Axed yard boss is a ‘scapegoat’ for failings of SNP ministers
THE man hired to turn around Scotland’s ferries fiasco was sacked yesterday amid claims he was being made a ‘scapegoat’ for SNP failures.
David Tydeman was unceremoniously stripped of his post as chief executive of Scottish Government-owned Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow (FMPG).
Mr Tydeman, who was appointed just over a year ago, recently told ministers that two ferries being built at the yard faced further delays, which they branded ‘unacceptable’.
The two ships are expected to cost £360million, compared with an original estimate of £97million, and are six years overdue.
Liberal Democrat economy spokesman Willie Rennie 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 that the Scottish Government didn’t like that and decided to shoot the messenger. Is he a scapegoat for SNP failures?’
The Glen Sannox was originally scheduled to be finished in early 2018, while the Glen Rosa was due to be handed over by the end of that year.
FMPG yesterday confirmed Mr Tydeman’s contract had been terminated, with officials saying this followed ‘concerns regarding his performance’.
It refused to reveal details of his taxpayer-funded payoff, saying only that the ‘terms of his contract’ had been ‘honoured’. Nonexecutive director John Petticrew has taken over as interim chief executive, despite Companies House listing his country of residence as Canada.
Wellbeing Economy Secretary Mairi McAllan said the termination of Mr Tydeman’s contract was ‘a matter for the board’ of FMPG.
She added: ‘I am focused on the Scottish Government’s priorities of completing the two ferries, ensuring FMPG drives down on costs and securing a sustainable future for the yard.’
She confirmed that Mr Tydeman had ‘intimated further delay was likely’ and ‘that is unacceptable’.
Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘It’s shocking that Glen Sannox is facing yet another delay. Mairi McAllan describes that as “unacceptable” and appears to have sacked David Tydeman because of it.
‘SNP ministers can’t pass the buck. It’s their responsibility for these two vessels being six years late and hugely over budget.’
In an update to MSPs last month, Mr Tydeman said the cost to complete the Glen Sannox had increased by up to 4 per cent since last September, to between £145.5million and £149.1million, and further inspections and trials ‘may require some more time’.
He said the Glen Rosa’s total cost was set ‘not to exceed maximum of £150million’, while the target delivery date was moved to ‘no later than September 25’.
Mr Tydeman’s departure comes amid an overhaul of the FMPG board, which includes a new chief operational officer and chief financial officer. FMPG chairman Andrew Miller said: ‘The board recognised that action needed to be taken to restructure the current leadership team and it has taken these steps to address this.’
‘Action needed to be taken’
THE ferries fiasco has been defined by blameshifting on an industrial scale – and yesterday it claimed a high-profile scalp.
But it wasn’t a minister or mandarin who lost their job – instead David Tydeman was sacked after just over a year as boss of the nationalised shipyard at the centre of the debacle. He had warned of further delays in the construction of two CalMac ferries which are massively overbudget – and six years overdue.
Mr Tydeman was once mocked for claiming that building the two unfinished CalMac ferries had been more difficult than constructing a £1billion Royal Navy warship.
Yet no one from the SNP Government has paid the price for their own costly blunders – and there have been many.
When on earth are ministers going to take responsibility for this ocean-going disaster?