Campaigners including community, civic and religious leaders and politicians from three parties have written to Scotland’s First Minister calling for the replacement ferry for CalMac’s MV Lord of the Isles to be directly awarded to the nationalised Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow.
The open letter, drawn up by the GMB union and sent to John Swinney, urges the Scottish government to guarantee the contract for the vessel known as Loti to Ferguson Marine to help restore the yard’s reputation after a decade of controversy over delayed and over‑budget ships. Transport Scotland said any direct award would have to comply with public procurement and subsidy control rules and be capable of withstanding legal challenge.
Ferguson Marine was nationalised by the Scottish government after problems building two larger ferries, MV Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, that were beset by schedule slippages and cost overruns. Campaigners say the workers are not to blame for those problems and note the replacement Lord of the Isles will be smaller and less complex than the dual‑fuel ships that triggered the controversy. The proposed new vessel is intended to operate the Lochboisdale to Mallaig route.
Louise Gilmour, general secretary of GMB Scotland, questioned past government insistence that competition rules prevented direct awards. "These contracts cannot be decided on price alone when foreign bids are underpinned by low wages and tax breaks," she said in comments circulated with the letter. She added that the social and economic value of Ferguson Marine to Inverclyde "have not been properly valued in previous tenders."
The letter’s signatories include SNP backbencher Stuart McMillan, Labour MP Martin McCluskey, Labour MSPs Neil Bibby and Katy Clark, Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe, leaders of the SNP and Scottish Conservative groups on the council, the Bishop of Paisley John Keenan and the group editor of the Greenock Telegraph, Gillian Murphy.
Ferguson Marine employs about 300 workers and apprentices in an area that campaigners say suffers from high levels of deprivation. They point to a recent loss of around 1,200 jobs in the area over 18 months as several major employers closed or relocated. The yard has built more than 380 ships since 1903, including about a third of the CalMac fleet and many of its largest vessels.
Ferguson missed out in March on a separate contract to build seven small electric ferries for CalMac, a tender won by Poland’s Remontowa after undercutting the Scottish yard on price. Ferguson’s bid reportedly scored well on quality. The Scottish government said the yard has since secured some subcontracting work on Royal Navy frigates being built in Glasgow but has no confirmed new shipbuilding orders once Glen Rosa is completed next year.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said shipbuilding is a competitive global market and that ministers consider vessel contracts "on a case‑by‑case basis" while ensuring any route to market is lawful and able to withstand legal challenge. "Under public procurement and subsidy control rules, direct award of public contracts is only possible in strictly limited circumstances," the spokesperson said. Officials added that the business case and next steps for the replacement for MV Lord of the Isles were being considered and would be confirmed in due course.
Campaigners argue a direct award would provide a pipeline of work that could help preserve local skills and jobs and allow the yard to win future contracts. Government officials and procurement experts say that, while community benefits are considered, any decision must comply with statutory procurement and subsidy rules to avoid legal risk.