift through the obvious incompetence of the Scottish govt. The only way things can get worse, is if the pending and predicted economic crash actually happens in 2024, and we also have to pay out on Sturgeons £600m non retractable guarantee to Gupta......... another incompetent dodgy deal by the SNP

[@vincescotian8083]

The Gupta deal was money well spent Aluminium prices are massively more and the Fort William project is a success. Sunak's Wife's family don't do business with Gupta they are far from being on the same page. This in part is why Cameron never managed to convince Sunak to use public money to bail out Greensill as with the Gupta association Sunak just put the drawbridge up. Not that they wanted that much public funding, yet Cameron managed to extract £10m 'commission' before Greensill collapsed (Credit Suisse ring any bells?). Yet even now Sunak agreed a £620M package for Gupta and British steel that will not only reduce jobs by 2,000 but also steel production - go with the Scot Govt aluminium agreement it safeguarded Job's, Production and down stream energy production. Maybe Sunak just could not be bothered with Gupta and finding a path to greasing his own families holdings.

[@Mr_G_in_Alba]

@@vincescotian8083 Success by what criteria? How many jobs has the sale created locally? and at what cost/risk? £5m pr head? How much did the plant lose last year , seem to recall it being somewhere around £5m? Did he ever pay back the loan he received from the Scottish taxpayer to buy the steel mills..... or did that too get swept under the carpet in the financial choas of bankruptsy and dodgy goings on?

[@vincescotian8083]

@@Mr_G_in_Alba Fort William is home to the last remaining Aluminium smelter in the UK, it has an integrated hydro power supply. It is not a steel smelter. The Steel smelters have just been bailed out by Sunak at a cost of £620B these are not in Scotland.

[@Mr_G_in_Alba]

@@vincescotian8083 making it the last one in Scotland, or even the UK, is nostalgic, but the bottom line is, is it profitable as yoy claim? Is it sustainable as is claimed, does it contribute locally as anticipated and promised..... And does that combo justify the risk profile undertaken by Scottish taxpayer's? Gupta also bought/took over two steel works in Scotland too didn't he? ..... Financed by Scottish purse to about 17, maybe 70 mill quid if memory serves right......... Not forgetting, SNP gaurantee is transferrable between business units isn't it, although non retractable from the govt side..... At least, not for the next 20 odd years