The Herald in the last few hours:
The Scottish Government said a direct award to state-owned CalMac is the preferred option for the next contract over the future of lifeline ferry services. Ministers are to carry out further investigations over whether to give CalMac the contract for the beleaguered west coast ferry services and effectively close the door to opening routes up to private operators.
Who wrote that? Nope, we’re not giving names anymore.
So, beleagured?
98.8% of more than 400 sailings on time yesterday, 97.2% the previous day and 95.4% on average. The most subsidised service in the world. 100% safe. The newest ferries. Most sailings per day often to tiny communities who’d get nothing elsewhere in the world. Subsidised by the rest of us living in less aesthetically pleasing worlds.
Not like New Zealand with two crashes, 10 breakdowns in one year in only 6 boats, one drifting near to rocks, in one year in a ‘failed system.’
Not like Ontario with 2 new ferries not usable 2 years after delivery.
Not like Washington State with 8 out 21 vessels in dock.
Not like British Columbia with low staff morale, unreliable and yet 36% fare hikes compared to 0 in Scotland.
Not like the Channel Island with new ferry pulled after only 3 days.
Not like Northern Ireland’s best ferry company yet less punctual than CalMac.
Not like Malta with only 2 sailings on a route CalMac would do 58 on.
Not like Taipei where captain’s work on till their 80s.
Not like Greece where crew push a drunken late arrival to his death.
Sources for the above at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/page/2/?s=ferr
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
You nailed the English nationalist lies to the mast
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“Who wrote that? Nope, we’re not giving names anymore.” – No need when it was so glaringly obvious from the mere mention of the Herald of Bung Enterprise…… https://archive.ph/3WAXd
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I have a pile of old rope in the back of the garage if Martin Williams is interested.
He can then maybe write a book on how the starving islanders struggled through the long winter nights huddling together on the shore looking for a twinkle of passing ships light in the hope of salvation.
Now that would surely win the Heralds Journalist of the Year award.. 🙂
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I note that BBC Scotland – via the BBC News website – is making its contribution to reporting future plans for delivery of CalMac services: ‘CalMac could win ferries contract without tender’. Readers are provided with an ‘Analysis’ prepared by the Business and Transport Correspondent, Scotland.
The correspondent gets the framing of his input on track from the off, writing: ‘Some will see this move as a reward for failure’.
We’re told that: ‘CalMac has struggled to deliver. Many in our island communities have paid a price for that.’ But in this BBC Scotland ‘Analysis’ there is NO analysis – no performance statistics by route or overall, or by year – and of course, as is typical of BBC Scotland, no comparative analysis with similar ferry services, so no perspective.
The ‘Analysis’ tells us ‘The MV Glen Sannox is the most famous – or infamous – ferry in Scotland, and it’s six years late. Proof, say critics, the ferry system is bust.’ But there is NO analysis to justify the implied direct link between an overdue shipbuilding project and a ‘bust’ ferry SYSTEM. To over-state for effect: is there a similar proven link between multiple problematic procurement contracts and the UK’s defence system?
The ‘Analysis’ goes on: ‘So why does CalMac look set to remain in charge of this key public service? In usual times, the multi-million pound contract would be put out to tender. That way, rivals could bid to run the service.’
The ‘Analysis’ makes reference to the option of a ‘direct award’ and notes that ‘.. some fear it means more of the same – and the crisis continuing’. Despite the BBC article – the part out with the ‘Analysis’ – referring to two trade unions welcoming the prospect of a ‘direct award’, there is no analysis of WHY this is so.
Back in 2016, the BBC News website reported: ‘Caledonian MacBrayne has won a new £900m contract to continue operating the Clyde and Hebrides Ferries Network. State-owned CalMac and private firm Serco Caledonian Ferries Limited had been competing for the contract to run the services.’
Interestingly, the 2016 article also had this: ‘Labour and the Scottish Greens also said Scottish ministers had made the right decision, but LABOUR CONTINUED TO CLAIM THAT THE “COSTLY AND TIME CONSUMING” TENDER PROCESS HAD NOT BEEN NECESSARY.’ (my emphasis)
Today’s ‘Analysis’ by the BBC Scotland correspondent – whilst stating that ‘In usual times, the multi-million pound contract would be put out to tender. That way, rivals could bid to run the service’ – provides no deeper historical perspective. There is zero insight!
Candidly, ‘Analysis’ in this instance is a misnomer. The BBC correspondent might at least have made some attempt to use the available evidence base exposed in the host of TuS articles on CalMac and comparable international ferry services. He might even have got away with plagiarising for a good cause!
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Well appraised on the “CalMac could win ferries contract without tender” article https://archive.ph/boqFe and in particular the “Analysis” by David Henderson which is anything but, his second such adventure in distortion in so many days, following on from the “No extra cash for Ferguson shipyard modernisation” article.
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Most Journalists have lost all their traditional integrity and skills. They appear to be nothing more than paid client fiction writers, don’t appear to worry about truth or even reality and spend their time reworking and reagitating bias affirming posts from X (Twitter) and other social media platforms without filter.
I suspect that large quantities of money are being poured in to keep these ‘newspapers’ solvent because it suits their billionaire owners to keep their perceived influence.
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Perhaps I wonder if some of the the other ‘failed’ ferry operators mentioned would be interested in tendering? That would be fun and can imagine the uproar that would cause but in reminds me back to 2017 when the then yet another incompetent Tory Transport Minister ‘Grayling’ awarded a multi million pound ferry contract to Seaborne Freight (a company with no ships, no trading history and without due diligence as their ability to run a service). In his defence he said no apologies for wanting to support British companies with I guess a nice little back hander contribution to Tory funds into the bargain as a just reward.
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