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Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson

Herald Scotland

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I have walked amongst Scotland's largest seagulls - and they are a menace AS anyone who has ever had the ill fortune to meander down Aberdeen’s Union Street around 3am on a Sunday morning, seagulls can be a bit of a problem.As they feast on discarded kebabs, burgers, baked potatoes or even the odd buttery, the thousands of birds are quite a sight as seem to move as one like a feathered carpet down the famed thoroughfare.They are big​ too. Very big, probably the biggest in Scotland, and with their size comes with equally large beaks, and that is where the problem lies.Have anything edible about your person at that time of the morning then you really are in trouble.For gulls, like some of us humans, seem to have forgotten all about their traditional diet of healthy fish discarded over the side of a trawler, and now prefer fast food – and more of it the better.And you can see their point in a way. Why would you want a measly fish straight out of the sea, when you can gorge on plump ones wrapped in batter and served with chips. However, it is not a laughing matter really, as there are increasing examples of people getting hurt by the hungry birds up and down the country.Now the problem (again) has been raised at Holyrood with former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross warning that Scots risk losing their lives over the “growing problem” of “dominating” gulls if action is not taken to stop them. That is quite the claim but at least had evidence to back it up. In the chamber, Mr Ross spoke of gull horror stories including one woman who fell outside her house as a result of a gull attack, broke her leg, went to hospital and then, upon her return, was attacked again. The debate was led by Mr Ross after he submitted a motion stating that the parliament should note concern around the reported changes to the approach taken for granting licences to control gulls in recent years by NatureScot.He argued that this has led to fewer licences being approved.A total of  2,041 licences were granted in 2023, however this figure fell to 505 in 2024.He told the chamber there is a “clear conflict” in the Scottish Government body Nature Scot between conserving and preserving bird numbers and controlling the applications to regulate bird numbers. Mr Ross also criticised NatureScot and the Scottish Government for being on the side of seagulls and not humans during a sometimes heated debate at Holyrood.The Former Scottish Conservative leader said: “Currently they are clearly conflicted between conserving and preserving bird numbers and also being the agency that looks at and deliberates on applications to control birds.“It is not possible any more for Nature Scot to do those dual roles”.Mr Ross pointed that Nature Scot keep a record of bird deaths or injury but not take any record of people injured. He said communities and businesses in his own constituency of Moray, Nairn and Inverness have had significant problems with gulls in recent years, but that many communities across Scotland also experience similar problems.He also said the gulls are causing “mental health issues” as their constant screeching torments the general public. “They are a menace,” he emphasised to parliament. Mr Ross said he is not ignoring that people are encouraging gulls by feeding them and he accepted that was “part of the problem”. Gulls “dominating areas” are also seeing a reduction of other smaller birds, he argued.Mr Ross called on more “robust action” from the Scottish Government and NatureScot to protect humans and businesses from “the menace of dangerous gulls”.It is hard to argue with Mr Ross on this one as we can all probably recall being menaced by seagulls at one point or another in recent times.His point about smaller birds being driven from some areas is also true, as I can vouch from my own garden, which can  suddenly become full of gulls, particularly when people put bread out.Of course, this is always well intentioned as it put out for smaller birds who cannot get a  look in as everything is hoovered up by the aggressive gulls.I live a good 30-odd miles from the coast too, proving that the problem with gulls is not confined to seaside communities.Residents and businesses in the former fishing port of Nairn on the Moray Firth believe gulls have become a serious problem.A survey by Nairn Business Improvement District (Bid) last year received 85 reports of gull attacks.Manager Lucy Harding told the BBC: “That was quite worrying. It is an issue I regularly get reports on, of people being attacked for food particularly.”Gulls, like other birds, are protected by law and Scotland’s nature body, NatureScot, has strict rules around how they are controlled.A licence is needed for the removal of nests and eggs from the roofs of buildings in areas where gulls are deemed to be a nuisance.But Ms Harding said it was now harder to obtain the necessary paperwork.Nairn Bid has put in place other measures to discourage gulls from nesting in the town, including reflective devices designed to scare birds away from rooftops.Gulls are a coastal species, but they have been drawn into towns and cities due to the plentiful places to build nests, a lack of predators - and lots of opportunities to find food.In their natural habitats - the coast and farmland - the birds eat carrion, seeds, fruits, young birds, eggs, small mammals, insects and fish.NatureScot issued 2,633 nest removal licences across Scotland in 2023, and 1,601 in 2024. It said it understood gulls could sometimes cause problems in towns and cities, but at the same time populations of the birds were facing “serious declines”.NatureScot said it would continue to issue licenses where gulls were causing a health and safety issue.RSPB Scotland say that people and gulls could coexist if the right action was takenNumbers of herring gulls, a species people are most likely to encounter in urban areas, have fallen by 48% in Scotland since the 1980s, according to RSPB Scotland.Clearly the answer then is not just mass culling of gulls, but it is fair to say that more robust action needs to be taken before somebody does get seriously hurt. But the answer ultimately lies with all of us and the amount of food that we just casually throw away, which then attracts gulls.We all need to look at our own behaviour and stop blaming the gulls, however menacing they are,  for everything. Ultimately, we are the problem and therefore we are the solution too.

