Lump sum for Tydeman

FERGUSON Marine’s sacked boss is in line to pocket a significant severance sum from the taxpayer’s pocket - as the shipyard’s former owner slammed the ‘appalling’ decision to dismiss him.

The Port Glasgow yard’s chief executive David Tydeman had his contract terminated earlier this week as the Scottish Government confirmed he had intimated that yet another delay to Glen Sannox which is already six years late - was ‘likely’.

A Ferguson Marine spokesperson has today confirmed that the decision to sack Mr Tydeman related to ‘concerns regarding his performance’.

The Telegraph also asked the yard how much the departing boss was set to receive in compensation, following reports that Mr Tydeman could be entitled to six months salary in lieu of not working his notice.

The yard stated that Mr Tydeman would receive ‘what he is legally entitled to’ but did not give a specific sum.

Mr Tydeman’s wage was last reported to be £205,000 a year meaning he could receive around £102,500 in severance pay.

His dismissal on Tuesday sparked calls for answers from the Scottish Government, who have insisted that the decision to terminate the yard boss’s contract was made by the Ferguson Marine board.

Greenock & Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan attempted to get further answers on the issue by asking an urgent question at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.

However, the SNP politician’s bid to raise the issue was halted after his move to suspend standing orders to allow the question was voted down.

Scottish Labour regional MSP Paul O’Kane, who also represents Inverclyde, claimed that Mr McMillan’s SNP colleagues had voted down his motion, in a move he branded ‘farcical’.

He said: “Their very own SNP colleague Stuart McMillan has, rightly, recognised that parliament should be getting answers about the circumstances surrounding David Tydeman’s departure.

“They’ve chosen to block immediate scrutiny from parliament and, by extension, the workforce and the public. I can only assume they want time to work on their spin instead of facing the music and telling members of the Scottish Parliament the truth.

“They’ve created an embarrassing moment for Stuart McMillan who it appears is has to abide by what his Holyrood bosses decide. It is clear that there must be urgent answers about what is going on at Fergusons.”

While Mr McMillan’s urgent question on Tuesday was voted down, Conservative MSP Graham Simpson submitted a question of his own on Wednesday which was accepted by the presiding officer.

Mr Simpson had claimed that Mr Tydeman had been used as a ‘scapegoat’ and called on the Scottish Government to explain his removal.

His questions about the dismissal of Mr Tydeman were echoed by Ferguson’s former owner Jim McColl, who hit out at the decision during an appearance on a BBC Radio Scotland programme yesterday.

He said: “I think it is appalling he was dismissed, I think David had no chance at all. The faults in this contract go way back to fundamental shortcomings in the specifications.

“What he [Tydeman] did say was that the problems came from before he came in and that was since the government took over.

“There is a misunderstanding and I’m sure David knows now the problems have been caused by the real shortcomings in the specification, which were CMAL, and that’s where the base of the problems are.

“They’re constantly having to do changes to the design to make up for that, that’s the fundamental problem here.

“David Tydeman is not the problem, the workforce are a fantastic workforce and they are not the problem and CalMac are not the problem.

“It’s the design of the ferries and the incompetence in CMAL in this whole process.”

Ferguson Marine have appointed John Petticrew, an experienced shipbuilder, as interim CEO at the yard following the shock sacking.

But the yard and the Scottish Government are now under further pressure to explain this appointment, after it was claimed that Mr Petticrew lives over 3,000 miles away in Canada.

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said: “It looks like David Tydeman was sacked by the SNP for telling uncomfortable truths.

“We know that he was being upfront about further costs and delays, but it seems the Scottish Government didn’t like that and decided to shoot the messenger.

“Is he a scapegoat for SNP failures?

“I also understand that the new chief executive lives in Canada, so the Cabinet Secretary must explain how that will work.

“We need an urgent statement to the Scottish Parliament. Despite all the disruption at Ferguson Marine, lifelines ferries have never arrived, and islanders are just expected to suck it up.

“It’s time for the government to stop the scapegoating, explain what is going on at the yard and accept some accountability.”