Alba MP Kenny MacAskill has hit out at a taxpayer-funded ferry firm for plans to attend what he claims is a “glorified booze cruise”.
Two senior employees from the Scottish Government-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) are due to speak at the Shippax ferry conference between May 4-6.
Under fire CEO of P&O Ferries Peter Hebblethwaite is also listed as one of the speakers at the two-day event, whose firm recently sacked 800 staff on the spot.
Prices for cabins on the luxury liner Silja Symphony cost between £1,541.47 for the cheapest cabins up to to £2,099.73 for luxury ones.
The round trip between Stockholm and Helsinki includes meals, dinner drinks, happy hour and nightcaps for two days.
This has prompted the former SNP minister to claim the event is a “glorified booze cruise paid for by the public purse”.
He has called for the Scottish Government to ensure CMAL withdraws from the event, amid multiple controversies surrounding Scotland’s ferry fleet.
Jim Anderson, CMAL’s director of vessels, and Brian Fulton, the firm’s head of business support, are both scheduled to attend the conference.
‘No way a booze cruise’
But organisers of the Shippax conference say the event, which has been running for 19 years, is “in no way a booze cruise” and is instead “widely regarded as one of the most respected events of the year”.
CMAL faced criticism after it snubbed government-owned Ferguson Marine over a deal to build vessels for Islay and Jura.
The firm instead awarded a lucrative contract to Turkish firm Cemre Marin Endustri in a move branded “embarassing” for the SNP.
A damning new report published this week found the failure to deliver two other new ferries exposed a “multitude of failings”, which leaves islanders without promised lifeline links.
Neither Ferguson Marine or CalMac are due to attend the overseas conference but representatives from the Scottish ship yard attended in 2018.
Speaking ahead of Alba’s spring conference in Glasgow on Saturday, Mr MacAskill said: “Scottish taxpayers’ money will be used to try and buy ships abroad not be manufactured in the Scottish yard.
“CMAL may enjoy the sail, but Ferguson Marine are left ashore. It shows CMAL are intent on putting even more orders abroad and not providing work and jobs in Scotland. That cannot be allowed.
“Whilst CMAL are lapping up the hospitality Scottish island communities remain bereft of a reliable service and CalMac who are struggling to provide it are likewise side-lined from this jaunt.
“The Scottish Government must ensure CMAL withdraw from this junket, put orders in Scottish yards and improve the current CalMac service, not enjoy a booze cruise at public expense.”
MP has ‘failed to explore the facts’
The two-day onboard ferry conference, which was first organised in 2003, attracts between 450-500 delegates from 50-60 ferry companies from all over the world each year.
A spokesperson for CMAL said: “This is an international conference attended primarily by ship owners and operators from across the globe.
“It is an opportunity to showcase Scotland’s contribution to tackling climate change through innovative maritime technology.
“Our team has been asked to attend as expert speakers, and will be taking part in panel events, leading discussions on the journey to net zero and the cutting-edge technology being employed to reduce emissions.
“It is very disappointing this politician, yet again, has failed to explore these facts before making a sweeping judgement which bears no relation to reality.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Shippax conference, said: “I don’t know who that Kenny MacAskill is, and he seems to know even less who we are.
“Our conference is in no way a ‘booze cruise’ just because of convenience we offer a package price with everything included for those attending.
“It is an industry event dedicated exclusively for the global ferry industry, one of very few of its kind.
“We have organised this for 19 years and it is widely regarded as one of the most respected events of the year, and by size the biggest.
“People come to us to listen to speakers from the ferry industry, hear about new developments and technologies, and of course network with their colleagues from the industry.”