Sirs,
I concur with Angus McCormack's letter (10th July). The then Labour party administration in 2006 set the precedent for the current ferry tendering process by ignoring their own legal advisors and the people of the Hebrides.
Unfortunately this has made it difficult for the current Scottish government to opt out of the tendering process. It would be difficult to use the Altmark argument now after accepting it previously.
To have had any credibility and EU support the case for opting out needed to be made in 2006 This was another example of the Labour Party treating Scotland like a branch office in an effort to reduce transport costs to please Middle England values.
Archie Harper
27 Shulishader
Point
Isle of Lewis
Letter: Labour set the course for ferry tendering
12 July 2015