SCOTTISH First Minister John Swinney has promised £10 million to help islands counting the cost of Scotland’s “ferry fiasco.”

Fresh from having to issue another apology to island communities affected by an ongoing crisis at CalMac, which has left almost a third of its fleet out of commission for repairs of maintenance, the SNP leader promised the new resilience fund within 20 days should he remain in Bute House after May’s election.

Making the announcement on a campaign visit to the Western Isles, Mr Swinney also matched Scottish Labour’s promise to put members of island communities who rely on the lifeline services on the board of Scottish government-owned CaMac and its parent company David MacBrayne.

The First Minister said: “I know that people on our islands have suffered real disruption as a result of issues with ferry services since the start of the year, so the SNP government will set up and provide the support they need with a new £10m resilience fund.

“It is clear to me that ferry services need to be more understanding of and responsive to the needs of our island communities.

“That is why I can confirm that the SNP government will take steps to ensure that the boards of both CalMac and David MacBrayne have proper representation of island residents.

“These ferry services are a lifeline for our islands and they must have island residents at their heart, setting the agenda, bringing their perspectives to the heart of decision making and making the voices of our islands heard.

“That is what you get from the me and the SNP — a first minister and a government that is always on the side of Scotland’s islands.”

Analysis by Scottish Labour reveals more than 20,000 ferry sailings on CalMac routes have been cancelled in under three years for reasons other than weather.

Scottish Labour transport spokesman Daniel Johnson responded: “This patronising nonsense from John Swinney adds insult to injury and bizarrely seems to suggests the ferry crisis just began this year.

“For years people have missed weddings, funerals, medical appointments and interviews, and businesses have lost customers and struggled to get products on and off the island.

“After the damage the SNP’s ferry fiasco has done to lives and livelihoods, it takes a brass neck for John Swinney to claim he is on the side of our islands.”

Scottish Labour transport spokesman Daniel Johnson responded: “This patronising nonsense from John Swinney adds insult to injury and bizarrely seems to suggests the ferry crisis just began this year.

“For years people have missed weddings, funerals, medical appointments and interviews, and businesses have lost customers and struggled to get products on and off the island.

“After the damage the SNP’s ferry fiasco has done to lives and livelihoods, it takes a brass neck for John Swinney to claim he is on the side of our islands.”