Ferry money down the drain

PUTTING Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services out to tender cost the Executive £15 million, as a result of the company restructuring and tax liabilities incurred. But as state-owned CalMac was the only bidder, this was money down the proverbial drain. The £15 million might sound tiny in government terms, but it is £3 wasted for every man, woman and child in Scotland.

To make matters worse, the Executive had no overriding need to go to tender. In theory, not tendering might have been in breach of EU competition law. But in practice, Brussels has always been loath to insist on compliance in remote communities, and ...