Bonus Bollix Meets Ferries Fiasco

The news that six senior managers received bonuses worth £87,000 shows SNP ministers are not properly overseeing this hugely costly project which is more than 5 years late and likely to cost the public purse around £450 million. 

Scotland's Ghost Ferries - The Saga Continues (March 15, 2023)

Scotland's public spending watchdog delivers a damning verdict on SNP ministers' handling of the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard and building of two 'ghost ferries'. Stephen Boyle, auditor general, said:

“It is deeply concerning that the costs to complete these ferries have continued to escalate, while the island communities these boats are meant to serve remain significantly impacted.

“Despite substantial sums of public money being invested, there is still no certainty over how much the ferries will cost, when they will be ready or whether the shipyard has a viable future."

Astonishingly, big bonuses were paid to senior managers in 2021-22 - despite the project being more than five years late and projected costs rising to around £450 million from the original budget of just £92 million.

Even more astonishingly, no SNP minister or official has been held to account or sacked for their part in this appalling scandal.