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Robertson on board as Western plans ferry bids
LORD Robertson has joined the board of one of the bidders for Caledonian MacBrayne's ferry routes but insisted yesterday his appointment was entirely coincidental to the tender process.
The former defence secretary and NATO secretary-general will become a non-executive director of Western Ferries, which competes with CalMac between Gourock and Dunoon.
Western - along with V.Ships - is waiting to hear whether it will be invited by the Scottish Executive to submit tenders for CalMac's Gourock-Dunoon route and for the rest of its west coast network.
Robertson's appointment comes days after Western accused CalMac of running up "staggering" losses for its Gourock-Dunoon service, of £10.6 million in five years.
However, the former Labour politician said his Western directorship would be a part-time role, especially since he was this week appointed as non-executive chairman of the new international division of telecoms giant Cable & Wireless. He continues as a group deputy chairman.
Robertson said: "My appointment to Western Ferries is not at all related to the tenders." He said he had had a passion for ferries since childhood - he still has a house on Islay - and had been invited to join Western by Alastair Ross, its chairman. He said he had received no similar invitation to join the CalMac board.
He said: "Western Ferries has revolutionised Clyde communications with a regular, reliable, efficient roll-on-roll-off service from Gourock to Dunoon. With no public subsidy of any kind and with all crew locally employed, they have given a dramatic boost to the economy of the Cowal peninsula. The model of what Western Ferries has achieved on the route could well open up new opportunities for communication links between mainland and the other islands.
"Western Ferries has proved that a responsible, responsive operator can give excellent service to the public without taxpayer subsidy. It is time that taxpayers and the islanders knew what they are missing out on."
Robertson agreed that if Western won the tender for CalMac's Gourock-Dunoon service it would have a monopoly on the route, but said CalMac held a monopoly on most other routes.
CalMac has countered Western's claims over its subsidy levels by highlighting that it has been compelled to restrict sailings on the Gourock-Dunoon route to one an hour since the early 1980s - compared with up to four by Western - to help its rival to compete. An attempt by CalMac to have the restriction lifted in 1986 was rebuffed by ministers.
Western, V.Ships and CalMac were the only firms to return pre-qualification questionnaires for the two tenders.
The Executive has yet to announce how many of them will be invited to lodge full bids.
The Gourock-Dunoon route is being treated separately because it will not be subsidised, as Western competes with CalMac on the route.
Western was previously not invited to tender for a separate contract, for NorthLink ferry services to Orkney and Shetland.
The former defence secretary and NATO secretary-general will become a non-executive director of Western Ferries, which competes with CalMac between Gourock and Dunoon.
Western - along with V.Ships - is waiting to hear whether it will be invited by the Scottish Executive to submit tenders for CalMac's Gourock-Dunoon route and for the rest of its west coast network.
Robertson's appointment comes days after Western accused CalMac of running up "staggering" losses for its Gourock-Dunoon service, of £10.6 million in five years.
However, the former Labour politician said his Western directorship would be a part-time role, especially since he was this week appointed as non-executive chairman of the new international division of telecoms giant Cable & Wireless. He continues as a group deputy chairman.
Robertson said: "My appointment to Western Ferries is not at all related to the tenders." He said he had had a passion for ferries since childhood - he still has a house on Islay - and had been invited to join Western by Alastair Ross, its chairman. He said he had received no similar invitation to join the CalMac board.
He said: "Western Ferries has revolutionised Clyde communications with a regular, reliable, efficient roll-on-roll-off service from Gourock to Dunoon. With no public subsidy of any kind and with all crew locally employed, they have given a dramatic boost to the economy of the Cowal peninsula. The model of what Western Ferries has achieved on the route could well open up new opportunities for communication links between mainland and the other islands.
"Western Ferries has proved that a responsible, responsive operator can give excellent service to the public without taxpayer subsidy. It is time that taxpayers and the islanders knew what they are missing out on."
Robertson agreed that if Western won the tender for CalMac's Gourock-Dunoon service it would have a monopoly on the route, but said CalMac held a monopoly on most other routes.
CalMac has countered Western's claims over its subsidy levels by highlighting that it has been compelled to restrict sailings on the Gourock-Dunoon route to one an hour since the early 1980s - compared with up to four by Western - to help its rival to compete. An attempt by CalMac to have the restriction lifted in 1986 was rebuffed by ministers.
Western, V.Ships and CalMac were the only firms to return pre-qualification questionnaires for the two tenders.
The Executive has yet to announce how many of them will be invited to lodge full bids.
The Gourock-Dunoon route is being treated separately because it will not be subsidised, as Western competes with CalMac on the route.
Western was previously not invited to tender for a separate contract, for NorthLink ferry services to Orkney and Shetland.
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