An SNP minister has admitted to Holyrood it would be cheaper to build a brand new ferry than complete one of the ships at the centre of the Ferguson Marine contract scandal.

Neil Gray’s astonishing admission has been branded a “betrayal” by furious MSPs, one of whom said it’s a “shameful, scarcely-believable indictment of SNP mismanagement”.

The still incomplete ship known as Hull 802 is still not going to be scrapped and will instead be completed at Port Glasgow in the summer of 2024.

Mr Gray told MSPs: “The case for vessel 802 is more challenging and, I have accepted the judgement of the Scottish Government accountable officer that the narrow value for money case has not been made.

“Having said that, in making a decision around the way forward, I am guided by a wider set of considerations relating to the original policy objectives and the impact that any decision might have on people, communities, and national resilience. It is also important that I consider the impact on Ferguson Marine as well.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters