Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson MSP said: “A scathing committee verdict on the SNP’s long-running ferries fiasco was inevitable, but this bombshell report shows up a series of failures on an unprecedented scale.
“Worse, it suggests the SNP Government has learnt nothing from them, and is still trying to dodge the consequences. The committee highlights ‘a significant lack of transparency and accountability’ and says that ‘serious allegations about the procurement process’ must be fully investigated.
“They complain that Keith Brown’s lack of co-operation obstructed their scrutiny of this deal and are highly critical that three requests for information had to be made before he gave an answer that cast doubt on previous evidence. They also cast serious doubt on the accuracy of the testimony of disgraced former transport minister Derek Mackay.
“The First Minister is also strongly criticised for having prematurely announced a preferred bidder, and for inadequate record-keeping.
“It beggars belief that, even after this exhaustive attempt to get to the bottom of this murky business, we still do not know who made the final decision to sign off on this deal. But it is clear that a lack of transparency and a rush to make announcements for political purposes compromised the integrity of the procurement process. And that SNP members were still trying to conceal information right up until publication.
“This sorry business is one of the most disastrous and shameful legacies of Nicola Sturgeon’s period as First Minister.
“She should take the publication of this damning report as a final opportunity to apologise to the Scottish taxpayer for the reckless waste and secrecy that has surrounded this fiasco, and most importantly to islanders, who have been betrayed at every turn by her SNP Government, and deprived of a lifeline service.”
