Opposition calls for ex-minister Derek Mackay to answer questions on ferry deal

Opposition parties are demanding former finance secretary Derek Mackay and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon appear before a Holyrood committee to answer more questions about their “major mismanagement” of a ferry contract.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all called for Mr Mackay, who quit the Scottish Government in disgrace more than two years ago, to come to the Scottish Parliament to give evidence over his decision to award the contract for two lifeline CalMac ferries to the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow.

Mr Mackay, in a previous post as transport minister, decided to contract the work to the Clyde yard, despite concerns being raised.

Ordered in 2015 the vessels, the Glen Sannox and the other vessel – only known as  hull 802  – were due to be ready in 2018.

But an Audit Scotland report, which set out a “a multitude of failings” in their delivery, said they will not now enter service until 2023 at the earliest at a cost of at least £240 million –  two-and-a-half times their original price tag.

Pressed on the decision at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon was clear that while Mr Mackay, who resigned from the Government after it emerged he sent inappropriate social media messages to a schoolboy, signed off the deal, as head of the Scottish Government she was ultimately responsible.

“The buck stops with me,” she told MSPs.

In the wake of that, Labour transport spokesman, Neil Bibby, said: “Nicola Sturgeon and Derek Mackay must come before the Public Audit Committee to explain their roles in this sorry affair and shed some much needed light on how we got here.”

He has written to committee convener, Richard Leonard, demanding Ms Sturgeon and her former minister give evidence.

In the letter, Mr Bibby said: “I believe it is imperative now that Nicola Sturgeon and Derek Mackay are called to give evidence at the Public Audit Committee and be held to account for the decisions the Government made and their major mismanagement of public funds.”

Calls for Mr Mackay, who has not been seen in Holyrood since he quite the Government in February 2020, to be brought back to give evidence were echoed by Tories and the Liberal Democrats.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman, Graham Simpson, said: “It’s high time that Derek Mackay came to Parliament and explained his key role in the ferry fiasco after more than two years of silence.”

The Tory MSP added: “Astonishing amounts of public money have been squandered by the SNP on this, and Scotland’s island communities deserve an explanation for the interminable delay in the completion of these two lifeline ferries.”

However, Mr Simpson was also clear that “the First Minister and the rest of her cabinet at the time can’t escape accountability either” as he said there needed to be a full, independent public inquiry into “this ever-growing scandal”.

Liberal Democrat economy spokesman, Willie Rennie, meanwhile, stated: “If we are to take the First Minister at her word, it was Derek Mackay and Derek Mackay alone who signed off on deals which are set to cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions more than originally scheduled.

“It is awfully convenient for Nicola Sturgeon that the latest scandal threatening to beset her government can be neatly blamed on someone who has since departed politics.

“Derek Mackay should appear before Parliament to give his side of the story and confirm whether it is true that the First Minister and the rest of her cabinet had no input into the decision to take over Ferguson Marine.

“Island communities have been let down and deserve answers.”