I have walked amongst Scotland's largest seagulls - and they are a menace AS anyone who has ever had the ill fortune to meander down Aberdeen’s Union Street around 3am on a Sunday morning, seagulls can be a bit of a problem.As they feast on discarded kebabs, burgers, baked potatoes or even the odd buttery, the thousands of birds are quite a sight as seem to move as one like a feathered carpet down the famed thoroughfare.They are big​ too. Very big, probably the biggest in Scotland, and with their size comes with equally large beaks, and that is where the problem lies.Have anything edible about your person at that time of the morning then you really are in trouble.For gulls, like some of us humans, seem to have forgotten all about their traditional diet of healthy fish discarded over the side of a trawler, and now prefer fast food – and more of it the better.And you can see their point in a way. Why would you want a measly fish straight out of the sea, when you can gorge on plump ones wrapped in batter and served with chips. However, it is not a laughing matter really, as there are increasing examples of people getting hurt by the hungry birds up and down the country.Now the problem (again) has been raised at Holyrood with former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross warning that Scots risk losing their lives over the “growing problem” of “dominating” gulls if action is not taken to stop them. That is quite the claim but at least had evidence to back it up. In the chamber, Mr Ross spoke of gull horror stories including one woman who fell outside her house as a result of a gull attack, broke her leg, went to hospital and then, upon her return, was attacked again. The debate was led by Mr Ross after he submitted a motion stating that the parliament should note concern around the reported changes to the approach taken for granting licences to control gulls in recent years by NatureScot.He argued that this has led to fewer licences being approved.A total of  2,041 licences were granted in 2023, however this figure fell to 505 in 2024.He told the chamber there is a “clear conflict” in the Scottish Government body Nature Scot between conserving and preserving bird numbers and controlling the applications to regulate bird numbers. Mr Ross also criticised NatureScot and the Scottish Government for being on the side of seagulls and not humans during a sometimes heated debate at Holyrood.The Former Scottish Conservative leader said: “Currently they are clearly conflicted between conserving and preserving bird numbers and also being the agency that looks at and deliberates on applications to control birds.“It is not possible any more for Nature Scot to do those dual roles”.Mr Ross pointed that Nature Scot keep a record of bird deaths or injury but not take any record of people injured. He said communities and businesses in his own constituency of Moray, Nairn and Inverness have had significant problems with gulls in recent years, but that many communities across Scotland also experience similar problems.He also said the gulls are causing “mental health issues” as their constant screeching torments the general public. “They are a menace,” he emphasised to parliament. Mr Ross said he is not ignoring that people are encouraging gulls by feeding them and he accepted that was “part of the problem”. Gulls “dominating areas” are also seeing a reduction of other smaller birds, he argued.Mr Ross called on more “robust action” from the Scottish Government and NatureScot to protect humans and businesses from “the menace of dangerous gulls”.It is hard to argue with Mr Ross on this one as we can all probably recall being menaced by seagulls at one point or another in recent times.His point about smaller birds being driven from some areas is also true, as I can vouch from my own garden, which can  suddenly become full of gulls, particularly when people put bread out.Of course, this is always well intentioned as it put out for smaller birds who cannot get a  look in as everything is hoovered up by the aggressive gulls.I live a good 30-odd miles from the coast too, proving that the problem with gulls is not confined to seaside communities.Residents and businesses in the former fishing port of Nairn on the Moray Firth believe gulls have become a serious problem.A survey by Nairn Business Improvement District (Bid) last year received 85 reports of gull attacks.Manager Lucy Harding told the BBC: “That was quite worrying. It is an issue I regularly get reports on, of people being attacked for food particularly.”Gulls, like other birds, are protected by law and Scotland’s nature body, NatureScot, has strict rules around how they are controlled.A licence is needed for the removal of nests and eggs from the roofs of buildings in areas where gulls are deemed to be a nuisance.But Ms Harding said it was now harder to obtain the necessary paperwork.Nairn Bid has put in place other measures to discourage gulls from nesting in the town, including reflective devices designed to scare birds away from rooftops.Gulls are a coastal species, but they have been drawn into towns and cities due to the plentiful places to build nests, a lack of predators - and lots of opportunities to find food.In their natural habitats - the coast and farmland - the birds eat carrion, seeds, fruits, young birds, eggs, small mammals, insects and fish.NatureScot issued 2,633 nest removal licences across Scotland in 2023, and 1,601 in 2024. It said it understood gulls could sometimes cause problems in towns and cities, but at the same time populations of the birds were facing “serious declines”.NatureScot said it would continue to issue licenses where gulls were causing a health and safety issue.RSPB Scotland say that people and gulls could coexist if the right action was takenNumbers of herring gulls, a species people are most likely to encounter in urban areas, have fallen by 48% in Scotland since the 1980s, according to RSPB Scotland.Clearly the answer then is not just mass culling of gulls, but it is fair to say that more robust action needs to be taken before somebody does get seriously hurt. But the answer ultimately lies with all of us and the amount of food that we just casually throw away, which then attracts gulls.We all need to look at our own behaviour and stop blaming the gulls, however menacing they are,  for everything. Ultimately, we are the problem and therefore we are the solution too.

