Our efforts to have the Island Business Resilience Fund reviewed (from which Mull and Iona are excluded, together with Coll, Tiree, Islay and Jura) made it to First Minister’s Questions on Thursday. Liberal Democrat Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton raised the issue, and asked John Swinney why almost all of the Argyll islands have been left out.
FMQs is rarely the place to get a conciliatory or nuanced response, but nevertheless the First Minister’s answer was particularly disappointing.
He maintained that disruption to our islands ”has not been of a level comparable” to Arran, Colonsay and Uist (the eligible islands), and that the government “discuss and consider the scheme with the relevant island communities”. He is incorrect on both counts. There has been no consultation, and the disruption to the Argyll islands in terms of reduced capacity often far exceeds the simple ‘cancellations’ measure.
When asked further about the exclusion of the majority of the Hebrides from the IBRF, he cited a 2-vessel service to Arran as evidence of how mitigations are being put in place – but Arran is one of the few islands that is eligible for the scheme.
You can watch the question below, and for further detail you can read the joint letter to Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon that was sent by representatives of Mull, Iona, Coll, Tiree, Jura and Islay.
The FM clearly does not listen to, nor recognise, the people of Mull and the other 5 Islands. He seems to believe that there has been consultation with us. Who is feeding him these lies???