THE coronavirus emergency has led to many other matters dropping from sight. Health, education, public services and private firms have had to divert attention to it and view their normal priorities through its lens. It has dominated political priorities and public discourse.
But there are other issues so big they cannot be ignored. The government’s failure on the production of new ferries, maintenance of the existing fleet and mishandling of public funds relating to Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) and its forced acquisition is one example.
It is not just a matter of two new lifeline island ferries, the costs of which have more than doubled (from £97 million) and which, if delivered, will be at least five years late.
It is the shambles of a fleet long overdue for repair and replacement. It is the mess the Government created in dealing with the builders FMEL, Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL), the Government-owned, taxpayer-funded company that owns and procures ferries, and Calmac, the (state-owned) operator. It is the scandalous waste of public money involved, while the lives and livelihoods of islanders – and much of Scotland’s tourism – are thrown into chaos.
On this “catastrophic failure in management”, “processes and structures no longer fit for purpose”, “insufficient due diligence” and “lack of clarity and understanding” – all according to the Holyrood committee’s report – the First Minister has been uncharacteristically silent. Yet the Government’s failure to address this issue is, alas, merely an amplified version of deficiencies in other areas of policy.
All governments make mistakes, or pursue policies that prove misguided: other administrations and parties have failings, and the SNP Government has enacted policies that many count as successes.
But it has also been reluctant to face problems, denied its policies have sometimes made matters worse, attributed blame to Westminster for issues wholly within its own control, shown a lack of transparency and accountability, and responded to criticism with what often amounts to petulance.
It is a depressing list. In health, it botched the construction of two hospitals, with huge financial and human costs; maintenance cuts left a backlog of £1.1 billion worth of repairs, while NHS increases have been lower than the equivalent in England; its own cancer waiting list targets have not been met in almost a decade, the legal treatment time guarantee may as well not exist; life expectancy has stalled, and the gap between rich and poor widened.
In education, that poverty gap is even more obvious; attainment levels fell so badly the Government opted out of international comparison tables; teacher numbers fell by between 2,000 and 3,500, depending on the measure; there are fewer college students than in 2007; the pledge to end student debt was abandoned and last year's exams were a shambles that looks set to be repeated.
On the environment, it has failed to meet its targets on emissions, marine wildlife and biodiversity. The economy (pre-pandemic) grew at half England’s rate, while public spending per head (largely funded through the Barnett formula) was 30 per cent higher. Local government cuts removed almost £1 billion from non-ring-fenced revenue funding; the promised abolition of council tax has not materialised.
Housing targets were missed by more than 20%. Bus services are down 25%. Police numbers (promised an increase) are down. Ineptly conceived bills – named persons, education, football chants, hate speech – had to be dropped, amended or reversed.
We have the highest number of drug deaths in Europe. The number of pensioners in poverty has increased; food bank use has increased more than 75% since 2015; 350,000 people earn less than the Scottish Living Wage and 45,000 young people are unemployed. All those figures are worse than in other parts of the UK.
Given that this was the case even before Covid, and that recovery will require huge attention to those areas and more, good government is more vital than ever. The SNP has the mandate. It has full powers over these issues. It must accept the attendant responsibility, and address previous shortcomings, as a matter of urgency. Getting our lifeline ferries running would be a welcome start.
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