As anyone who has ever had the ill fortune to meander down Aberdeen’s Union Street around 3am on a Sunday morning, seagulls can be a bit of a...

yesterday 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Starmer's steel deal shows Swinney how nationalisation should work RECENTLY, I had the rather good fortune of flicking through an economic tome which was discussing the pros and cons of nationalisation.To be fair I was on holiday in a rather hot country and there was nothing else to do but lie on a sun lounger and read whatever was available.A compelling read it certainly wasn’t but it helped pass the time before the sun started to go down and I could think about dinner.Economists have never agreed on the benefits of nationalisation and history is littered with failed examples, particularly in the UK.But the two leaders currently occupying Bute House and Downing Street certainly seem to be in agreement that it’s a good thing.And in many cases it is a god thing but it’s what you do with the assets as a Government after it is been taken into public control that is the important thing.It is here that John Swinney and Sir Keir Starmer diverge dramatically if recent events are anything to go by.Last week, a £500 million five-year deal was struck between Network Rail and British Steel to help save the Scunthorpe steelworks.British Steel is to supply 337,000 tonnes of rail track, which will secure thousands of manufacturing jobs.Why this is important is that it comes just two months after the UK Government used emergency powers to prevent the blast furnaces from immediate closure.Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, said it “truly transforms the outlook for British Steel and its dedicated workforce in Scunthorpe”.British Steel is to supply a minimum of 337,000 tonnes of long and short rail.A further 80-90,000 tonnes is to be provided by other European manufacturers and deals are expected to be announced shortly, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.In March, Chinese firm Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, proposed to shut Scunthorpe’s two blast furnaces and other key steelmaking operations.This came despite months of negotiations and a £500 million co-investment offer from the UK Government.As a result, Jingye launched a consultation which it said would affect between 2,000 and 2,700 jobs.In April, the UK Government used emergency powers to take control of British Steel and continue production at the site.The Scunthorpe plant has been producing steel for Britain’s railways since 1865.The Network Rail contract, worth an estimated £500 million, starts on July 1 and is set to provide the company with 80% of its rail needs.To ensure security of supply, Network Rail is set to award smaller contracts to some European manufacturers, who will supply specialist rail products alongside British Steel.The agreement is the first major public procurement since the emergency legislation was passed.Both Network Rail and the Scunthorpe steel plant are both owned by the UK Government and the swift deal is clearly a direct benefit of being nationalised.No need for public procurement rules when both sites are state-owned.   The Government sees it as being complimentary to the UK and US trade deal which aims to lower tariffs and protect jobs across key sectors, including steel.The deal also compares to the complete and utter horlicks that the Scottish Government has made following nationalisation of key industries.Ministers, of course, took over the stricken Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow iin 2019 after it collapsed into administration.It seemed to be the right decision as the shipyard’s main customer was the state-owned ferry body CMAL, so a steady stream of orders should have been expected.Instead the yard is facing an uncertain future after losing out on several publicly funded ferry building contracts.Now ministers have even halted a vital subsidy for the yard that is needed to bring in vital work to keep it alive, it can be revealed.The development has raised alarm that the yard  will not survive beyond any delivery of the much-delayed and over budget CalMac ferry Glen Rosa.The yard’s business plan to 2029 assumed that the Scottish Government would sanction a direct award of the small vessel replacement programme. It was an integral part of a plan to deliver a “sustainable, profitable, efficient and competitive yard”.After it was decided that the £175m contract would go to a competitive tender, CMAL, the state-controlled ferry procurer declared in March that the job to build seven new loch-class electric ferries would go to Poland.It previously awarded two other ferry contracts worth to £220m to Cemre Marin Endustri A.S (Turkey) - with Ferguson Marine again losing out.Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed a “substantial subsidy” was needed to allow it to get a direct uncontested contract to build seven new small ferries and secure its future.But she admitted in correspondence with former community safety minister Ash Regan that that subsidy was not justified.Ms Regan has raised concerns that it was “not the direct award that’s the issue it’s the unwillingness to put public money behind a public asset”.Ferguson Marine has been dogged with issues with the delivery of  ferries Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which were due online in the first half of 2018.The last estimates suggest the costs of delivery of the vessels for CalMac will have soared to more than five times the original £97m cost.The shipyard firm currently employs more than 400 staff including over 100 sub-contractors.Goodness knows how they might be feeling, knowing full well that the Scottish Government is in the process of sinking the yard once and for all.For all the arguments against nationalisation, no book on economics will ever list sheer incompetence by Government ministers as a reason it will fail.While there are very good reasons that the yard is struggling, one of the main reasons is the sheer complexity of the two ferries which have made them very difficult to build.As it was the current administration that insisted on the specifications of being dual fuel and ‘green’ then it seems extremely harsh for ministers to now throw the workforce under a bus.Sir Keir Starmer’s Government has shown exactly how nationalisation should work for the benefit of the workforce and the economy as a whole. For it to be a success, there has to be a will, strategy and above all, economic competence amongst ministers.   Ministers at Holyrood have shown none of that and the Ferguson’s workforce and islanders have been left high and dry as a result.   

