The SNP Shambles Continues : - the Ferry Scandal and now an Emergency Budget for Scotland !

 THE SNP SHAMBLES CONTINUES :- The Ferry Scandal and Now an Emergency Budget for Scotland

The Ferry Scandal - the story refuses to go away

This is a story that the BM Scotland blog has covered before as an example of SNP government mismanagement and once again the ferries contract saga is back in the news.

We are sure that readers of this blog do not need reminding that although £97 million was awarded to FMEL (Ferguson Marine) in 2015 for the two ferries and the contract is now five years behind on delivery - that is no vessels have yet been completed much less delivered to begin services. Cal Mac are now being told that the two ferries will finally begin services to the Hebrides next year but the final cost to the Scottish tax-payer will be around £240 million.

Unfortunately for First Minister Sturgeon and the SNP clique at Holyrood, the ferries contract was revived last month by a BBC Scotland investigation and as a result of serious allegations disclosed, Holyrood has been forced to ask Transport Scotland and the office of the auditor general to investigate and formally report of the ferry contracts.

The contract in 2015 was awarded to Ferguson Marine under the control of financier Jim McColl, who just happened to be an old political ally of former SNP leader Alex Salmond, and had worked as an adviser on the Scottish economy to Scottish ministers in the past.

Unfortunately the audit committee at Holyrood had to remind Nicola Sturgeon that the contract was awarded to Jim McColl even though he had no experience at all in running a ship yard or marine construction projects.

Notice in all their official responses how the SNP  are never at fault ?

Nicola Sturgeon was asked by a Conservative MSP if the ferry contract had been awarded as a 'jobs for the boys'?   Which was of course met with the kind of outraged denial that is the First Minister's trade mark response to any suggestions of mishandling anything. "I completely and utterly refute that suggestion".

Never forget that Nicola Sturgeon trained to be a lawyer, so she always gives a lawyer's answer.

Meanwhile Holyrood has now announced that there is a need to declare an 'Emergency budget review for Scotland' in light of the increasing financial crisis.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney is talking about making £615 million of cuts to government spending, Some opposition MSP's claim that once cut, some services in Scotland will never see that funding again.

The SNP is keen to scrap council tax in Scotland and to replace it with a range of local taxes, much of it will fall on local authorities and councils to create new local taxes. Exactly how those councils are expected to raise revenue is open to suggestions but given the way the SNP manages the Scottish economy generally it could be chaos.

BRITISH MOVEMENT SCOTLAND - TIME TO DITCH THE SNP