Tavish DID support fair ferry funding

You report Michael Stout as saying, “Tavish had the opportunity to support fair ferry funding but party whip refused him to do that” (Former councillor stands on transport ticket; SN, 29 July 2019).

This is wrong.

Tavish DID support the whole SNP budget in order to win extra money for Shetland’s internal ferry services.  Since the parliament had already voted for this to happen it should not have been necessary.

Unfortunately the SNP ministers (the same ones with whom Mr Stout claims to have had a “close working relationship”) held our internal ferry services to ransom. Tavish, along with Liam MacArthur MSP, put the interests of the isles first and voted to secure the extra cash.

You don’t have to be independent to put Shetland first. Tavish Scott demonstrated that many times over the years and I am sure that Beatrice Wishart will continue to do so if she is elected on 29 August.

Alistair Christie-Henry
Bressay

Note from the editor:

We gave Michael Stout the opportunity to respond. He provided the following statement:

“The lack of support to which I was referring was during the negotiations in which I was involved that took place in the period leading up to the point where the Greens decided to support the budget. My apologies for not making that clear.”