Starmer's steel deal shows Swinney how nationalisation should work RECENTLY, I had the rather good fortune of flicking through an economic tome which was discussing the pros and cons of nationalisation.To be fair I was on holiday in a rather hot country and there was nothing else to do but lie on a sun lounger and read whatever was available.A compelling read it certainly wasn’t but it helped pass the time before the sun started to go down and I could think about dinner.Economists have never agreed on the benefits of nationalisation and history is littered with failed examples, particularly in the UK.But the two leaders currently occupying Bute House and Downing Street certainly seem to be in agreement that it’s a good thing.And in many cases it is a god thing but it’s what you do with the assets as a Government after it is been taken into public control that is the important thing.It is here that John Swinney and Sir Keir Starmer diverge dramatically if recent events are anything to go by.Last week, a £500 million five-year deal was struck between Network Rail and British Steel to help save the Scunthorpe steelworks.British Steel is to supply 337,000 tonnes of rail track, which will secure thousands of manufacturing jobs.Why this is important is that it comes just two months after the UK Government used emergency powers to prevent the blast furnaces from immediate closure.Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, said it “truly transforms the outlook for British Steel and its dedicated workforce in Scunthorpe”.British Steel is to supply a minimum of 337,000 tonnes of long and short rail.A further 80-90,000 tonnes is to be provided by other European manufacturers and deals are expected to be announced shortly, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.In March, Chinese firm Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, proposed to shut Scunthorpe’s two blast furnaces and other key steelmaking operations.This came despite months of negotiations and a £500 million co-investment offer from the UK Government.As a result, Jingye launched a consultation which it said would affect between 2,000 and 2,700 jobs.In April, the UK Government used emergency powers to take control of British Steel and continue production at the site.The Scunthorpe plant has been producing steel for Britain’s railways since 1865.The Network Rail contract, worth an estimated £500 million, starts on July 1 and is set to provide the company with 80% of its rail needs.To ensure security of supply, Network Rail is set to award smaller contracts to some European manufacturers, who will supply specialist rail products alongside British Steel.The agreement is the first major public procurement since the emergency legislation was passed.Both Network Rail and the Scunthorpe steel plant are both owned by the UK Government and the swift deal is clearly a direct benefit of being nationalised.No need for public procurement rules when both sites are state-owned.   The Government sees it as being complimentary to the UK and US trade deal which aims to lower tariffs and protect jobs across key sectors, including steel.The deal also compares to the complete and utter horlicks that the Scottish Government has made following nationalisation of key industries.Ministers, of course, took over the stricken Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow iin 2019 after it collapsed into administration.It seemed to be the right decision as the shipyard’s main customer was the state-owned ferry body CMAL, so a steady stream of orders should have been expected.Instead the yard is facing an uncertain future after losing out on several publicly funded ferry building contracts.Now ministers have even halted a vital subsidy for the yard that is needed to bring in vital work to keep it alive, it can be revealed.The development has raised alarm that the yard  will not survive beyond any delivery of the much-delayed and over budget CalMac ferry Glen Rosa.The yard’s business plan to 2029 assumed that the Scottish Government would sanction a direct award of the small vessel replacement programme. It was an integral part of a plan to deliver a “sustainable, profitable, efficient and competitive yard”.After it was decided that the £175m contract would go to a competitive tender, CMAL, the state-controlled ferry procurer declared in March that the job to build seven new loch-class electric ferries would go to Poland.It previously awarded two other ferry contracts worth to £220m to Cemre Marin Endustri A.S (Turkey) - with Ferguson Marine again losing out.Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed a “substantial subsidy” was needed to allow it to get a direct uncontested contract to build seven new small ferries and secure its future.But she admitted in correspondence with former community safety minister Ash Regan that that subsidy was not justified.Ms Regan has raised concerns that it was “not the direct award that’s the issue it’s the unwillingness to put public money behind a public asset”.Ferguson Marine has been dogged with issues with the delivery of  ferries Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which were due online in the first half of 2018.The last estimates suggest the costs of delivery of the vessels for CalMac will have soared to more than five times the original £97m cost.The shipyard firm currently employs more than 400 staff including over 100 sub-contractors.Goodness knows how they might be feeling, knowing full well that the Scottish Government is in the process of sinking the yard once and for all.For all the arguments against nationalisation, no book on economics will ever list sheer incompetence by Government ministers as a reason it will fail.While there are very good reasons that the yard is struggling, one of the main reasons is the sheer complexity of the two ferries which have made them very difficult to build.As it was the current administration that insisted on the specifications of being dual fuel and ‘green’ then it seems extremely harsh for ministers to now throw the workforce under a bus.Sir Keir Starmer’s Government has shown exactly how nationalisation should work for the benefit of the workforce and the economy as a whole. For it to be a success, there has to be a will, strategy and above all, economic competence amongst ministers.   Ministers at Holyrood have shown none of that and the Ferguson’s workforce and islanders have been left high and dry as a result.   

