We are resharing this story as Rishi Sunak becomes PM. It was originally posted on August 7, 2020.
THE Chancellor has been accused of showing “complete disregard” for island locals after reportedly getting three cars to skip the queue for the ferry to Bute.
SNP councillor Rhiannon Spear reported that Rishi Sunak’s move had left locals to wait for the next boat as he took priority.
Sunak is in Scotland today – he is the fourth minister to visit in recent weeks following Boris Johnson’s instruction for Cabinet members to be more visible north of the Border.
Sunak started the trip by ruling out any extension to the furlough scheme – something the SNP have warned will lead to mass redundancies.
He then visited Peak Scientific in Glasgow, which manufactures gas generators for analytical laboratories, before heading off to the Isle of Bute.
Spear tweeted this morning to say she’d heard the Chancellor may be visiting and would “get the welcoming committee together”.
Later on she tweeted reports of the queue skipping. The councillor said: "So @RishiSunak drives straight onto the Weymss Bay ferry, skipping the queue leaving many locals to wait for the next boat as his THREE cars got priority.
“Already off to a bad start.”
She added: “Complete disregard shown for Bute locals as @RishiSunak gets THREE cars to skip the queue at Weymss Bay leaving many cars to wait for the next boat.
Complete disregard shown for Bute locals as @RishiSunak gets THREE cars to skip the queue at Weymss Bay leaving many cars to wait for the next boat. Meanwhile he goes on foot!?! He should have got chips at the café + waited in the queue like everyone else! #ToryDayTripper
— Rhiannon Spear (@RhiannonV) August 7, 2020
“Meanwhile he goes on foot!?! He should have got chips at the café + waited in the queue like everyone else!”
Due to the Covid-19 situation, CalMac ferries require those travelling in cars to remain in their vehicles during the crossing from Wemyss Bay to Rothesay.
According to the company this allows them to "maximise capacity on our ferries while implementing social distancing".
The National understands that on route to Rothesay Sunak left his vehicle and entered the ferry as a foot passenger, while the cars he was travelling with boarded separately.
However on return from Bute, a source said Sunak boarded in his car and then left it to enter passenger accommodation. The National was told this was a police request due to a protest taking place at the port.
There were reports that residents were unhappy on local Facebook groups, while one Scottish Parliament staffer called Sunak’s behaviour “very entitled”.
SNP councillor Spear said the situation “highlights that there’s one rule for Westminster Tory elite and another for the local people on the Isle of Bute”.
Angela Haggerty said: “Locals are raging that @RishiSunak got straight onto the ferry when they sometimes have to wait for hours because of limited capacity. Raging!"
The Treasury did not respond to a request for comment.
