Tuesday 5 November 2024
 10.1°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Election letters 2019 / Where does Wills stand on ferry nationalisation?

It’s been interesting to read SNP candidate Tom Wills’ recent comments on Shetland’s transport requirements.

Shetlanders will be well aware that, come election time, the SNP are happy to casually throw about promises on funding and improvements. But, when the election’s over, promises are often left undelivered.

But that’s an issue for another day. What I would like to know is, with the decision of who gets the contract to run our lifeline links with the south delayed because of the by-election, whether or not Mr Wills believes these routes should be brought in-house by the Scottish Government?

There’s little doubt that Mr Wills’ colleagues in Edinburgh would like to see the Northern Isles’ routes nationalised, with CalMac their operator of choice. The previous transport secretary Humza Yousaf, on one of his high profile/low content day visits to the islands, made that very clear. And, of course, the boats have already been bought by the taxpayer.

That’s a prospect which I know concerns a lot of local people and businesses in Shetland, who are aware of issues with CalMac’s delivery of services in the west, as well as the SNP’s record of state ownership of parts of our transport infrastructure. HIAL’s recent issue with parking charges, delays or cancellations caused by strikes, and plans to centralise air traffic control are just a few examples.

So can Tom Wills tell us, does he support his party’s plans to nationalise the Northern Isles ferry routes? And would he be happy to see CalMac in charge of providing Shetland’s vital passenger and freight links with the south?

Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.