RECENTLY, I had the rather good fortune of flicking through an economic tome which was discussing the pros and cons of nationalisation. To be fair I...

23.06.2025 5

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

It is high time that irresponsible campervan users are taxed off the NC500

To some, they are the best way to travel as you basically just pack all your stuff in the back and head off into the day, only stopping when you’ve...

02.06.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Trump is right for once, it is time to drill, baby drill in the North Sea Maybe the recent prolonged warm spell has addled my brain, but recently I found myself rather worryingly, agreeing with something that Donald Trump said.

Maybe the recent prolonged warm spell has addled my brain, but last week  I found myself rather worryingly, agreeing with something that Donald Trump...

26.05.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: The new £144m electric rail line without enough trains SOMETIMES I sit and ponder some of the biggest questions that exist, such as is there life after death and how deep is the sea.Actually I made that bit up as the questions that I usually find myself thinking about are how long does it take to build a CalMac ferry and will the A9 ever get dualled?Recently. I’ve been pondering another big question, namely what can you buy for £144 million?A couple of decent midfielders for an English Premier League team would be one and I suppose you could conceivably get quite a large swathe of Perthshire too and still have a bit of change leftover.However, it transpires that what you cannot guarantee with that sort of money is a better rail service.This week will see the re-opening of the line between Glasgow and East Kilbride reopen after being shut for since January. The electrification of the line is part of the Scottish Government’s plans to decarbonise Scotland’s rail passenger services by 2035. Since January, the route has been transformed with full electrification of the route, new stations at Hairmyres and East KilbrideThe work has also improved access at Giffnock, with a new accessible footbridge and a new station entrance at Clarkston.The existing track has also been lowered near Busby, Clarkston and Giffnock stations so that overhead line equipment can be accommodated under some bridges.As a result of work on the track there have been no trains on the line since January 25.So this week, commuters, and there are a considerable number along the route, could realistically expect to see an increased service.One of the promises made at the start of the work was that a double track would allow services to be increased from two every hour to four.In the evenings, after 7pm, the service is reduced to just one an hour which is unacceptable for a line that serves one of Scotland’s largest towns with a population of around 75,000.It also passes through the densely populated suburbs of Glasgow on the way so the service was not really fit for purpose given the numbers of potential passengers.So, I’m sure there would be an air of anticipation from regulars who have been forced to get the bus since January when the new timetables were issued.  Unfortunately they would have been in for a nasty surprise as the timetable appears to be exactly the same as it was before the line was closed.Which does rather beg the question - what was the point?After spending £144milllion on an upgrade then passengers have a right to feel a little short-changed by having to suffer the same poor service, in the same old trains than before.At least you would hope the trains will have all been hoovered in the interim.Last week it was revealed that cost has risen to almost £144 million.The new figure was presented in a letter to Richard Leonard, convener of Holyrood’s public audit committee by Alyson Stafford, director general of the Scottish Exchequer, the civil servant responsible for the Scottish Budget including tax, spending and measuring performance.The original estimate for the work said it would cost between £100m and £120m. The figure was later revised to £139.8m.Ms Stafford: “The Original Business Case (OBC) outlined that total project cost was estimated to be £100m to £120m and that it was estimated to be operational in December 2024. “The Full Business Case (FBC) outlined that total project cost was estimated to be £139.8m and that it was estimated to be operational in December 2025....The Anticipated Final Cost is now £143.7 million which is an increase to that at FBC and as previously reported.”She went onto say the additional cost was mostly due to Transport Scotland having to contribute towards the delivery of a car park at a new relocated station in Hairmyres in East Kilbride.The re-opening of the line will be welcome to the tens of thousands of people who have faced gridlock on the roads at various spells during the work. A series of road improvements took place simultaneously while the track was electrified.The result was apparently total chaos which has a serious side as ambulances were struggling to access Hairmyres hospital at  one point because of the traffic.But the fact that there is no change to the timetable will be scant consolation to the passengers.Electric trains are not due to be operational until December while the works are completely finished. Hopefully then a new timetable will be introduced and the whole point of the works will become clear.However, no new electric trains have been ordered by Scotrail so, presumably, the service will be run by rolling stock that is currently being used on other parts of the network.This will inevitably see capacity being reduced elsewhere so that services can run on the East Kilbride line.Scotrail has already admitted it cannot guarantee that all services will be electric when the new timetable is introduced in December, which kind of begs the question what is the point? Why spend millions electrifying railway lines and then not buying new trains?But this, perhaps, sums up the current sticking plaster approach to Scotland’s transport system that has been allowed to happen in recent years.Transport Scotland, of course, has form for this in the ferry network  with new vessels being ordered for ports that cannot accommodate them and are not yet upgraded.Elsewhere, ferries are taken off routes to fill holes elsewhere which leaves disruption pretty much everywhere in the islands.Now, two major Glasgow commuter lines will have been electrified in recent years - to East Kilbride and also to Barrhead - but no rolling stock appears to have been ordered to run on them.Scotrail has the oldest fleet in the UK and last took delivery of 70 electric  trains in 2018 when the network was in private hands, operated by Abellio.Plans were announced to purchase new suburban trains in 2022 followed by replacements for rural lines and high speed trains.Unfortunately, these have not yet materialised which shows the expensive folly that nationalisation could well become.Private firms were obliged to introduce new fleets as part of their franchise agreements but this doesn’t seem to be the case in public hands.As has been shown with the ferry network, Transport Scotland and ministers have form for complacency when it comes to providing a fleet that’s fit for purpose.Sadly, the rail network seems to be going that way too.

