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Over £1m spent on sending Scottish ferry staff to Turkey
Scottish ferry staff travel expenses to Turkey total £23,000, not over £1 million as claimed by Scottish Tories, covering flights, hotels, and subsistence costs.
- On Friday the Scottish Conservatives released an FOI-based press release claiming more than £1,016,162 was spent on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hire for CalMac and CMAL staff visits to Turkey since 2022.
- Cemre shipyard in Turkey was awarded contracts to build four new vessels worth more than £200m, and staff were sent since 2022 to oversee construction and ensure quality assurance.
- Accounting clarifications show the larger totals include remuneration for 13 staff, while CalMac and CMAL say actual travel and subsistence costs were £23,000.
- Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber criticised the spending as excessive and accused ministers of betraying islanders and taxpayers, while the Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
- A CalMac spokesperson said MV Isle of Islay will join the fleet next month, with staff in Turkey supporting the build; CMAL and Transport Scotland say the budget remains on target as deliveries are expected later this year.
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BBC Scotland repeat their new ferry crew costs fake news trick from 2023 to widespread disgust and righteous sneering
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland has the above this morning. Soon after, Murray Foote and others hade exposed their dirty tricks: BBC Scotland had essentially ‘double-counted’ the salary and other costs of the crew members already needed to run the ferries as if they were new additional costs because of building in Turkey. In May 2023, they tried a similar, smelly, trick with this: I wrote then: Ferry operator Calmac has run up a £1.6 m…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources6
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left, 50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 50%
C 50%
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