Have I read the full article in the Herald’s Scottish Ferries newsletter?
Don’t be daft. I have a life….well sort of.
I think these explain:
Who is responsible for maritime policy in the UK?
Reserved powers
In general, civilian maritime transport policy is reserved to the UK Parliament, and is managed by the UK Government where there is a need for consistent provision across the UK. UK-wide maritime transport policy is managed by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The main legislation which provides for UK shipping, including ship registration, safety, pollution and liability applies UK-wide, along with the relevant provisions relating to navigation (lighthouses), salvage and wrecks, and security. These incorporate international commitments entered into by the UK Government for the whole of the United Kingdom.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9576/
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
The Herald prime editorial ‘value’ – never let the truth spoil an attack on the Scottish Government.
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How is this ”journalist” , Martin Williams , able to acquire a job as Senior Reporter on a quality newspaper ( stop sniggering at the back ! ) when he apparently has no understanding of Devolved Transport issues .
Does he really believe that the Scottish Government has responsibility for ”International Ferries ” – or is he fulfilling his role as a purveyor of propaganda for his unionist bosses ?
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“or is he fulfilling his role as a purveyor of propaganda for his unionist bosses” ?
Well he is most certainly NOT fulfilling his role as a journalist…..that’s for sure…..but then who is within the media…….especially when they cover Scottish politics……as that is when it becomes so very obvious how willing they are to be tainted and corrupted in their taking an obvious partisan position as opposed to producing an objective and honest report of the facts and truth.
The so called Freedom of the press….some freedom when those journalists who work for that same press and yet who are seemingly more than willing to be compromised and restricted by the political preference of those who own their respective newspapers so where and how is it in any way a freedom ……..but then, if as a journalist, you know that full well then you too are part of the problem.
I mean if Jackie Baillie is so incensed by ‘Gutter politics’ perhaps she could concentrate more of her focus upon the media ,who as a media , indulge very much as ones who form a collective ‘Gutter press’ output in their coverage…..or she could just continue to ignore that aspect of ‘UK life’ that exists as she and her colleagues pander to that same media to get ‘good publicity’ and also many a time when they, Labour, as a party are overlooked by that same media via the many obvious negatives aspects associated with them as a party and too the mixed messaging that exists between them as a branch office and their HQ that are blatantly obvious to all BUT the media it appears.
Also is it right or indeed fair for the press to include so very very many subjective and biased opinion pieces from individuals whose obvious hatred of the SNP and too who are very much against independence is in any way appropriate or balanced to include as part of their newspapers…..these contributors (guest columnists who are not journalists but whose purpose is to agitate politically against the SNP) who we know to be affiliated with OTHER political parties are given a weekly column to spout a succession of #SNPBAD yet who are silent upon their own preferred political party and their many flaws and failures…..which pretty much equates to propaganda as opposed to a worthy edition to any ‘newspaper’……so they together with the overall theme of that particular newspaper does little to uphold any real freedom of the press more really that those journalists are chained to the political party preference of those who OWN that respective newspaper that dictates what will be their collective message via their daily output………and thus ones that are best disregarded as truthful but also called out for their lack of honest reporting…..whatever happened to good journalists like John Pilger …..what indeed…..a dying breed in today’s media that’s for sure…..but we do have people like John Robertson and THIS site so not all is lost we just need to tell MORE people about it’s existence……
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Ok, John, point taken. Trying to pin responsibility for the lack of direct travel between Scotland and the continent on the SG is both wrong and politically inspired. BUT, the headline still has merit – our government cannot fail. Where is the motivation for the WM gang to ensure Scotland can interact on its own with people in Europe. Goodness they might start to think that we are independent.
More seriously, if you want to fly to the continent, there are destinations, but too too often you have to via London – even Schipol is becoming a hub for Scottish flights. Seriously, one of the cheapest ways of flying to Cork is via Schipol!
But by sea, there is a dearth of departure points. Very much production from Scotland is going to the continent having been trucked down to somewhere like Dover or ports in the south east. About as far north as you’ll find regular ferries to a range of destinations on the continent is Newcastle. Thus if you want to export by sea you can only do this via England. Likewise if you want to sell sustainable electricity to the continent, the furthest north connector you can use is near Middlesborough. We are in effect being held prisoner. We can only trade and travel via England. This simply has to be addressed, and as the Herald headline reads for all the wrong reasons, the Scottish government cannot fail, for if it does it will restrict us even once we are independent.
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I was about to make much the same observations…
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The ‘article’ by Martin Williams https://archive.ph/zVhFE is in essence ghosting for Kenny McAskill’s kite-flying.
Kenny’s hypocrisy shines through none the less – Note that ALL of routes in his first statement are in the EU – “Meanwhile, there are 10 ferry routes that connect the Republic of Ireland to France, UK, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands”
and yet –
“..the government has a duty to provide funds to support a route that previously would have been available to receive aid from Europe”
Eh ? From a government hog-tied financially by Westminster and any such initiative doubtless vetoed by the State of a Secretary for Flounce in Scotland ?
Kenny later opines “… it is “absurd” that former first minister Lord Jack McConnell could bring in an airline route development fund but the Scottish Government will not do likewise with ferries”, neatly skipping past the absurdity that 20 years ago Jack the lad didn’t fund it 20 years ago.
For sure there is much Scotland’s government could do over ferries were they not strangled financially and legally by London greed, but it’s fairly obvious neither Kenny nor Martin see political advantage in accentuating that salient fact.
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The problems for the SG include
1. lack of funding, necessary because
2. there will be shortfalls caused initially by a lack of scale (which the departure points in England will have – ie setting up a port comes with a price tag – better to have 100 departures daily rather than 10) which someone will have to cover. One approach might be a joint venture where providing intitial subsidy buys the govt into the scheme in the future – ie some of the profit and a say in development. This might of course be covered by capital borrowing powers, rather than current revenue
3. ‘enemies at the gate’. Our current Secy of State has already been mentioned, and I have little doubt that is right. While ntransport is devolved, how about “contrary to national transport policy”? It would though smoke them out. But there will be other issues because we are dealing with the private sector and it will be difficult to achieve this without encountering Peel Ports who own half the ports in the UK (maybe more) including Clydeport, but also many in England. How enthusiastic are they going to be to be involved in a project which is aimed at keeping their Scottish users in Scotland so reducing the market in Newcastle, Lowestoft etc.
4. An imaginative, well crafted, comprehensive strategy, properly costed, championed by someone of wide political experience, an effective and popular communicator, capable of flexibility of thought and even thinking on their feet who, we can be confident is there for the whole journey and not just the next stop. Perhaps one of our millionaires – Tom Hunter, Brian Soutar for instance
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O/T, but related. Today on BBC Radio 4’s statistics programme “More or Less”, at 16.30, the last item was on Calmac’s reliability statistics. I couldn’t give it my full attention, but the impression I got was that doubt was being cast on Calmac’s statistics. The South Uist and Campbeltown routes featured, but with no mention of the alternative sailing or land route. (Sorry, I can’t provide a link.)
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