SOMETIMES I sit and ponder some of the biggest questions that exist, such as is there life after death and how deep is the sea. Actually I made that...

19.05.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Giving CalMac contract is right - now give them better ships IT is probably fair to say that ferry operator has had to navigate some choppy waters of late trying to meet timetable obligations with some really duff kit handed to them by the incompetence of others.

IT is probably fair to say that ferry operator has had to navigate some choppy waters of late trying to meet timetable obligations with some really...

12.05.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Build more houses for rural Scots, not tax second home owners HOLYROOD’s small but noisy band of Green MSP’s have been creating rather a lot of hot air of late, which cannot possible be good for the planet.

Holyrood's small but noisy band of Green MSP’s have been creating rather a lot of hot air of late, which cannot possible be good for the planet. ...

28.04.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

We're going to need a smaller boat: The large ferry dilemma for CalMac GIVEN the current state of the ferry network, it is little wonder that islanders are getting a wee bit hacked off and who can blame them.

Given the current state of the ferry network, it is little wonder that islanders are getting a wee bit hacked off and who can blame them. Anything...

21.04.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Scotland's tourism sector needs to be heard before it's too late DURING the recent spell of dry weather, social media has been illuminated with scenes from across Scotland looking at its finest.

During the recent spell of dry weather, social media has been illuminated with scenes from across Scotland looking at its finest. The clear, blue...

14.04.2025 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Forcing landowners to sell to locals is not the best solution THE moment that hastened the demise of Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was when he decreed that all white-owned farms should be violently seized and handed to black members of the population.

THE moment that hastened the demise of Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was when he decreed that all white-owned farms should be violently seized and...

07.04.2025 9

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

We thought the good times would last forever. We were wrong. What next for Aberdeen? THE first time I visited New Orleans, I was struck by the fact that many of the car registration plates had the phrase “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler” on them.

THE first time I visited New Orleans, I was struck by the fact that many of the car registration plates had the phrase “Laissez Les Bons Temps...

25.03.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: NatureScot may be threatening a rare mussel it should be protecting It would be a tragic irony if a population was wiped out because the body supposed to protect them didn’t do it’s job properly.

IF you ask anyone whether or not they agree with clean, green energy being generated by onshore windfarms, the vast majority would overwhelmingly...

