Ferguson Marine shipyard boss is sacked by the board
David Tydeman, chief executive of the shipyard responsible for building Arran’s two new ferries, has been sacked by the Ferguson Marine board.
The announcement came on the afternoon of Tuesday March 26, with no reasons provided for his sacking.
Mr Tydeman joined the state-owned Port Glasgow shipyard in 2022 and has been at the helm during damaging announcements that the two ferries will be further delayed and last month’s revelation that they will now cost almost £400 million.
Last month, in an interim update to the net zero, energy and transport committee, Mr Tydeman hinted there may be further delays to the delivery dates of the two vessels which currently stand at June for Glen Sannox and “no later than” September 2025 for Glen Rosa.
It is widely being speculated by politicians and media outlets that Mr Tydeman’s contract was terminated prior to an expected announcement of further delays to the delivery dates for one or both of the vessels.
Board chairman Andrew Miller told the BBC: “Ferguson Marine needs strong leadership to ensure its long-term future. The board recognised that action needed to be taken to restructure the current leadership team and it has taken these steps to address this.
“Our focus is on the completion of Glen Sannox and hull 802 (Glen Rosa) and the implementation of a robust business plan to improve the commercial viability of Ferguson Marine.
“With this new senior management team in place and a full complement of board members, we have the breadth and depth of experience and capability to drive forward these plans.”
Non-executive director John Petticrew will take over as interim chief executive amid a number of other changes to the company’s senior management structure.
Responding to a ministerial statement from Màiri McAllan MSP, cabinet secretary for wellbeing economy, net zero and energy, on Ferguson Marine, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, who is also convener of Holyrood’s cross party group on islands, called for clarity on when islanders can expect ageing boats across the network to start being replaced.
However, neither
Ms
McAllan’s statement nor her replies provided any new information, and Mr Halcro Johnston accused the Scottish Government of failing to recognise the urgent need for replacement vessels or the impact this was having on island communities.
Jamie Halcro Johnston said later: “This latest statement said nothing new, and certainly won’t have given islanders any encouragement that the Scottish Government recognises the urgent need to invest in Scotland’s ageing ferry fleet.
“Islanders should be at the very heart of the Scottish Government’s concerns on this issue, but they seemed to be all but ignored by Màiri McAllan and successive SNP MSPs who were more interested in trying to play party politics.
“Those who rely on ferries every day – whose lives and livelihoods are being impacted every day by delays, cancellations and unreliable service – will take cold comfort from a statement that fails to say when – and at what cost – new boats will be delivered.
“And can islanders really have confidence when the SNP won’t even say whether any new replacement scheme – whether that’s for CalMac, Northlink or local council vessels – will rely heavily on Ferguson’s, a yard which has failed to deliver boats on time, and which handed back the contract for the MV Hamnavoe.
“This statement will provide cold comfort to islanders who simply want to know when they’ll get the boats they so desperately need.”