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Sunday ferries or sexual indiscretion, up to vote

Ferry Online Travel News 11/12/2007

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Will the Isle of Lewis vote for Sunday sailings or a man with a sexually indescreet past?

An upcoming general election on the Isle of Lewis is presenting residents with an interesting choice: vote for the man who champions the unpopular Sunday ferry service proposal or vote for the man who was caught in a hotel room in Shetland with two teenage girls in 2005.

Donald John MacSween is the Labour candidate fighting for the Western Isles seat at Westminster and promoting Sunday sailings between the Isle of Lewis and the mainland. The proposal has drawn outspoken protest including a petition signed by 3,800 residents, organized by the Lord's Day Observance Society (LDOS).

Despite the indiscretions of Angus MacNeil, the SNP incumbent, his platform and his person are drawing much less fire.

MacSween says he hopes that his opinions on this one issue will not hurt his chances in the upcoming election. "For quite a long time I have advocated regular transport links in better vessels with much cheaper fares, and included in that was the need for a Sunday ferry service," he said. "I fought three council elections with people knowing what my views were, and I cannot say I have upset people unduly because of my views.

"I am not anti-Church in any way whatsoever. That wasn't part of my upbringing, and it is not part of my own philosophy on life either. I think people are mature enough to realise that I do have a valid point of view."

The proposal to sail on Sunday between Stornoway and Ullapool, was first made in September after a number of letters of support requested the service for both personal and economic reasons. But an equal number of letters have been received against the service.

LDOS supporter, Reverend George Macaskill said that the ferry service would be in opposition to the observation of Sabbath. "We are saddened that our Christian heritage is slowly being eroded by a 24/7 mentality,' he said.

The Sunday sailing between Stornoway and Ullapool was recently postponed until the board of CalMac, who operates the ferry service, could meet again at the end of January.

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