Why even more delays to Glen Rosa ferry would create huge, unavoidable election issue for SNP

Another day, another ferry story. While the infamous ‘painted on’ windows at its 2017 launch made the Glen Sannox the poster vessel for scandalously late ferries, there was always its equally laggardly sister ship, the Glen Rosa, tagging along behind.

Now we hear there’s a “risk” Rosa could miss its delivery deadline of September. Asked whether the potential delay could be “weeks or months”, shipyard firm Ferguson Marine’s interim chief executive John Petticrew told a committee of MSPs: “I really don’t know.”

The MV Glen Rosa was launched in April last year and is due to be handed over to ferry firm CalMac in September (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images

Well, if the delay turns out to be anything approaching eight months, then expect SNP ministers to start to get decidedly nervous. The next Scottish Parliament election is due to be held on May 7 next year.

John Swinney and his deputy Kate Forbes may represent relatively new brooms in government, but if Rosa, one of two rather large pieces of evidence that the SNP is bad at making things happen, is still the subject of much gnashing of teeth and hair-pulling when the electorate is deciding who to vote for next year, the opposition is going to have a field day.