Yousaf asked to give ferry fiasco shipyard more taxpayer cash

SCOTLAND’S first minister, Humza Yousaf, has been asked to pump further taxpayer millions into a nationalised shipyard at the centre of a ferry contracts fiasco.

Ferguson Marine, based in Port Glasgow, has reportedly requested extra capital funding from Holyrood to improve the yard’s productivity.

The yard is hoping to win further work from BAE Systems to support the defence giant’s Type 26 frigates, with Ferguson Marine currently working on fabrication for just one ship.

It is seeking the funding to help make the port more competitive ahead of possible privatisation.

A request by the Ferguson Marine board for a “multimillion-pound tranche of capital expenditure” has been submitted to the SNP-run administration in Holyrood and is being considered now, according to The Herald.

However, it is likely to prove controversial as the cost of Ferguson Marine’s work on two ferries for the Scottish Government is already expected to run more than £200m over budget.