Nicola Sturgeon has been told to "up her game" and protect Scottish shipbuilding jobs after it was revealed a contract to build new CalMac ferries will be given to an overseas firm.
The First Minister faced questions today on why the Ferguson's yard in Port Glasgow - nationalised by SNP ministers in 2019 to prevent it going bust - had failed to make even the shortlist to build two new boats to serve island communities.
Four firms based in Turkey, Portugal and Poland have been invited to submit detailed tenders for the works by the Scottish Government-controlled Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).
Anas Sarwar mocked the SNP leader for officially launching the Glen Sannox ferry at Ferguson's in 2017 - despite the fact it was unfinished and has still not entered service four years later.
The Scottish Labour leader said Scotland's island communities faced increasing delays in ferry services as 15 CalMac vessels are more than 25 years old and prone to mechanical failures.
He said there should be enough work in replacing the CalMac fleet to keep Ferguson's open long term and questioned how a government-owned yard could be losing government-awarded contracts.
Sturgeon told MSPs: "Let's not sight of the fact this government protected shipbuilding jobs here in Scotland. Because without the intervention of this government, Ferguson's would not still be open and it would not still be operational.
"That's the protection of shipbuilding jobs this government has delivered.
"Ferguson's is on a journey back to recovery. Its focus right now is making sure the two ferries that are currently delayed are completed.
"The work underway at Ferguson's I hope will equip it to compete for new orders and new contracts in the future."
Sarwar responded: "The First Minister says the company she owns is on a journey - people want ferry journeys, and that's what this government needs to address.
"Saving the yard is one thing, but sustaining the yard is another. Launching a ferry with painted on windows, is that the best we can hope from this government?
"The truth is the failure to deliver these ferries is the result of complacency and ineptitude on the part of this SNP government.
"That a Scottish Government-owned company can't win a Scottish Government contract to build ships is a national scandal and an international humiliation.
"This government has no strategy to expand services, no fleet to meet Scotland's needs, and no plan to fix the problem.
"There are 15 ferries in the fleet now over their original 25-year life cycle. More than enough to keep Ferguson's in work and even expand our industry here in Scotland if only it was run properly.
"So can I ask the First Minister to raise her game, stop wasting taxpayer's money and stand up for Scottish jobs?"
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