SNP lose Western Isles held for 19 years after 'referendum on CalMac'

Labour has won Na h-Eileanan an Iar from the SNP in a contest framed as a referendum on the islands’ under-fire ferry services.

Alasdair Allan was elected to the seat for the SNP in 2007 and was a minister in Scottish Government administrations under three first ministers.

But he lost the constituency by 154 votes.

Labour’s candidate Donald MacKinnon fought his campaign on a platform of delivering “the ferry service that islanders deserve”.

It followed weeks of disruption with a third of CalMac’s fleet being out of service.

The state-owned ferry operator said “virtually every Scottish island” had been cut off.

CalMac’s said the disruption – which saw ten vessels unavailable – was down to a failure to invest in new ferries for too long.

The Conservative candidate George Macpherson also urged voters to treat the ballot as a referendum on the SNP’s “ferry fiasco”.

Labour won 4,665 votes, a share of 37.7%, the SNP got 4,511, a share of 36.5%.

I think at this election Scottish Labour was making a case for change across the country and that really resonated here,” MacKinnon said.

“People in the islands are fed up after 20 years of SNP government, of not being listened to or being let down, whether that’s on funding for the Comhairle or the ferry fiasco.

“I’ve talked a lot about the issues in the islands, particularly my concern about the depopulation trends and I strongly believe that it’s so important that the islands have a voice in Holyrood, a strong voice that is going to raise these issues, make sure the government is held to account and make sure we’re delivering for the islands.”

In his concession speech, Alasdair Allan recited a Gaelic proverb, which translated into English means: “All things change except the whelks of Achadh Mòr.”

Last month, CalMac CEO Duncan Mackison said they were paying the price for a lack of investment over previous years.

“I think it’s clearly understood that everything that’s been taking place ultimately is a function of some of our vessels being too old and needing to be replaced”, he said.

“And I think the system that replaces the vessels probably now understands that that needs to happen on a regular basis. As long as we get those vessels, and we’ve got a good number coming up, then we should be okay in the future.

“I think what’s transpiring now is what happens when these things are left for a long period of time.”