Fife MP to meet minister over bid for ferry

A Fife MP says he had to bypass the Scottish Government to secure a meeting with Tory ministers in the campaign to re-establish a direct ferry link between Rosyth and Europe.

Neale Hanvey, who is leader of the Alba Party at Westminster, will meet Scotland Office minister Iain Stewart over calls to open up maritime trade links.

Mr Stewart offered support for their “ambition” and said a direct ferry link “would be of benefit to Scotland”.

A link from Rosyth to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge was the only direct ferry link between Scotland and mainland Europe until passenger services were scrapped in 2010.

Freight-only services were terminated completely in 2018.

Re-establishing a link to Europe was a key election promise from the Scottish Greens, who have since entered a power-sharing deal with the SNP.

Hopes for a new route were dealt a blow when SNP Transport Minister Graeme Dey insisted any link must operate on a commercial basis.

He confirmed there are “no firm commitments” from any businesses.

Mr Hanvey said it is a “sign of progress” that Mr Stewart is willing to meet to discuss a way forward after the Scottish Government was accused of lacking “vision and ambition” on the issue.

The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP said: “What is needed now is investment and it will be the purpose of this meeting to secure a commitment from the UK Government to put in place replacement funding for the EU Motorway of the Seas funding which Brexit has removed and to ensure that any new funding is used to restore direct ferry links to Europe.”