THREE vessels used for ferry services to Orkney and Shetland will be brought into public ownership – but transport union RMT wants the whole operation to be state-run.

SNP transport minister Humza Yousaf granted outsourcing giant Serco an 18-month extension on its contract to run Northlink Ferries.

He said this would "allow further progress to be made with the ongoing review of procurement policy for future ferry operating contracts."

He said purchasing the ships would “deliver savings to the public purse in the longer term.”

RMT general secretary Mick Cash welcomed the news today.
But he argued: “The public are paying for the vessels and the service, through the Scottish government.

“To ensure we get value for money, the entire operation should be brought into public ownership without delay.”

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Jamie Greene said his party feared ministers would switch the contract to the publicly owned Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferry company.

“This must not simply be a precursor to bringing CalMac in to run the service through the back door,” he told the Scotsman.