Parliamentary candidate Alasdair Morrison has accused Angus MacNeil of trying to close down debate ahead if the election by stating that only MSPs are entitled to discuss our failing ferry services.
Morrison said he had put the economy of the islands centre stage during this election campaign and without a strong and developing economy these communities suffer.
“This morning I was shocked by Angus MacNeil’s criticism of our stated transportation policies which would transform life and work on our islands. Mr MacNeil’s response was that not a word should be uttered about ferry or airline services during this Westminster election campaign – because, according to him, only members of the Scottish Parliament possess the collective wisdom on such matters.”
The Labour hopeful said it was obvious that Mr MacNeil didn’t want to debate the SNP’s shameful record that had led to the ferry fiasco. He said he would like to assure everyone that he will not be silenced on these matters of fundamental importance and neither will the families and businesses who are suffering.
“How the SNP think they can separate ferry services and air services from discussion on the islands’ economy, defies logic. It was also very clear from today’s radio report that Angus Brendan McNeil is trying to shift the blame for the continuing ferry fiasco to his friend and colleague Alasdair Allan MSP.”
Mr Macneil did not respond to an invitation to respond to Mr Morrison.
* Alasdair Morrison also set out Scottish Labour’s local transport commitments for the years to come:
- Reform of the Board of Caledonian MacBrayne and all ferry agencies
- Create a Rural and Island Air Support Fund to develop air services
- Guarantee a year-round ferry service from Lochboisdale to Mallaig
- Review the cost of ferry transportation for commercial traffic
- Ensure all island councils, businesses and local communities inform and shape all future ferry services
of course our ferries are part of the debate. How can any islander say you can’t debate this or that at an election time and in particular ferry’s – this is a chance for us to extract deals for the islands. My namesake is simply wrong. its a struggle to run a business in Barra and on all islands. We need reliable services and support. then again not all of us can give a 25k per annum wage to our wives – paid for by the State! come on Angus Brendan get real mate – or you’ll be toast.
David there has been a smell of burning toast hanging over Castlebay and Tangusdale for some time now. I believe the smell may have reached an incredulous Stornoway, where Macneil, AB, had strong support until the SNP started messing up their ferry services.
They are now roasting the hapless Macneil there too! Meanwhile there is a furious row between Macneil and the MSP, whom he is blaming for his fall from grace!
It has nothing to do with all his properties and his employment of his wife, doing who knows what, for £25,000 of our money, each year, that’s a quarter of a million over !0 years!
No wonder he is panicking.
I heard Angus Macneil on the gaelic radio and was astonished by his message to the islands. has he given up hope of retaining the seat. You’ll not hear many speaking up for macneil at my work – Alasdair Allan still enjoys respect but I suspect that the SNP team is going to be a man down a month from just now.
This shows again that MacNeil is an empty vessel, and is wholly incapable of seeing the bigger picture beyond his blind allegiance to his masters in the SNP. He got away with it for ten wasted years, but enough is enough. Let us send him packing on May the 7th, and we will be finally rid of his brand of vacuous nonsense.
Bayhead seems alive with backstabbing at the moment. The blame is being firmly laid at the feet of each other by the Bhoy and Tintin, and their respective supporters are playing that game too as the campaign team struggle to find workers for the cause.
The dilemma for them: is MacNeil a liability who has to be cut adrift now, or is Allan more vulnerable if AlMo gets in?
The old party hands are shaking their heads and remembering how MacNeil and Allan cast them aside as quickly as they could….
MacNeil has only himself to blame, most of the decent respectable old guard stopped being active in the SNP cause when the first scandal broke. MacNeil then surrounded himself with a new crew of aggressive and unsavoury characters, who have gradually driven away the decent support the SNP once enjoyed locally.
The referendum result knocked them for six, as did the Benbecula result last week.
No wonder they are fighting like ferrets in a sack in Bayhead! The loss of this seat to Labour is now being talked about openly among their former supporters, and the blame is firmly fixed on Angus Brendan MacNeil.