Sir,
As a member of Unite the Union, I fully appreciate the need to protect jobs and services. I'm mystified that Calum Mackay, the local branch secretary, is suggesting support for Alasdair Morrison and the Labour Party regarding the issue on ferry services.
It was only last month that Labour Party MP's walked through the Westminster lobbies hand in hand with their Conservative brethren to cut £35 billion from the public expenditure budget. The very same budget which pays for the ferry services. Mr Mackay supports the local representative of a party who are committed to reducing the funding for our ferries and other critical services.
Not only does New Labour support further unfair austerity measures, they couldn't care less about UK workers. During their 13 years in power, UK employees had the poorest legislative protection in Western Europe, working the longest hours for the least pay. Let's not forget that it was New Labour who privatised the railways, to the detriment of the workers. Even Thatcher failed to do this.
The reason behind the precarious situation of our lifeline ferry services is down to former first minister Jack McConnell and the New Labour administration when in power at Holyrood. They ignored legal advice which made our ferry services exempt from the tendering process. Had it not been that CalMac were the only company to submit a tender, it is most likely that the ferry services would have been privatised nine years ago. As New Labour have created the tendering precedent it now has to be maintained. No one was any more supportive of this than Mr Morrison.
There is one thing for sure, the electorate along with Angus Macneill and Alasdair Allan won't be taken in by Mr Morrison's desperate attempt to woo votes.
Archie Harper
27 Shulishader
Point
Isle of Lewis
Letter: Labour to blame over ferry privatisation fears
26 February 2015
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