17.03.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: The rail electrification scheme causing gridlock on Scotland's roads ANYONE who has had the misfortune to drive into East Kilbride, Eaglesham and other parts of the Glasgow south hinterland of late will have noticed something slightly odd.

ANYONE who has had the misfortune to drive into East Kilbride, Eaglesham and other parts of the Glasgow south hinterland of late will have noticed...

10.03.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Endemic complacency at heart of latest CalMac ferry crisis IT is generally accepted that renting a home in the long-term does not make much financial sense.

IT is generally accepted that renting a home in the long-term does not make much financial sense. Years of expensive monthly payments and there is...

04.03.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Any port in a storm as ministers look to buy Ardrossan TO run a successful ferry service, four key elements are required - a big ship, a port at both ends and a crew to steer the boat and serve the passengers.

TO run a successful ferry service, four key elements are required - a big ship, a port at both ends and a crew to steer the boat and serve the...

24.02.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: The growing resentment caused by motorhomes on the NC500 FOR many it is a road paved with gold, while for others is the ultimate highway to Hell.

FOR many it is a road paved with gold, while for others is the ultimate highway to Hell. It is fair to say that the NC500 coastal road divides...

17.02.2025 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Rejecting nuclear in favour of more onshore wind is sheer folly IT is often said, although by whom it isn’t clear, that the best way to create electricity is simply plugging the National Grid into parliament chambers and using all the hot air.

IT is often said, although by whom it isn’t clear, that the best way to create electricity is simply plugging the National Grid into parliament...

09.02.2025 9

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: The smartphone generation parenting by YouTube tutorial PARENTING isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is sadly something you don’t realise until you have children of your own.

PARENTING isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is sadly something you don’t realise until you have children of your own. The endless round of...

03.02.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Electrification of Scots rail network is just another empty promise LAST week was a momentous one for those of us who live along the busy commuter railway line between Glasgow and East Kilbride.

LAST week was a momentous one for those of us who live along the busy commuter railway line between Glasgow and East Kilbride. Due to Friday's red...

27.01.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Transport Scotland defies physics with A9 dualling latest ACCORDING the dictionary definition, accelerate means to begin to move more quickly, to move faster or to gain speed.

ACCORDING the dictionary definition, accelerate means to begin to move more quickly, to move faster or to gain speed. It’s a fairly simple...

21.01.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Skills shortage crisis should shame ministers into action IT was not that long ago that it seemed you could walk just a few yards in Scotland and you would bump into a skilled worker. Pupils would literally walk out of school on a Friday and be working in places such as shipyards on the Monday, where they would start an apprenticeship scheme.

IT was not that long ago that it seemed you could walk just a few yards in Scotland and you would bump into a skilled worker. Pupils would literally...

12.01.2025 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Watch out - ministers are about to send fridge police into your home IT is that time of year when most of us eat too much, drink about the same and buy so much food you could sink a battleship with it.

IT is that time of year when most of us eat too much, drink about the same and buy so much food you could sink a battleship with it. Most of us are...

29.12.2024 8

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: CalMac is not perfect but privatisation won’t make service better ANYONE who has ever had the good fortune to consume a mac and cheese on a CalMac ferry can attest to how good they are, even in a Force 9 mid-Minch.

ANYONE who has ever had the good fortune to consume a mac and cheese on a CalMac ferry can attest to how good they are, even in a Force 9...

23.12.2024 7

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Archaeological dig contract for A9 is another insult to Highlands £2m archaeological dig contract on A9 is another insult to Highlands

THE dualling of the A9 trunk road, or the lack of it, appears to have been a topic of some discussion since time began. Before even that some would...

15.12.2024 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Scotrail can show Starmer that nationalisation isn't always best I recently listened to an archive clip on the radio that consisted primarily of people whingeing about the railways.

I recently listened to an archive clip on the radio that consisted primarily of people whingeing about the railways. Amongst the biggest complaints...

08.12.2024 8

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Is the human cost of Net Zero drive really worth it? VAUXHALL motors was set up by Scots marine engineer Alexander Wilson in 1857 and went on to become one of the biggest car manufacturers in the UK.

VAUXHALL motors was set up by Scots marine engineer Alexander Wilson in 1857 and went on to become one of the biggest car manufacturers in the UK....

01.12.2024 5

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: One Day plaque row shows problem with conservation over evolution TO say that Edinburgh is a beautiful city would probably be viewed as an understatement.

TO say that Edinburgh is a beautiful city would probably be viewed as an understatement. With the elegant Georgian terraces along orderly streets...

24.11.2024 4

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: How is CalMac supposed to run a ferry service without any ships THERE are estimated to be more than 790 islands in Scotland, with 93 of them inhabited.

