LOCAL MP Patricia Gibson said that she didn’t believe the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry would be relocated to Troon but warned the people of North Ayrshire not to be complacent.

The MP for North Ayrshire and Arran made a passionate speech at the Save Our Ferry meeting in Ardrossan Civic Centre, where she urged the people of Ardrossan to ‘put on a show of strength’.

Describing the service as ‘absolutely essential to the long-term economic health of Ardrossan’, Mrs Gibson encouraged members of the community to sign the Save Our Ferry petition.

She said: “There’s still a way to go. 

“We need to keep collecting signatures. Already, over 2,000 signatures have been collected but we know we can get far more signatures than that and you don’t have to live in Ardrossan or Arran to sign this petition. Anybody can sign it who has an interest in this issue.”

Mrs Gibson told the meeting that she had spoken with Transport Minister Humza Yousaf about the issue, adding: “I want to reassure you right now that I left him in absolutely no doubt that this is a non-starter for the people of Arran, Ardrossan and North Ayrshire as a whole.

“The economic case for keeping this ferry is unanswerable and I will be, like you, extremely upset if we lose this ferry.”

Mrs Gibson said that she didn’t expect the relocation to Troon to go ahead because ‘the economic case is so strong’.

But she added: “You might ask yourself ‘if she doesn’t expect it to happen, what’s she doing standing up here talking about it for?’ Because I take nothing for granted. 

“We have to put on a show of strength in this town to make clear that we do not find any decision to move our ferry acceptable and we will fight to keep it and I think that’s absolutely essential and importantly, we stand together to do it because everybody in this town and beyond and indeed the future of the entire Ayrshire Growth Deal is dependent on it. 

“The Scottish Government have been faced with this bid. They have to be seen to look at this bid because the agenda always has to be value for money for the tax payer. But if the economic arguments look at the impact on Ardrossan, I don’t think we’ve got anything particular to fear but we still need to fight. 

“We cannot be complacent, so every signature, in every way you can help,  email the Transport Minister, sign the petition, do whatever you can to help us fight to keep this ferry for the town.”

West of Scotland MSP, Ross Greer also urged the community to get involved. Speaking at the event in the Civic Centre, he said: “It’s essential that everyone who wants to keep the route as it is gets involved in the campaign. Speak to your neighbours, to folk at church or at the school gates, tell them why this is important and why they should add their voice to those calling for the ferry to stay at Ardrossan.”