In a challenge not only to Transport Scotland but to Argyll and Bute’s MSP, Scottish Labour’s Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, has written to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman asking for an investigation of Transport Scotland’s tendering and letting of the Northern Isles Ferry contract to Serco.
The Labour MSP’s formal request follows a similar call from Argyll and Bute’s MSP, Michael Russell, making a similar call for an inquiry into Transport Scotland’s role in overseeing the publicly funded ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon.
Richard Baker says: ‘On the basis that Mike Russell believes “there is a need to investigate” claims of alleged negligence and systems failure at Transport Scotland over the Gourock to Dunoon route and that the failings are worthy of reference to the Ombudsman, then he should have no hesitation backing my call for a similar inquiry into the Northlink fiasco.
‘This investigation is now both urgent and justified following the news that the RMT has received majority support from its members to take industrial action over the Christmas period to protect them against compulsory redundancies.
‘The value of the contract for the Northern Isles was many millions more than Gourock to Dunoon, yet Ministers have refused to reveal the process that led to it being awarded to a private company while the CalMac bid – believed to be lower – was rejected.
‘I also want to establish whether the Scottish Government received and suppressed legal advice questioning the legitimacy of the tender process and if the prospect of a legal challenge is connected in any way to the departure of a high-ranking CalMac executive.
‘Ministers have so far refused to be open and reveal what went on despite my freedom of information requests.
‘If Mike Russell is happy to support an investigation into the Gourock to Dunoon ferry tender, he should have no hesitation backing this call as well.’
For Argyll has reason to believe that Transport Scotland’s position on the tendering and award of the Northern Isles Ferry Services is indeed insecure and will not bear genuinely rigorous investigation. We do not know whether the Ombudsman can be relied on to deliver the necessary objective independent scrutiny.
We also have reason to believe that Archie Robertson, CEO for the David MacBrayne group of companies which included the former operator of the Northern Isles services. NorthLink Ferries Limited, felt strongly that his company had not been fairly treated in the tendering process and was set on issuing a legal challenge.
We believe that he was then instructed not to do so by the single owner of the David MacBrayne group of companies, the Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland – which, of course, had let the disputed contract.
Mr Robertson’s angry disaffection led to his being driven from office, interestingly through the public intervention of Mr Russell [given to calling for scalps], in this case linking his action to the service provided by Transport Scotland for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry route.
Mr Baker has now neatly made common cause between the two disputed cases.
The hard wired link between these cases is Archie Robertson [with CalMac and Argyll Ferries also within the David MacBrayne group, of which he was CEO].
Mr Robertson’s evidence to the Ombudsman is potentially interesting.