THERE are estimated to be more than 790 islands in Scotland, with 93 of them inhabited. Why the number is estimated is anyone’s guess as it should...

16.11.2024 5

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: The Sabbath isn't for everyone so Stornoway Tesco should open SEVERAL years ago, I had the good fortune to spend a Sabbath on the island of Harris during an extended trip to the Outer Hebrides.

SEVERAL years ago, I had the good fortune to spend a Sabbath on the island of Harris during an extended trip to the Outer Hebrides. Very pleasant...

09.11.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: We're going to steal a bigger boat - a solution for ferry fiasco MUCH has been said about Scotland’s ongoing ferry fiasco which has left the network with a large number of passengers but hardly any ships.

MUCH has been said about Scotland’s ongoing ferry fiasco which has left the network with a large number of passengers but hardly any ships. It...

02.11.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Ross Greer's mansion tax plan is the politics of envy WAY back in the day, in 1604 to be precise, judge Sir Edward Coke ruled that an Englishman’s castle is indeed his home.

WAY back in the day, in 1604 to be precise, judge Sir Edward Coke ruled that an Englishman’s castle is indeed his home. Coke’s full quote was “that...

26.10.2024 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Tourist tax should benefit visitors and not just plug budget gaps

GEORGE Harrison was universally known as the quiet Beatle, although he could throw a good strop with the best of them. His song-writing talents...

12.10.2024 2

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: ScotRail fares pilot scheme farce is peak incompetence

According to the acclaimed American writer Mark Twain, there are three types of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics. It is a phrase which...

05.10.2024 4

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: ​ Everybody loves going green - until it lands in their fridge DRIVING north up the A90 towards Aberdeen it is impossible to avoid the sight of posters urging against the building of large pylons across the area.

DRIVING north up the A90 towards Aberdeen it is impossible to avoid the sight of posters urging against the building of large pylons across the...

28.09.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Tesco Clubcard scheme is like inviting Jason Leitch to do your shopping IMAGINE, if you will, being forced to do your weekly supermarket shop accompanied by Jason Leitch and other Scottish government health officials.

IMAGINE, if you will, being forced to do your weekly supermarket shop accompanied by Jason Leitch and other Scottish government health officials....

21.09.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Will Kate Forbes sort out the blight on the Highlands of A82? FORT William is a place with a setting that is almost unparalleled anywhere on the planet.

FORT William is a place with a setting that is almost unparalleled anywhere on the planet. Dominated by Ben Nevis, and sitting on the banks of Loch...

14.09.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Ignore the haters - travelling the NC500 is simply glorious I RECENTLY had the good fortune to partake in a Highland road trip that took in part of the NC500.

I RECENTLY had the good fortune to partake in a Highland road trip that took in part of the NC500. We didn’t do it all and it was more like the...

07.09.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Andy Murray deserves a fitting legacy - just not one with luxury houses IT is fair to say that Andy Murray had millions of people off their seats over the past two decades or so as we all suffered along with him during his rise to the peak of the tennis world.

IT is fair to say that Andy Murray had millions of people off their seats over the past two decades or so as we all suffered along with him during...

31.08.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Raw-dogging social media craze is just plane stupid Anyone who has ever travelled on a long-haul flight know they are probably the most boring things ever invented even with the myriad of in-flight entertainment packages on offer

ANYONE who has ever travelled on a long-haul flight know they are probably the most boring things ever invented even with the myriad of in-flight...

17.08.2024 10

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Extra cash is always found when the FM's bin needs emptied IT’s that time of year when clowns, jugglers, comedians, stiltwalkers and an assortment of all sorts of halfwits take to the streets for a bit of harmless fun.

IT’s that time of year when clowns, jugglers, comedians, stilt walkers and an assortment of all sorts of halfwits take to the streets for a bit of...

10.08.2024 7

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Greens four day week is a great idea - if your job is pointless IMAGINE a scenario in the future where everyone gets paid a full-time wage to do absolutely no work at all.

IMAGINE a scenario in the future where everyone gets paid a full-time wage to do absolutely no work at all. It sounds great, but would probably get...

03.08.2024 1

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: Kate Forbes has hit the ground running on CalMac and A9 IT is fair to say that Scotland’s ferry network has been a bit of a mixed bag in recent years, with the service as reliable as a calm day on the Minch.

IT is fair to say that Scotland’s ferry network has been a bit of a mixed bag in recent years, with the service as reliable as a calm day on the...

27.07.2024 2

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson: It's time for the Fat Controller to take over shambolic Scotrail THERE’’S an advert doing the rounds at the moment for ScotRail which claims that your ticket goes much further than you think.

THERE’’S an advert doing the rounds at the moment for ScotRail which claims that your ticket goes much further than you think. How much further it...

20.07.2024 3

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson