SCOTTISH Transport Secretary Michael Matheson is facing calls to resign after Labour accused him of handing ScotRail a “licence to fail” until next summer.

Mr Matheson confirmed that the government “has agreed not to enforce compliance” with performance targets, so long as punctuality “does not fall more than 1 per cent below” the requirements set out in ScotRail’s franchise.

Following the revelation, Transport Salaried Staffs Association general secretary Manuel Cortes called for Mr Matheson to quit.